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• Otolaryngology - ENT
  • Common ENT Terms
  • Ear Related Terms
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  • Sample Reports - Otolaryngology - ENT

• Ear Related Terms

- C -

• Cauliflower Ear

Ear deformity from ear trauma; common in boxers



• Cerumen

The technical term for wax that occurs in the outer part of the ear. Cerumen buildup may cause a temporary hearing loss if it occludes (blocks) the entire ear canal.



• Cholesteatoma

Uncommon middle ear condition



• Cochlea

Snail-shaped structure in the inner ear that contains the organ of hearing. The cochlea is a coiled, fluid-filled cavity responsible for converting vibrational energy from the middle ear into nerve impulses that travel to the brain.



• Cochlear Duct

Also called the scala media, this region between the upper and lower chambers of the cochlea contains the organ of Corti.



• Cochlear Implant

A medical, electronic device that bypasses the damaged structures in the inner ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve. An implant does not restore or create normal hearing. Instead, under the appropriate conditions, it can give a deaf person a useful auditory understanding of the environment and help him or her understand speech. The implant is surgically placed under the skin behind the ear. An implant has four basic parts: a microphone, which picks up sound from the environment; a speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone; a transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receives signals from the speech processor and converts them into electric impulses; and electrodes, which collect the impulses from the stimulator and send them to the brain.



• Conductive Deafness

Any hearing loss or impairment caused by a defect in part of the ear that conducts sound.



• Conductive Hearing Loss

A type of hearing loss that results from dysfunction of the outer or middle ear (such as a punctured eardrum or buildup of earwax) that interferes with the efficient transfer of sound to the inner ear; characterized by a loss in sound intensity. This type of hearing loss is common in children who have ear infections and fluid behind the eardrum.



• Continuous Noise

The intervals of the sound waves are less than on second apart.



• Cradle Cap

Common scalp condition in babies



• Critical Period

A period of time during an organism�s development in which the brain is optimally capable of acquiring a specific ability, provided that appropriate environmental stimuli are present. Humans as well as some animals are known to have a critical period during which language is acquired.



• C-Weighting

A filter characteristic that discriminates against very low and very high frequency sounds. Sound levels measured with this filter are designated dB(C).