Hearing loss
Pathophysiology
Nursing care plan
Clinical manifestations
Definition
A chronic or aging condition that results from a person not being able to hear what other people say correctly
Tinnitus
Misinterpreting what is said
For everything that people say, you keep on asking them to repeat
Listening radios and television with highest volume
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Can either be conductive or sensorineural or even both.
Lesions to auditory canal preventing sound from being effectively transmitted to the inner ear
OR lesions of the inner ear (sensory) or the auditory (8th) nerve (neural). Which is rarely curable.
Here the sound is often heard but not sent to the brain for interpretation of what is being heard
May be caused by earwax, working in a noisy environments, infections and aging, congenital or by medications such as lasix and NSAIDs
Nursing assessment
Check history for mental state and medication such as diuretics, antidepressants drugs that can cause impairment of hearing
Problem
Disturbed verbal communication
Check with the patient the choice of communication they would prefer
Communicate verbal and with written when Communicating with the patient
Assess background that can cause patient to not hear properly, e.g noisy background
Nursing interventions
Assess patients needs for assistance
Offer Other alternative ways of communication e.g translater if needed
Avoid talking ininfront of the patient because of you thinking they cannot hear anything
Avoud shouting or speaking in loud tone when addressing the patient
Stay calm at all the times, in that way the patient will be calm also
Give the patient some time to answer during conversation, do not rush the patient
Do not use open-ended questions when speaking, speak slowly
Ensure no noise when talking to the patient, so that the patient can be able to hear you clearly