Medical Terminology: Eye and Ear Disorders

• Acoustic neuroma involves a benign tumor on the vestibulocochlear nerve.
• Ageusia causes a loss of the sense of taste.
• Amblyopia causes reduced vision in one eye that is not correctable by lenses, also known as "lazy eye".
• Anosmia causes a loss of the sense of smell.
• Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections.
• Aqueous humor nourishes the cornea and lens, found in the anterior chamber of the eye.
• Astigmatism is a refractive error in the eye, resulting from an irregular corneal or lens shape.
• Audiometry measures hearing acuity.
• Auditory canal is the passage leading to the eardrum (tympanic membrane).
• Auditory ossicles, including the malleus, incus, and stapes, are small bones in the middle ear that transmit sound vibrations.
• Auricle is the external part of the ear that collects sound waves.
• Blepharitis involves inflammation of the eyelids.
• Cataracts cause a clouding of the eye's lens, leading to decreased vision.
• Cerumen is earwax, secreted by ceruminous glands in the ear canal.
• Ceruminous glands produce earwax (cerumen).
• Chalazion involves a blocked gland in the eyelid, leading to a cyst.
• Cholesteatoma involves abnormal skin growth in the middle ear.
• Choroid is the vascular layer of the eye, providing nourishment to the retina.
• Ciliary body produces aqueous humor and controls the lens shape.
• Ciliary glands secrete an oily substance to lubricate the eye.
• Cochlea is a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear involved in hearing.
• Cochlear implants provide hearing for those with severe hearing loss.
• Conductive deafness results from hearing loss caused by problems in the outer or middle ear.
• Cones are photoreceptor cells in the retina responsible for color vision.
• Conjunctiva is the membrane covering the front of the eye and lining the eyelids.
• Cornea is the transparent front layer of the eye that focuses light.
• Dacryocystitis involves inflammation of the tear sac (lacrimal sac).
• Deafness involves partial or complete loss of the sense of hearing.
• Diabetic retinopathy damages the retina due to diabetes, causing vision impairment.
• Dysgeusia involves distortion or loss of the sense of taste.
• Ectropion involves outward turning of the eyelid.
• Entropion involves inward turning of the eyelid.
• Enucleation involves surgical removal of the eye.
• Esotropia involves inward turning of the eyes, often referred to as "crossed eyes."
• Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the throat, therefore equalizing ear pressure.
• Exotropia involves an outward turning of the eyes, called "wall-eye."
• Extinction is the loss of sensation in one area of the body, often due to neurological conditions.
• Fluorescein angiography uses an imaging test using dye to visualize blood vessels in the retina.
• Fovea centralis is the small pit in the retina, being responsible for sharp, detailed central vision.
• Glaucoma involves a raised intraocular pressure that can damage the optic nerve.
• Graphesthesia involves the ability to recognize writing on the skin by touch.
• Gustatory is related to the sense of taste.
• Hordeolum is a stye, thus is an infection of the eyelash follicle or oil gland.
• Hyperopia is farsightedness, thus creating difficulty seeing close objects.
• Hyperosmia involves increased sensitivity to smells.
• Hyposmia involves a reduced sense of smell.
• Impacted cerumen involves an accumulation of earwax causing blockage in the ear canal.
• Incus is one of the ossicles in the middle ear transmitting sound vibrations.
• Inner ear contains of the cochlea, vestibule, and semicircular canals.
• Iris is the colored part of the eye that controls pupil size.
• Ishihara Color Vision Test is used to assess color blindness.
• Keratoplasty includes surgical repair of the cornea, often involving corneal transplant.
• Labyrinth is the complex structure of the inner ear, responsible for balance and hearing.
• Lacrimal apparatus consists of the glands and ducts that produce and drain tears.
• Lacrimal canaliculi are small ducts that drain tears from the eye to the lacrimal sac.
• Lacrimal duct drains tears from the lacrimal sac to the nasal cavity.
• Lacrimal glands produce tears.
• Lacrimal sac collects tears and is part of the lacrimal apparatus.
• Laser photocoagulation treats retinal diseases by sealing blood vessels using a laser procedure.
• Laser therapy uses laser light to treat various eye conditions.
• LASIK is a surgical procedure that corrects refractive vision problems.
• Lens is the transparent structure behind the iris that focuses light on the retina.
• Macula is the central part of the retina.
• Macular degeneration is a disease that affects the macula, resulting in vision loss.
• Malleus is the first ossicle in the middle ear.
• Ménière's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss.
• Middle ear is between the eardrum and oval window, containing the ossicles.
• Myopia involves nearsightedness, creating difficulty seeing distant objects.
• Myringotomy is a surgical incision of the eardrum to relieve pressure or drain fluid.
• Nerve deafness includes hearing loss due to damage to the auditory nerve or inner ear.
• Neuropathy involves nerve damage, resulting in loss of sensation or function.
• Nystagmus involves involuntary eye movements, often indicative of neurological or vestibular issues.
• Olfactory bulb is a structure in the brain processing smells.
• Olfactory hairs are sensory receptors in the nose that detect odors.
• Olfactory nerve is responsible for the sense of smell.
• Olfactory receptor cells detect and transmit smell signals to the brain.
• Ophthalmoscopy allows the examination of the inside of the eye, including the retina and optic nerve.
• Optic disc is the point where the optic nerve enters the retina.
• Optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain.
• Organ of Corti is a structure in the cochlea that detects vibrating sounds.
• Otalgia means ear pain.
• Otitis media includes inflammation or infection of the middle ear.
• Otomycosis is fungal infection of the outer ear.
• Otosclerosis includes abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, thus leads to hearing loss.
• Otoscopy allows the examination of the ear using an otoscope.
• Outer ear is the external part of the ear, including the auricle and auditory canal.
• Oval window is the membrane-covered opening between the middle ear and the inner ear.
• Pain and light-touch sensation involves sensory functions tested to assess nerve function.
• Papillae are small bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds.
• Phacoemulsification is a cataract surgery technique that uses ultrasound to break up the lens.
• Photoreceptors are cells in the retina (rods and cones) that detect light.
• Pneumatic otoscopy is an ear examination method involving the application of air pressure to the eardrum
• Position sense involves the ability to sense body position without visual input.
• Precision nerve exams are neurological tests to assess sensory and motor functions.
• Presbycusis is age-related hearing loss.
• Presbyopia is age-related farsightedness due to the loss of lens elasticity.
• Pupil refractive disorders are conditions affecting the ability of the eye to focus light on the retina.
• Retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye.
• Retinal detachment is the separation of the retina from the underlying tissue.
• Rods are photoreceptor cells in the retina, therefore responsible for vision in low light.
• Round window is a membrane in the inner ear, helping to transmit sound vibrations.
• Sclera is the white outer layer of the eyeball, providing structure and protection.
• Scleral buckle is a surgical procedure to treat retinal detachment.
• Semicircular canals are structures in the inner ear, balancing the body.
• Slit lamp microscopy uses a microscope to thoroughly examine the eye.
• Smell detects odors through olfactory receptors.
• Stereognosis perceives and recognizes objects by touch.
• Strabismus refers to the misalignment of the eyes, also known as crossed eyes.
• Surgery is a medical procedure to treat or correct physical conditions.
• Taste buds are sensory organs on the tongue that detect taste.
• Tears lubricate the eyes, produced by the lacrimal glands.
• Tinnitus causes ringing or buzzing sounds in the ears.
• Tongue is responsible for taste and swallowing located in the mouth
• Tuning fork tests are used to assess hearing, producing sound through vibration.
• Tympanic membrane vibrates when sound waves hit it, thus the eardrum
• Vertigo is a sensation of spinning or dizziness.
• Vestibule is the central part of the inner ear that helps with balance.
• Vestibulocochlear nerve transmits sound and balance information from the ear to the brain.
• Visual acuity test measures the sharpness of vision.
• Visual field test assesses the extent of a person's vision.
• Vitrectomy is a surgical procedure, removing the vitreous gel from the eye.
• Vitreous floaters are small specks or cobwebs seen in the field of vision due to changes in the vitreous humor.
• Vitreous humor is a clear, gel-like substance filling the eye's inner chamber.

