What You’ll Learn

1. What You’ll Learn 1. Identify what takes place during typical physical, eye, hearing, and dental examinations. 2. Identify symptoms that should prompt individuals to seek health care. 3. Identify ways to protect your eyes, and conditions and diseases that can affect the eye. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

2. What You’ll Learn 4. Identify symptoms that indicate a need for an ear exam, factors that can lead to hearing loss, and ways to protect against hearing loss. 5. Identify how to keep teeth and gums healthy. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

3. Key Terms • myopia • hyperopia • astigmatism • conjunctivitis • glaucoma • conductive hearing loss • sensorineural hearing loss • periodontal disease • gingivitis • fluoride

4. Physical Exams • Teens need a physical examination at least every two years. • A physical examination is a series of tests that measure health status. • A physician performs physical examinations with assistance from other health-care professionals. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

5. What to Know About Physical Examinations • During a physical examination, a health history is taken. • A health history is a record of a person’s health habits, past health conditions and medical care, allergies, food and drug sensitivities, and family health histories. • Your health record is a file that includes a health history and the results of physical examinations. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

6. What to Know About Physical Examinations • During a typical physical examination, most of your body systems are checked. • A urinalysis is a series of tests of a person’s urine that check normal kidney function and detect urinary tract infections. • A blood testis an analysis of blood for blood components, chemicals, pathogens, and antibodies. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

7. What to Know About Physical Examinations • An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a record of the electrical impulses of the heart that is used to detect disorders of the heart. • Your physician will discuss the results of your examination with you and your parents or guardian. • If any health problems are detected, a treatment plan will be discussed, or you may be referred to a specialist for further treatment. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

8. What to Know About Physical Examinations • When to see your physician • You may need to see your physician if you have symptoms, or changes in body functions, that require medical attention. • Your physician will review your symptoms and test results before making a diagnosis, which is a determination of a health problem. • Once a physician makes a diagnosis, he or she can prescribe the proper treatment. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

9. What to Know About Physical Examinations Symptoms Alert Contact your physician if you have any of these symptoms: • shortness of breath • loss of appetite • blood in urine or feces • blood in mucus or saliva • constant cough • fever of 100°F or higher for more than one day • severe pain in any body part • swelling, stiffness, or aching in the joints • frequent or painful urination • sudden weight gain or loss Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

10. What to Know About Physical Examinations Symptoms Alert Contact your physician if you have any of these symptoms: • dizziness • cancer warning signs • heart attack warning signs • stroke warning signs Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

12. Eye Care • Your vision is probably the most used sense for finding out about the world. • If you have your sight, you use it to acquire more than 80 percent of your knowledge. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

13. What to Know About Eye Care • Eye examinations • Ophthalmologists and optometrists perform eye examinations. • An ophthalmologist is a physician who specializes in medical and surgical care and treatment of the eyes. • An optometrist is an eye-care professional who is specially trained in a school of optometry. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

14. What to Know About Eye Care

15. What to Know About Eye Care • Visual acuity • Visual acuity is the sharpness of vision. • A refractive error, which is a variation in the shape of the eye that affects the way images are focused on the retina and blurs vision, may interfere with visual acuity. • The retina is the inner lining of the eye. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

16. What to Know About Eye Care • Refractive errors include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. • With myopia, or nearsightedness, distant objects appear blurred and close objects appear clear. • With hyperopia, or farsightedness, close objects appear blurred and distant objects appear clear. • With astigmatism,an irregularly shaped cornea causes blurred vision. • Presbyopia is age-related and is caused by weakening of eye muscles and hardening of the cornea. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

17. What to Know About Eye Care • Correcting visual acuity • Refractive errors may be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. • People with presbyopia may wear bifocals, which are lenses that correct for both close and distant vision. • Eyeglasses usually are made of plastic or nonbreakable glass. • Contact lenses can be hard or soft and are worn directly on the cornea. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

18. What to Know About Eye Care • Radial keratotomy is surgery that improves myopia by changing the curve of the cornea. • Photorefractive keratectomy is laser surgery that reshapes the surface of the cornea to improve myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. • Laser insitu keratomileusis (LASIK) is laser surgery in which a small flap in the cornea is made and some of the exposed tissue is removed to improve myopia and astigmatism. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

