Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

development continues well into ADOLESCENCE, refining the brain’s ability to interpret and catego- rize the signals the senses s ...

and functions that do so make up the vestibular system. The bony labyrinth, which also houses the cochlea, supports the membrano ...

Taste buds on the sides of the tongue are con- centrated to detect sour and salt. Taste buds at the back of the tongue are con- ...

today, accounted for much childhood deafness and frequently led to the complication of MASTOIDITIS, a bacterial infection in the ...

A acoustic neuroma A noncancerous tumor of the eighth cranial (vestibulocochlear) NERVE. Acoustic neuromas typically grow over y ...

swollen and infected adenoids can trap BACTERIAin the EUSTACHIAN TUBE and middle EAR. Adenoid hypertrophy is a leading cause of ...

quencies of normal conversation, the loss, though gradual, becomes apparent. Hearing aids that amplify sound waves in these freq ...

otoacoustic emissions, which measure the response of the cochlea to sound stimulation acoustic immittance measures, which asses ...

B barotrauma Damage to the structures of the EAR resulting from the ear’s inability to equalize pres- sure with abrupt and extre ...

Symptoms and Diagnostic Path The key symptom of BPPV is sudden, severe, and limited episodes of vertigo without TINNITUS(ring- i ...

the NOSEgenerates significant pressure that can force congestion into the SINUSESand eustachian tubes. The best method is to blo ...

C canker sore Ulcerous sores, also called aphthous ulcers, that develop inside the MOUTH. The typical canker sore is round, with ...

within the canal. Cerumen is usually yellowish brown in color and its presence is normal, though many people attempt to clean it ...

cleft palate/cleft palate and lip Congenital anomalies in which the bones of the face that form the roof of the MOUTHfail to clo ...

them, line the fluid-filled inner chamber of the cochlea. The membrane that contains the hair cells is the organ of Corti. Sound ...

See also CANKER SORE; CORNEAL INJURY; OCULAR HERPES SIMPLEX. cough The forceful expulsion of air through the airway as a REFLEX ...

throat or lung cancer. A doctor should evaluate chronic cough in smokers on a regular basis to monitor for more significant heal ...

D–E deafness See HEARING LOSS. dental caries The clinical term for cavities, ero- sions through the enamel of the TEETHthat expo ...

who is too young to speak may pull or tug at the ears. INFLAMMATION or infection of the auditory canal, commonly called swimmer’ ...

ally follows bacterial PHARYNGITISsuch as “strep” throat. Symptoms of the infection begin suddenly and worsen rapidly. Key sympt ...