Word Parts

• Acous/o refers to Sound
• Ambly/o means dull, dim.
• Blephar/o refers to the eyelid.
• Cor/o and core/o refers to the pupil.
• Corne/o means cornea.
• Dacry/o refers to tears.
• Dipl/o means double.
• Glauc/o means gray or bluish-gray
• Gustat/o means taste.
• Mi/o means to diminish or less
• Mydr/o means to widen.
• Myring/o refers to the eardrum.
• Nyct/o means night.
• Ocul/o means eye.
• Olfact/o means smell.
• Ot/o means ear.
• Papill/o means papilla or nipple-like.
• Phac/o and phak/o refers to the lens.
• Presby/o signifies old age.
• Salping/o references to a tube.
• Scot/o means darkness.
• Steat/o refers to fat.
• Stigmat/o refers to a point or mark.
• Vitr/o and vitre/o signify glass-like or vitreous humor.

Suffixes

• -cusis signifies a hearing condition.
• -ectomy means surgical removal.
• -esthesia refers to a sensation.
• -ism is a condition or disease.
• -metry is measurement.
• -oma is a tumor or mass.
• -opia is a vision condition.
• -osmia is a smell condition.
• -otia is an ear condition.
• -plasty is surgical repair.
• -ptosis means drooping.
• -sclerosis signifies hardening.
• -scopy is a visual examination.
• -tomy is a surgical incision.
• -tropia signifies turning or a condition of the eye.

Explore medical terms related to eye and ear disorders, including acoustic neuroma, ageusia, amblyopia, and anosmia. Learn about treatments, anatomy, and conditions affecting vision, hearing, taste, and smell. Understand key terms like auditory ossicles, blepharitis, and cataracts.