You encounter a 50-year-old woman during your afternoon clinic. She reports experiencing sudden episodes where the room spins uncontrollably, accompanied by nausea and occasional vomiting. Additionally, she feels as though her hearing is impaired on the right side and experiences a ringing sound and a feeling of fullness on that side. Based on these symptoms, you suspect that she may have Meniere’s disease. What is a true statement about this condition?
A 50-year-old woman comes to her GP complaining of recurrent vertigo that has been going on for 6 months. She reports experiencing episodes that last from a few minutes to several hours, accompanied by tinnitus and decreased hearing in her left ear. She denies any identifiable triggers that worsen her symptoms. She has no significant medical history. Her ear and cranial nerve examinations are normal.
What is the probable diagnosis?
A 42-year-old woman who is typically healthy visits her GP complaining of hearing difficulties over the last 2 months. She has been an avid swimmer for the past 20 years. During the examination, Rinne’s test is positive on her left ear but negative on her right ear. Weber’s test shows sound localizing to the right side.
What is the type of hearing loss that this patient is experiencing?
A 50-year-old woman comes to the clinic complaining of vertigo for the past 3 days. She reports feeling like ‘the room is spinning’ when she turns over in bed or looks upwards, lasting for about 10 seconds each time. She experiences some nausea but denies vomiting, hearing loss, or tinnitus. The patient states that she has been feeling generally well lately.
What is the examination technique used to diagnose the probable condition in this case, and what are the expected results of this examination?
During a routine cranial nerve examination of a different patient, the following results were obtained:
Rinne’s test: Air conduction > bone conduction in both ears
Weber’s test: Localises to the left side
What do these test results indicate?
A 20-year-old woman complains of hearing difficulties over the last six months. She initially suspected it was due to earwax, but her hearing has not improved after ear syringing. You conduct an auditory system examination, including Rinne’s and Weber’s tests:
Rinne’s test: Left ear: air conduction > bone conduction
Right ear: air conduction > bone conduction
Weber’s test: Lateralises to the left side
What is the significance of these test results?
A 24-year-old-man schedules an appointment due to a nose injury he sustained while playing soccer two days ago. He reports that his nose bled for a few minutes after the injury but has not bled since. He also mentions that his nose did not appear deformed after the incident. He has not sought medical attention before this appointment and is generally healthy with no long-term medications.
During the examination, you notice no signs of nasal bone deviation, but there is significant swelling in the surrounding soft tissue. On anterior rhinoscopy, you observe a bilateral fluctuant swelling of the nasal septum that almost blocks the nostrils.
What is the most suitable course of action?
A 35-year-old man comes to the clinic complaining of vertigo that has been ongoing for 5 days. He reports having a recent viral upper respiratory tract infection. The patient is in good health overall and experiences nausea but no hearing loss or tinnitus. During the examination, the doctor observes fine horizontal nystagmus. What is the probable diagnosis?
A 26-year-old man presents to your emergency clinic with worsening pain in his right ear. He had previously been diagnosed with otitis externa and started on antibiotic ear drops by another physician four days ago. However, he reports that the pain has only gotten worse and he has been unable to apply the drops for the past 24 hours due to swelling of the canal. Upon examination, you notice that the right external auditory canal is completely swollen shut and you are unable to see any further. The patient’s vital signs are normal.
What is the most appropriate course of action for management?
Sarah is an 80-year-old woman who visits your clinic with complaints of hearing difficulty. During the examination, you observe that she has impacted earwax in both ear canals. You suggest using olive oil ear drops, but she informs you that she has previously tried them without success.
What would be your next course of action in managing the earwax?