Health Sciences 1101
Medical Terminology
Module 11
Special Senses: Eyes
and Ears
Basic Eye and Ear Terms
Ocul/o, opthalm/o or opt/o: Pertaining to the eye
Optometrist or optician: specialist in providing
corrective lenses to improve vision
Ophthalmologist: Medical doctor who specializes in
diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders
Otolaryngology: branch of medicine that focuses on
diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the ears,
nose, and throat.
Otolaryngologist: A physician who specializes in the
diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears
nose and throat. Also called an ENT.
Eye Anatomy Terms
Blephar/o: eyelid
Conjunctiv/o: conjunctiva
Choroid/o: choroid
Corne/o or kerat/o: cornea
Cor/o, core/o or pupill/o: pupil
Dacry/o or lacrim/o: tear or tear
ducts
Irid/o: iris
Retin/o: retina
Other Eye Terms
-opia or –opsia: vision
-ptosis: prolapse or downward
displacement
-tropia: turning
Hyperopia: The lense focuses the
visual image beyond the retina,
causing difficulty in seeing close
objects. Also called farsightedness.
Myopia: The eyeball is too long, so the
image falls in front of the retina,
causing difficulty in seeing far away
objects. Also called
nearsightedness.
Eye Related
Pathology Terms
Astigmatism: Abnormal
curvature of the cornea, which
causes light rays to focus
unevenly over the retina.
Cataract: opacity or cloudiness
of the lens. Commonly
associated with aging.
Achromatopsia: Colorblindness
Eye Related Pathology Terms
Macular degeneration:
breakdown of the tissue in
the macula. Results in
central vision loss.
Glaucoma: Increased
intraocular pressure
caused by the failure of the
aqueous humor to drain.
Results in atrophy of the
optic nerve and,
eventually, blindness
Eye Related Pathology Terms
Conunctivitis: Inflammation of
the conjunctiva. Can be
caused by allergy, bacteria,
irritation or a foreign body.
Hordeolum: A small purulent
inflammatory infection of a
sebaceous gland of the
eyelid. Sometimes called a
sty.
Photophobia: Unusual
intolerance and sensitivity to
light. Occurs in diseases such
as meningitis or measles and
in inflammation/injury of the
eyes
Eye Related Pathology Terms
Retinal detachment:
separation of the retina
from the choroid.
Disrupts vision and
results in blindness if not
corrected.
Diabetic retinopathy:
Retinal blood vessel
disorder that occurs in
people with diabetes.
Small hemorrhages,
edema, and formation of
new vessels leading to
scarring and eventual
loss of vision
Eye Related Pathology Terms
Strabismus: Abnormal turning or
pulling of the eye
Esotropia: strabismus in which
one eye turns inward or toward
the other eye
Exotropia: strabismus in which
one eye turns outward, or away
from the other eye.
Both esotropia and exotropia can
cause diplopia.
Eye Related
Diagnosis
Visual Acuity Test: Standard
test involves reading the
Snellen chart from 20 feet
away.
Tonometry: Measuring
intraocular pressure to
detect glaucoma
Opthalmoscopy: Visual
examination of the eye
using a lighted instrument.
Eye Related
Treatment
Corneal transplant: Surgical
transplantation of a donor cadaver
cornea onto the recipient’s eye
Cataract surgery: Excision of
cataracts by surgically removing
the lens and inserting an artifical
intraocular lens
Phacoemulsification: Ultrasonic
vibrations break the lens into tiny
particles which are gently
suctioned out of the eye
Eye Related Treatment
Extracapsular Cataract
Extraction: Excision of
most of the lens,
followed by insertion of
an intraocular lens
transplant
Iridectomy: Surgical
removal of parts of the
iris
Ear Anatomy Terms
Acous/o, aud/i, or audit/o:
hearing
Myring/o or tympan/o:
tympanic membrane
Ot/o: ear
Salping/o: tube (in this
case, the eustachian tube
-acusis: hearing
Cerumen: earwax
Ear Related Pathology Terms
Vertigo: Sensation of moving
around in space; a feeling of
spinning or dizziness. Usually
results from damage to inner
ear structures associated
with balance or equilibrium
Tinnitus: A ringing in the ears
Anacusis: Complete hearing
loss or total deafness.
Otitis media: Middle ear
infection, typically bacterial
and most often seen in
children
Ear Related
Pathology Terms
Ménière’s Disease: A rare
disorder within the labyrinth
of the inner ear that can lead
to a progressive loss of
hearing. Symptoms include
vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus,
and the sensation of pressure
in the ear. Cause is unknown.
Acoustic Neuroma: A benign
tumor of the acoustic nerve
sheath. Symptoms result
from pressure exerted on
surrounding tissue.
Ear Related Pathology Terms
Presbycusis: Impairment of
hearing resulting from old age
Conductive Hearing Loss:
Hearing loss caused by a
blockage of the ear canal or
damage to the eardrum or
ossicles. Transmission of
sound is prevented.
Otosclerosis: Progressive
deafness due to ossification in
the bony labyrinth of the inner
ear. A stapedectomy is often
successful in permanently
restoring hearing
Ear Related Diagnosis Terms
Otoscopy: Visual
examination of the ear
using an otoscope
Audiometry: Measures
hearing acuity at
various sound
frequencies
Rinne Test: Hearing
acuity test using a
vibrating tuning fork to
test sound conduction
through bone and air
Ear Related Treatment Terms
Myringoplasty: Surgical repair of a
perforated eardrum with a
tissue graft
Myringotomy: Incise the
eardrum. Relieve pressure and
release pus or serous fluid from
the middle ear. Surgically insert
tympanostomy tubes in the
eardrum
Cochlear Implant: Electronic
transmitter that is surgically
implanted into the cochlea of a
deaf individual to restore
hearing loss