19. What to Know About Eye Care Eye Conditions and Diseases • Conjunctivitis • Conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, is an inflammation of the eye membranes that causes redness, discomfort, and discharge. • Causes include bacterial infection, allergies, contact lenses, certain drugs, and secondhand smoke. • Pinkeye that is caused by bacteria is highly contagious, though usually it is not serious. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

20. What to Know About Eye Care Eye Conditions and Diseases • Glaucoma • Glaucoma is a condition in which the pressure of the fluid in the eye is high and may damage the optic nerve. • The optic nerve is the nerve fibers that transmit messages from the retina to the brain. • The increased pressure of glaucoma can be prevented with early treatment. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

21. What to Know About Eye Care Eye Conditions and Diseases • Cataract • A cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye that obstructs vision and creates images that are hazy and out of focus. • Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and implanting an artificial lens. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

22. What to Know About Eye Care Eye Conditions and Diseases • Macular degeneration • Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina. • The retina is the inside back layer of the eye that records the images we see and sends them via the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

23. What to Know About Eye Care How to Protect Your Eyes • Do not wear normal prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses in place of eye protectors. • Wear safety goggles when working around dangerous chemicals or when working with lawn and power tools • Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with 99–100 percent ultraviolet (UV) protection to protect your eyes from exposure to UV radiation in sunlight. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

24. Ear Care • Your ears contain structures for both your sense of hearing and your sense of balance. • You should have regular ear examinations and hearing tests. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

25. What to Know About Ear Care • Ear examinations • Ear examinations are performed by audiologists or by otolaryngologists. • An audiologist is a specialist who diagnoses and treats hearing and speech-related problems. • An otolaryngologist (ENT) is a physician who specializes in medical and surgical care and treatment of the ears, nose, and throat. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

26. What to Know About Ear Care • The use of an audiometer, a machine used to measure the range of sounds a person hears, is a common way to test for hearing loss. • A tympanogram is a measure of the vibrations of the ear drum and air pressure in the Eustachian tube. • The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear and the back of the nose, which allows fluid to drain from the middle ear and regulates air pressure on both sides of the eardrum. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

27. What to Know About Ear Care

28. What to Know About Ear Care • Hearing loss • Hearing loss ranges from mild to profound deafness. • Noise pollution is a loud or constant sound that causes hearing loss, stress, fatigue, irritability, and tension. • A decibel (dB) is a unit used to measure the loudness of sounds. • Sounds of more than 85 decibels can cause discomfort and hearing loss. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

29. What to Know About Ear Care • Hearing loss is either conductive or sensorineural. • Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not transported efficiently from the outer to the inner ear and is caused by excessive wax buildup, ear injury, birth defects, or middle ear infection. • Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. • The auditory nerve connects the inner ear to the brain. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

30. What to Know About Ear Care • Generally, sensorineural hearing loss is permanent. • Some people with sensorineural hearing loss receive cochlear implants, which are electronic devices that are implanted in the ear to restore partial hearing to the totally deaf. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

31. What to Know About Ear Care • Assistive hearing devices • People who have hearing loss may use assistive hearing devices, which are devices that help a person with hearing loss communicate and hear. • A hearing aid is an electronic device worn in or near the ear that improves hearing. • A TTY (Text Telephone Yoke), also known as a TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), allows textual communication over a telephone line. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

32. What to Know About Ear Care • Message Relay Centers (MRC), where an operator uses a TTY to act as an interpreter, can be used between hearing and deaf callers. • Background noise can cause problems for people with hearing loss. • Television caption devices allow a person to read the audio portion of TV programs. • Signaling devices, such as flashing lights to indicate that the phone is ringing, can be used to deal with special circumstances. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

33. What to Know About Ear Care • Ways to protect against hearing loss • Do not insert any objects, including cotton-tipped swabs, into your ears. • Contact your physician if your ears become infected or you have signs of hearing loss. • Keep the volume of radios, compact disc players, stereos, and TVs at safe levels. • Wear protective earplugs when operating loud machinery, using power tools, or attending rock concerts. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

