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VISUAL
IMPAIREMENT
Prepared by
VISUAL
IMPAIRMENT
DEFINITION
Visual
CLASSIFICATION OF VISUAL
IMPAIRMENT
Low
Legal
CAUSES
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the retina.
When damaged this leads to impairment of vision.
Glaucoma
This condition results due to raised pressure within the
eyes. The increased pressure impairs vision by
damaging the optic nerve.
Age related Macular degeneration
Age related Macular degeneration or AMD that is a
progressive loss of the visual acuity due to damage to
the macula that is the most sensitive part of the retina.
The risk of AMD rises in those exposed to excess
sunlight and those who smoke excessively.
Amblyopia
This is basically impaired vision in one eye due to lack of its
use in early childhood.
Cataract
Clouding of part or the entire lens of the eye.
Normally, the lens is clear to let in the light that focuses on
the retina. Cataracts prevent light from easily passing
through the lens, and this causes loss of vision.
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis begins with complete history and family
history of visual impairment in the patient.
External examination of the eye including lids,
conjunctiva, cornea, iris, lens, etc. are the next
step
Snellen test
The Snellen test is also known as the visual acuity
test.
Usually a chart called the Snellens chart is used.
It contains progressively shortening random
letters and numbers and is placed 6 meters away
from the patient.
TREATMENT
Control of diabetes This prevents progression of
diabetic retinopathy and resulting visual impairment
to some extent. However in advanced cases this may be
of little help.
Cataract surgery In cases of visual impairment
due to cataracts, surgery may be opted. Usually an
artificial lens is placed within the eye as a replacement
of the damaged and clouded lens. This, more often
than not restores vision.
Magnification systems This is achieved using
appropriate lens, reading telescopes or surgical
systems etc. Hand magnifiers may also be offered. For
improvement of visual fields prisms and mirror
systems may be prescribed.
HEARING
IMPAIREMENT
DEFINITION
CLASSIFICATION :
Conductive
Sensorineural
Mixed
Auditory
Processing Disorders
Conductive
Hearing Loss
Sensorineural
Mixed
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss
CAUSES
Congenital factors
Heredity
Viral infection during pregnancy, e.g.rubella
infection
Congenital defects such as anomalies of the ear,
nose or throat
Premature birth, birth asphyxia,excessive
bilirubin, etc
Acquired factors
Excessive earwax
Eardrum perforation
Middle ear effusion or infection
Otosclerosis or ear ossicle dislocation
Sequelae of childhood diseases such as measles
and meningitis
Head or ear trauma
Prolonged exposure to loud noise
Medication that may lead to hearing damage
SYMPTOMS
Early signs of hearing loss can include:
difficulty hearing other people clearly and
misunderstanding what they say,
especially in group situations
askingpeople to repeat themselves
listening to music or watching television
with the volume higher than other people
need
difficulty hearing the telephone or doorbell
finding
infancy:
1-3 months old No response to sudden sound such
as banging of door or ringing of doorbell.
4-6 months old Unable to locate the sound source.
7-9 months old Do not look at the person being
mentioned, e.g. Where is UncleTom?.
10-12 months old No response to their names
being called or frequently used words or phrases,
e.g. No.
During childhood:
Delayed response to sound
Cannot hear clearly what others are saying
Show difficulty in locating the sound source
Pay more than usual attention to speakers facial
expression and lip movement whilelistening
Give irrelevant answers or misinterpret
instructions
Request for repetition during conversation
Show poorer ability to understand speech ` in a
noisy environment
DIAGNOSIS
Physical exam.Your doctor will look in your ear
for possible causes of your hearing loss, such as
earwax or inflammation from an infection. Your
doctor will also look for any structural causes of
your hearing problems.
General screening tests.Your doctor may ask
you to cover one ear at a time to see how well you
hear words spoken at various volumes and how
you respond to other sounds.
Tuning fork tests.Tuning forks are twopronged, metal instruments that produce sounds
when struck.
Audiometer tests.During these more-thorough
tests conducted by an audiologist, you wear
earphones and hear sounds directed to one ear at
a time. The audiologist presents a range of
sounds of various tones and asks you to indicate
each time you hear the sound
TREATMENT
Removing wax blockage.Earwax blockage is a
reversible cause of hearing loss..
Surgical procedures Surgery may be necessary
if you've had a traumatic ear injury or repeated
infections that require the insertion of small
tubes that help the ears drain.
Hearing aids.If your hearing loss is due to
damage to your inner ear, a hearing aid can help
by making sounds stronger and easier for you to
hear.
Cochlear implants.If you have severe hearing
loss, a cochlear implant may be an option for you.