STUDY GUIDE 16 “HEALTHY EYES AND EARS”

1- Describe the function of the following terms.

a) Lens: The main optical function of the lens is to transmit light, focusing it on the
retina. The cornea contributes about 80% of total refraction, while the lens fine-
tunes the focusing of light onto the retina.
b) Cornea: acts as the eye's outermost lens. It functions like a window that controls
and focuses the entry of light into the eye. The cornea contributes between 65-
75 percent of the eye's total focusing power.
c) Retina: contains light-sensitive cells that receive information and send it to the
brain through the optic nerve, which enables you to see.
d) Sclera: protecting the interior components of the eye from injury, and makes up
the exterior coating of the eye.

2- Identify and describe 3 diseases of the eyes.

• Glaucoma is a condition that damages your eye's optic nerve. It gets worse over
time. It's often linked to a buildup of pressure inside your eye. Glaucoma tends to
run in families. You usually don’t get it until later in life. The increased pressure in
your eye, called intraocular pressure, can damage your optic nerve, which sends
images to your brain. If the damage worsens, glaucoma can cause permanent vision
loss or even total blindness within a few years.
• cataract is a dense, cloudy area that forms in the lens of the eye. A cataract begins
when proteins in the eye form clumps that prevent the lens from sending clear
images to the retina. The retina works by converting the light that comes through
the lens into signals. It sends the signals to the optic nerve, which carries them to
the brain. It develops slowly and eventually interferes with your vision. You might
end up with cataracts in both eyes, but they usually don’t form at the same time.
Cataracts are common in older people. Over half of people in the United States have
cataracts or have undergone cataract surgery by the time they’re 80 years old,
according to the National Eye Institute.
• Myopia (also called nearsightedness) is the most common cause of impaired vision
in people under age 40. In recent years, its prevalence is growing at an alarming
rate. Globally, research suggests that in the year 2000, roughly 25 percent of the
world's population was nearsighted but by the year 2050, it's expected that roughly
half the people on the planet will be myopic. Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too
long, relative to the focusing power of the cornea and lens of the eye. This causes
light rays to focus at a point in front of the retina, rather than directly on its surface.
 3- How can we protect our eyes?

1. Keep Screens at a Distance. Glare from screens can lead to eyestrain and computer
vision syndrome. It’s recommended to position your computer screen at least an arm’s
length away and hold handheld devices 16 inches away from your eyes.

2. Blink, Blink, Blink. Another result of extensive device use is that your blink rate tends to
drop when you stare at text on a screen. Not blinking often enough can lead to dry, irritated
eyes.

3. Always wear your sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays when you are
outside or driving during daylight. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays during any time of
year can lead to cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as well as sunburns
on your eyes in extreme cases.

4. Eat seafood with Omega -3’s. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish such as tuna,
salmon, mackerel and sardines, may help lower the risk of dry eyes and eye diseases such
as macular degeneration and cataracts.

5. Go for Greens. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, zucchini, peas,
avocado and Brussels sprouts contain lutein and zeaxanthin.

6. Drink green tea. Green tea is another great source of antioxidants which keep eyes
healthy and defends them from cataracts and AMD development.

7. Care for your contact lenses. Always wash your hands before inserting or removing
contacts and store them properly in cleansing solution.

8. Throw away old eye makeup such as mascara that is over four months old. Sharpen
eyeliner pencils regularly and don’t put liner on the inside of your eye lid. If your eyes
become irritated, stop using eye makeup until they heal.

9. Protect your eyes from danger. Always wear protective eyewear or safety goggles if your
work requires eye protection and when working in the garden, doing home repairs or when
dealing with strong cleaning substances such as bleach or oven cleaners.

10. Visit your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam at least once a year. Yearly eye
exams are not only helpful in detecting early signs of eye disease, they are also an
important indicator of your overall health.

4- How can we protect our ears?

1. Use earplugs around loud noises: Approximately 15% of Americans have noise-induced
hearing loss because of loud work or leisure environments.
2. Turn the volume down: If you like to enjoy music through headphones or earbuds, you
can protect your ears by following the 60/60 rule. The suggestion is to listen with
headphones at no more than 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes a day.

3. Give your ears time to recover: If you are exposed to loud noises for a prolonged period
of time, like at a concert or a bar, your ears need time to recover. If you can, step outside
for five minutes every so often in order to let them rest.

4. Stop using cotton swabs in your ears: A little bit of wax in your ears is not only normal,
but it’s also important. The ears are self-cleaning organs, and wax stops dust and other
harmful particles from entering the canal. Plus, inserting anything inside your ear canals
risks damaging sensitive organs like your ear drum.

