Glossary

Glossary of ENT terms

Leaving an appointment holding a page full of difficult words is uncomfortable. Here are the terms that come up most often in reports, test requests and consulting-room conversations, explained in two or three sentences, without jargon. Where a term has its own page on this site, a link follows the definition.

A

ABR (auditory brainstem response): Test that records the electrical response of the auditory nerve and brainstem to sound, using electrodes on the skin. Because it does not depend on a response from the patient, it is suitable for babies and for anyone unable to cooperate with audiometry. See the page on this topic.
Acute otitis media: Infection of the middle ear with rapid onset, severe pain and sometimes fever. It is very common in children and usually resolves within days with appropriate treatment.
Adenoid: Defence tissue at the back of the nose, behind the soft palate. It is large in childhood and tends to shrink with age. When markedly enlarged, it obstructs airflow and causes snoring, mouth breathing and recurrent ear infections. See the page on this topic.
Adenoidectomy: Surgery to remove the adenoid, the defence tissue at the back of the nose. It is indicated when an enlarged adenoid obstructs breathing or contributes to recurrent ear infections. See the page on this topic.
Audiometry: Test that measures the faintest sound a person can hear at each frequency. It identifies whether hearing loss is present, to what degree and of what type. It is carried out with headphones, in an acoustically treated room, and is painless. See the page on this topic.

C

Cerumen: Earwax. It is a normal secretion that protects and lubricates the ear canal. It becomes a problem only when it builds up enough to block the passage of sound, causing a blocked sensation and reduced hearing.
Cholesteatoma: A build-up of skin inside the middle ear, where it should not be. It grows slowly and erodes the surrounding structures, including the hearing bones. It does not regress with medication: treatment is surgical. See the page on this topic.
Chronic otitis media: Inflammation of the middle ear sustained over months, usually with a perforated eardrum and discharge that comes and goes. It tends to cause little pain and progressive hearing loss. See the page on this topic.
Coblation: Surgical technique that uses radiofrequency applied in a saline medium to dissolve tissue, working at a lower temperature than conventional electrocautery. It is used in adenoid and tonsil surgery. See the page on this topic.
Cochlea: Snail-shaped structure within the inner ear, responsible for converting sound vibration into nerve impulses. It is the sensory organ of hearing. Damage to the cochlea causes sensorineural hearing loss.
Cochlear implant: Surgically implanted device that stimulates the auditory nerve directly, replacing the function of the cochlea. It is assessed in severe to profound hearing loss in both ears, when conventional hearing aids do not provide sufficient benefit. See the page on this topic.
Conductive hearing loss: Hearing loss in which sound has difficulty reaching the inner ear, due to obstruction or change in the outer or middle ear. Earwax, fluid, a perforated eardrum and problems with the ossicles are frequent causes.

E

Eardrum: Thin membrane separating the ear canal from the middle ear. It vibrates with sound and transmits that vibration to the hearing ossicles. It may perforate from infection, injury or sudden pressure change.
Eustachian tube: Channel connecting the middle ear to the back of the nose, equalising pressure between them. It is what makes ears “pop” on swallowing or yawning. When it does not work well, fluid collects in the middle ear.

L

Labyrinth: Set of inner ear structures responsible for balance. It detects head movement and position and sends that information to the brain. Disorders of the labyrinth cause vertigo. See the page on this topic.
Labyrinthitis: Inflammation of the labyrinth, with intense vertigo and frequently hearing loss. It is far less common than everyday use of the word suggests: most dizziness has other causes. See the page on this topic.

N

Nasal endoscopy: Test that travels through the inside of the nose with a thin camera, showing the septum, turbinates, sinus drainage and adenoids. It is carried out in the consulting room, without anaesthesia, and takes about five minutes. See the page on this topic.
Nasal polyp: Benign growth arising from the lining of the nose or sinuses. As it enlarges, it obstructs airflow and reduces the sense of smell. It is usually associated with chronic inflammation.
Nasal septum: Wall of cartilage and bone that divides the nose into two nostrils. When it is not straight, there is a septal deviation, which can obstruct breathing on one side or both. See the page on this topic.
Neurotology: The area of otolaryngology devoted to balance and to the relationship between the inner ear and the nervous system. It covers dizziness, vertigo and disorders of the auditory nerve. See the page on this topic.
Nystagmus: Involuntary, rhythmic movement of the eyes. It appears when there is an imbalance between the two labyrinths and is an important sign in the investigation of vertigo, because it indicates where the problem lies.