34. What to Know About Ear Care Symptoms Alert Contact your physician if you have any of these symptoms: • pain in your ears • drainage from your ears • difficulty hearing conversation • difficulty hearing on the telephone • need to have the volume on the TV at a point that others complain is too loud • difficulty determining from what direction sounds are coming • difficulty understanding conversation in a noisy room • difficulty hearing in social situations Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

35. Dental Care • For good dental health, you need a dental examination every six months. • A dentist can find and correct problems before they become painful or obvious to you. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

36. What to Know About Dental Care • Teeth Cleaning • A dental checkup includes a thorough cleaning by a dental hygienist to remove dental plaque and calculus that have built up on your teeth. • Dental plaque is an invisible, sticky film of bacteria on teeth, especially near the gum line. • Calculus is hardened plaque. • A fluoride treatment may be given to help strengthen your teeth and to help prevent cavities. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

37. What to Know About Dental Care • X rays • In order to detect tooth decay or other dental problems that cannot be seen by examination, X rays of your teeth may be taken. • X rays show the inside of the teeth, gums, and supporting bones. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

38. What to Know About Dental Care • Dental sealants • A dental sealant is a thin, plastic coating painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to prevent tooth decay. • Many dentists recommend that children get sealants on their permanent molars before any decay occurs. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

39. What to Know About Dental Care • Malocclusion • Malocclusion is the abnormal fitting of teeth when the jaws are closed. • Malocclusion can be corrected by removing teeth or by applying braces. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

40. What to Know About Dental Care • Cosmetic concerns • Dentists can offer treatments to whiten teeth. • A dental veneer is a thin shell of ceramic material used to cover teeth that is used to improve the appearance of the front teeth. • Dental veneers are used to treat broken or chipped teeth, large gaps between teeth, discolored teeth, and crooked teeth. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

41. What to Know About Dental Care • Tooth decay • The chief cause of dental decay is plaque. • The bacteria found in plaque excrete an acid waste product that causes tooth decay by dissolving the hard enamel and dentin of the teeth. • Dentin is the hard tissue that forms the body of the tooth. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

42. What to Know About Dental Care • If tooth decay progresses into the pulp of the tooth, which is the living tissue within a tooth, a root canal may be performed. • A root canal is a dental procedure in which the tooth is opened and dead tissue and bacteria are cleaned out. • The space is then completely filled so that it cannot harbor bacteria again. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

43. What to Know About Dental Care • Periodontal disease • Periodontal disease is a disease of the gums and other tissues supporting the teeth. • The early stage of periodontal disease is called gingivitis. • Gingivitis is a condition in which the gums are red, swollen, tender, and bleed easily. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

44. What to Know About Dental Care • Pockets form between the teeth and gums, and these pockets fill with more bacteria, pus, plaque, and calculus, which causes bad breath and infection. • The supporting bones and ligaments that connect the root to the tooth can be destroyed, and the teeth may loosen and fall out. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

45. What to Know About Dental Care • Keeping teeth and gums healthy • Brushing your teeth helps remove plaque from the exposed surfaces of the teeth and freshens your breath. • Flossing helps remove dental plaque between teeth where brushing cannot reach. • Fluoride can help strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay. • Fluoride is a mineral that strengthens the enamel of teeth. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display information.

47. Study Guide 1. Match the following terms and definitions. ___ urinalysis ___ astigmatism ___ diagnosis ___ glaucoma ___ decibel A. an irregularly shaped cornea that causes blurred vision B. a determination of a health problem C. a condition in which pressure of fluid in the eye is high and may damage the optic nerve D. a series of tests that check for normal kidney function and detect urinary tract infections E. a unit used to measure the loudness of sounds D A B C E

48. Study Guide 2. Fill in the blank with the appropriate term from the lesson. A. Generally, ______________ hearing loss is permanent. B. ______________are made of a thin shell of ceramic material and are used to improve the appearance of the front teeth. C. ______________ can make it difficult for a person to bite and speak properly. sensorineural Dental veneers Malocclusion

49. Study Guide 3. Explain how myopia is different from hyperopia. Myopia, or nearsightedness, causes distant objects to appear blurred while close objects appear clear. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, causes close objects to appear blurred while distant objects appear clear.

50. End of the Lesson