- Allergy treatment
- Antimicrobials for systemic use
- Antiparasitic drugs
- Cardiovascular system
- Dermatology
- Drugs affecting metabolism
- Drugs used in sensory organ disorders
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Haemopoietic system and blood
- Locomotor system
- Nervous system
- Respiratory system
- Systemic hormones
- Urogenital system and Sexual hormones
Drugs used in sensory organ disorders
- Sensory system overview
- Opthalmologic disorders
- Auditory disorders
The second important sensory organ is auditory system that is responsible for hearing (audition). Hearing is one of the main five senses. Hearing is defined as ability to perceive the sounds by ears and transfer them to the higher brain centers to analyzing Like sensory organs, auditory system is a complicated structure consisting of different interdependent parts.
The main structure of auditory system is ear. Ear consists of outer, middles and inner ear. Outer inner includes pinna, auditory canal and ear drum. The auditory canal amplifies sounds that are between 3 and 12 kHz. Middle ear begins with eardrum (tympanic membranes). In the middle ear sounds are transmitted through the series of bones: the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). The inner ear consists of the cochlea and several non-auditory structures. Central auditory system includes: vestibulocochlear nerve. In the human brain, the primary auditory cortex is located in the temporal lobe. Along with hearing, ear includes vestibular apparatus that is responsible for maintenance the balance of the body.
Along with sensory organs auditory system is prone to a wide number of condition that can cause permanent hearing impairment or absolute deafness if not treated.
Deafness is a state when a person looses its ability to hear. The defect of the following parts
in the ear may cause deafness:
- Ear drum
- Cochlea
- Ear ossicles
- Auditory nerve
There are many possible causes of hearing loss. These can be divided into two basic types called conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive loss of hearing is caused by disorders of sounds transmission from the outer to inner ear. Possible causes of this condition include:
- Infections of the middle ear (otitis media)
- Accumulation of fluid in the middle ear
- Blockage of the outer ear by wax
- Otosclerosis
- Ossicles damage
- Eardrum damage. Damage of the eardrum can be caused by infection, injury, blow to the ear.
Sensorineural loss of hearing is association with damage of the pathways between the inner ear and the brain. It changes the intensity of sounds and makes it difficult for the brain to recognize complex sounds. These are possible causes of sensorineural loss of hearing:
- nire's disease
- Acoustic neuroma is non cancerous tumour damaging auditory nerve
- Cancer treatments
- Certain medications like antibiotics
- Infections such as meningitis, measles
- Cholesteatoma (benign skin growth)
- Age-related hearing loss (presbyacusis)
- Acoustin trauma
The treatment of permanent loss of hearing and deafness depends of the origin and pathogenesis of the disease and includes the following approaches:
- Medicines (antibiotics, anesthetic, NSAID's, corticosteroids, vax cleaners)
- Non surgical treatment
- Surgery. Acoustic neuroma, otosclerosis or cholesteatoma can be cured by surgery.
When a hearing aid doesn't give enough sound amplification (eg in profound deafness), a cochlear implant - sometimes known as a bionic ear may be helpful.
Along with sensory and auditory systems, other sensory organs can be affected by different pathogenic agents and factors. Their treatment should also be focused on the cause of the diseases but not only relieving the symptoms.