O

Obstructive sleep apnea: Repeated interruption of breathing during sleep, caused by closure of the airway. Each pause reduces blood oxygen and triggers a brief arousal. It is diagnosed with a sleep study. See the page on this topic.
Ossicles: The three smallest bones in the body — malleus, incus and stapes — located in the middle ear. They transmit vibration from the eardrum to the inner ear. When damaged, conductive hearing loss follows.
Otitis media with effusion: Fluid trapped behind the eardrum without signs of acute infection. It is painless but reduces hearing for as long as it persists. When it lasts months, it can interfere with a child’s speech and learning.
Otoacoustic emissions: Test that captures the sound produced by the cochlea itself when stimulated. It is the basis of newborn hearing screening. Quick, painless and carried out while the baby sleeps. See the page on this topic.
Otoscopy: Visual examination of the ear canal and eardrum, using an instrument with a light and a lens. It is the first step in almost every ear assessment and requires no preparation.

R

Rhinitis: Inflammation of the lining of the nose, most often allergic. It causes sneezing, clear discharge, itching and a blocked nose. When poorly controlled, it favors recurrent sinusitis.
Rhinology: The area of otolaryngology devoted to the nose and sinuses. It covers rhinitis, sinusitis, deviated septum, polyps and endoscopic endonasal surgery. See the page on this topic.
Rhinoplasty: Surgery that modifies the structure of the nose — bone and cartilage. It may be functional, to improve breathing, aesthetic, to change its shape, or both at once. See the page on this topic.

S

Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss caused by a change in the cochlea or the auditory nerve. It is usually permanent and is the commonest type in age-related and noise-related hearing loss.
Septoplasty: Surgery that corrects a deviated nasal septum, carried out through the nostrils without an external incision. Its purpose is functional: to improve airflow, not to change the appearance of the nose.
Septorhinoplasty: Procedure that corrects the septum and addresses the external structure of the nose in the same operation, combining functional and aesthetic purposes. See the page on this topic.
Sinusitis: Inflammation of the sinuses, the cavities around the nose. It causes thick discharge, facial pain or pressure and nasal obstruction. It may be acute, lasting days to weeks, or chronic.
Sleep study: Recording of sleep over one night, with sensors that monitor breathing and oxygenation. It is the test used to investigate sleep apnea. It exists in simplified versions carried out at home and in a full version carried out in a sleep laboratory. See the page on this topic.

T

Tinnitus: Perception of a sound — a whistle, hiss or rushing noise — with no external source. It is a symptom rather than a disease, and it is usually associated with some degree of hearing loss. See the page on this topic.
Tonsillectomy: Surgery to remove the tonsils. It is indicated when the tonsils obstruct breathing during sleep or cause frequently recurring infections. It may be performed together with removal of the adenoid.
Turbinates: Elongated structures inside the nose, covered by mucosa, which warm and humidify inhaled air. When they swell from rhinitis, they reduce airflow and produce the sensation of a blocked nose.
Tympanometry: Test that measures the mobility of the eardrum and the pressure within the middle ear. It shows whether fluid has collected behind the membrane, a frequent cause of hearing loss in childhood. See the page on this topic.
Tympanoplasty: Surgery that reconstructs a perforated eardrum, using tissue from the patient as a graft. It aims to leave the ear dry and safe and, where possible, to improve hearing. See the page on this topic.

V

Ventilation tube: Small tube placed in the eardrum to drain fluid and ventilate the middle ear. Known as a grommet, it is indicated in recurrent ear infections and in persistent fluid that reduces hearing.
Vertigo: A specific type of dizziness in which the surroundings appear to spin, or the person appears to spin within them. Not all dizziness is vertigo, and that distinction guides the investigation. See the page on this topic.
Videonystagmography: Test that assesses balance by recording eye movements under different stimuli. It helps distinguish causes of dizziness arising in the inner ear from central causes. See the page on this topic.
Videostroboscopy: Test that uses pulsed light to show vocal cord vibration in apparent slow motion. It reveals movement disorders, such as sulcus, scarring and asymmetry, that standard laryngoscopy cannot detect. See the page on this topic.

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