The nurse is employed in an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) physician's office, obtaining a client history. The nurse documents the following client statements. Which symptoms may indicate a diagnosis of otosclerosis? Select all that apply

Question

A) "It seems that I increasingly could not hear my kids talk to me."
B) "I woke up on Monday and had ear pain with a marked decrease in hearing."
C) "I now notice a ringing in my ears especially when I lay down to sleep at night."
D) "I can hear better when someone speaks in low tones."
E) "I can hear best when you put the tuning fork behind my ear."

Answer 1

A, C, E
Feedback:
Although the cause of otosclerosis is unknown, there are specific symptoms because of the interference of the vibrations in the ear. The symptoms of diagnosis of otosclerosis include a progressive, bilateral hearing loss; tinnitus especially noted at night; and the outcome of the Rinne test as being that sound is heard best with the tuning fork behind the ear. The nurse would not identify an abrupt onset of hearing loss or improvement of hearing in low tones.