defness is also known as the loss of hearing of the ear and this is a chronic condition which need proper treatment as if cannot be detected early it can cause serious problem of hearing loss so knowledge of this condition can be useful for making differential diagnosis and proper treatment of the patient for the nursing students bsc and gnm and also can be used for their learning understanding and for their exam too

1. DEAFNESS
DEPARTMENT OF
MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING

2. Learning Objectives
At the end of this lecturer, students
should be able to:
 Define deafness
• Enlist the types
• Enumerate the causes
• Describe the management

3. OVERVEIW
• Hearing is one of our primary modes of
communication. 360 million people worldwide have
disabling hearing loss.
• Hearing loss may result from genetic causes,
complications at birth, certain infectious diseases,
chronic ear infections, the use of particular drugs,
exposure to excessive noise and ageing.

4. Definition
It means impairment of hearing may vary in severity.

5. Risk factors
• Family history of sensorineural impairment
• Congenital malformations of the cranial structure
(ear)
• Low birth weight (<1500 gm.)
• Use of ototoxic medications (gentamycin and loop
diuretics)

6. • Recurrent ear infections
• Bacterial Meningitis
• Chronic exposure to loud noise
• Perforation of the tympanic membrane

7. TYPES OF DEAFNESS
• Conductive deafness - Results from interference of sound
transmission through the external ear and middle ear.
• A conductive hearing loss can be the result of a blockage in
the external ear canal or can be caused by any disorder that
unfavorably effects the middle ear's ability to transmit the
mechanical energy to the stapes footplate.

8. Sensorineural deafness
• Sensorineural hearing loss results from inner ear or
auditory nerve dysfunction. eighth cranial nerve or
the brain.

9. CONDUCTIVE DEAFNESS.
Common causes:
• Chronic suppurative otitis media
• Impacted wax, Otitis externa
• Impacted foreign body
• Traumatic rupture of tympanic membrane
• otosclerosis

10. • Thickening , retraction, scaring or perforation of
tympanic membrane, or any pathologic changes in
the middle ear.
• Ear obstructions due to foreign bodies and objects.

11. SENSORINEURAL DEAFNESS
Common causes:
• Presbyacusis
• Drug induced
• Trauma
• Acoustic nerve tumor

12. CLINICAL MANIFESTAIONS
• Most hearing loss gradual and goes
unnoticed by the client. until several
incident of communication problems have
occurred.
• Failure to respond to oral communications
• In appropriate response to oral
communications.

13. • Excessively loud speech
• Abnormal awareness sounds
• Strained facial expression
• Constant need for clarification of
conversation
• Listening to radio or TV at increased
volume.

14. Diagnostic evaluation
• Startle reflex test
• Cochleopalpebral reflex
• Screening test

15. MANAGEMENT
The goal of management of the client with hearing
loss are
1. To restore hearing
2. To assist hearing
3. To manage tinnitus and implement aural
rehabilitation

16. Treatment of conducting hearing
loss
• The treatment of conductive deafness depends
upon the cause such patients can be helped by
modern microsurgical procedure.
• Alternatively a hearing aid can be fitted to
overcome the hearing difficulty.

17. Treatment
• The treatment of such patients is difficult.
• Depending upon the degree of deafness, hearing aids
are fitted and auditory training given by the speech
therapist.

18. SUMMARY
• So far we have discussed about
definition, types, causes and management
of deafness

19. Bibliography
• Lewis et al, Medical Surgical Nursing, Mosby
Elsevier,7th edition.
• Joyce.M.Black et al, Medical Surgical Nursing,
Saunders publication.
• Brunner and Siddhartha, Medical Surgical Nursing,
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

20. Thank you