5. Take medications only as directed: Certain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-

inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, can sometimes
contribute to hearing loss.

6. Keep your ears dry: Excess moisture can allow bacteria to enter and attack the ear canal.
This can cause swimmer's ear or other types of ear infections, which can be dangerous for
your hearing ability.

7. Get up and move: Cardio exercises like walking, running, or cycling gets the blood
pumping to all parts of your body, including the ears. This helps the ears’ internal parts stay
healthy and working to their maximum potential.

Make sure to stay safe! When cycling, always wear a helmet. If you fall and hit your head,
a concussion can harm your hearing.

8. Manage stress levels: Stress and anxiety have been linked to both temporary and
permanent tinnitus (a phantom ringing in the ears).

9. Get regular checkups: Ask your primary care physician to incorporate hearing screenings
into your regular checkups.

5- Define:

– earache: an ache or pain in the ear. called also otalgia.

– otoscope: an instrument designed for visual examination of the eardrum and the passage
of the outer ear, typically having a light and a set of lenses.

– otolaryngologist: is a medical specialty which is focused on the ears, nose, and throat. It
is also called otolaryngology-head and neck surgery because specialists are trained in both
medicine and surgery. An otolaryngologist is often called an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or
an ENT for short.
6- What is the difference between ophthalmologist and optician? Opticians are
technicians who fit eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision-correcting devices.
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who perform medical and surgical treatments
for eye conditions.
7- Define:
a) Astigmatism: is a common vision condition that causes blurred vision. It occurs
when the cornea (the clear front cover of the eye) is irregularly shaped or
sometimes because of the curvature of the lens inside the eye.
b) Bell’s palsy: paralysis of the facial nerve causing muscular weakness in one side
of the face.
c) Blepharitis: is an inflammation along the edges of the eyelids. The eyelids can
become irritated and itchy, and appear greasy and crusted with scales that cling
to the lashes. People with blepharitis sometimes wake with their eyelids stuck
together.

8- Write (T) for true and (F) for false.

a) ___T___ Treatment may help prevent scarring on your eyes.
b) ___T___ Flashes of light and floating spots are classic warning signs of a
detached retina.
c) ___T___ Damage to the eye’s retina due to diabetes.
d) ___T___ Ocular herpes is a recurrent viral infection that may lead to serious
vision loss.
e) ___F___ Glaucoma never damages the optic nerve and diminishes the field of
vision.
f) ___T___ Accidents cause many kinds of eye injuries, from corneal scratches to
penetrating wounds.
g) ____T__ The Strabismus Surgery procedures adjust eye muscles to straighten
misaligned eyes.
h) ___T___ The risk of cataracts increases with age.
i) ___F___ Red eyes cannot be caused by allergies, eye infections and eye injuries.

9- Write the number to the correct definition. Use the word bank.
Word Bank: 1- iris, 2- lens, 3- optic nerve, 4- pupil, 5- retina, 6- sclera, 7- anterior
chamber, 8- aqueous humor, 9- choroid, 10- cornea, 11- fovea, 12- vitreous humor.
a) 7- anterior chamber The fluid-filled space inside the eye between the iris and
the cornea. It is filled with aqueous humor.
b) 8- aqueous humor The clear fluid behind the cornea; provides eye
nourishment.
 c) 9- choroid A vascular layer (includes blood vessels) of the eye containing
connective tissues; it is located between the sclera and the retina.
d) 10- cornea The clear portion of the eye through which light enters.
e) 11- fovea A part of the eye located in the center of the retina that is responsible
for sharp central vision, which is so important in humans for reading, watching,
driving or any activity in which visual detail is important.
f) 1- iris The color part of the eye; a muscle that controls the pupil size.
g) 2- lens A structure that changes shape to focus light so that we can see clearly;
located directly behind the iris.
h) 3- optic nerve A cranial nerve connected to the eye socket that transmits visual
information from the retina to the brain.
i) 4- pupil A hole in the iris.
j) 5- retina The lining on the inside of the back of the eye that contains two types
of light-sensitive cells: rods and cones.
k) 6- sclera The tough, white, outer covering of the eye.
l) 12- vitreous humor. A clear gel behind the lens, inside the eye.

10- Label the picture of the eye.

Ciliary Muscle

Cornea

Pupil

Aqueous humor
Iris

Lens

Sclera

Choriod

Optic nerve

Blind Spot

Retina

Fovea Centralis