(^408) CHAPTER 22 Disorders of the Eye and Ear
Patient Education for Ear Medication
Patients should understand that they should not place any foreign objects into
their ear canal including Q-Tips. Ceruminolytics should be used to remove ceru-
men. Patients who are prone to swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) should keep the
ear canal dry by placing two drops of alcohol in the ear canal.
Many medications used to treat ear disorders are sensitive to light. Therefore,
they should be kept in a light-resistant container.
All antibiotics must be taken for the prescribed length of time (10–14 days).
The patient should not stop taking antibiotics once the pain has subsided.
The patient should report any change in hearing. Some patients may not
report the loss to their healthcare professional because they consider the loss of
hearing as part of aging or due to exposure to environmental noises.Summary
There are three common eyes disorders: glaucoma, conjunctivitis, and corneal
abrasion. Glaucoma is characterized by an increase in intraocular pressure that,
if left untreated, can damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness.
Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the thin, clear membrane that covers the
white part of the eye and the eyelids. There are four types of conjunctivitis: viral
conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and giant papillary
conjunctivitis. A corneal abrasion is a cut or scratch on the cornea caused by
debris, fingernails, contact lenses, or rubbing the eye. Most corneal abrasions
heal with the proper treatment.
Eye disorders are treated using a topical anesthetic, antiinfectives, antimicro-
bials, lubricants, miotics, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, osmotics, anticholiner-
gic mydriatics, and cycloplegics.
There are four common ear disorders: cerumen impaction, otitis external, oti-
tis media, and vestibular disorders. Cerumen impaction is the overproduction of
earwax. Otitis externa and otitis media are infections of the external and middle
ear, respectfully. Vestibular disorders include Meniere’s disease, labyrinthitis,
and inner ear infections.
Cerumen impaction is treated by administering ceruminolytics to flush the
cerumen from the canal. Otitis externa and otitis media are treated with anal-
gesics. If a bacterial infection is suspected, antibiotics may be ordered.