Praxis SLP Licensure Exam

Which disorder is indicated by a patient experiencing severe ringing in the ears, one-sided hearing problems, dizziness, and a feeling of fullness in the ear?

1. Presbycusis

2. Noise-induced hearing loss

3. Cholesteatoma

4. Meniere's disease

The correct answer is: Meniere's disease

The symptoms described—severe ringing in the ears (tinnitus), one-sided hearing problems (unilateral hearing loss), dizziness (vertigo), and a feeling of fullness in the ear (aural fullness)—are characteristic of Meniere's disease. This condition is a disorder of the inner ear that typically affects one ear, leading to episodes of vertigo, fluctuation in hearing, tinnitus, and a sensation of pressure or fullness in the affected ear. Meniere's disease specifically involves an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the inner ear, which can cause these symptoms to occur in episodes, often unpredictable in nature. This combination of auditory and vestibular symptoms is not typically found in the other disorders listed. Presbycusis involves age-related hearing loss and does not present with the acute episodes of vertigo or fullness. Noise-induced hearing loss results from prolonged exposure to loud sounds, leading primarily to hearing loss rather than the vertigo and fullness experienced in Meniere's. Cholesteatoma refers to an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear that can cause hearing loss, but it is not typically associated with the acute episodes and symptom profile characteristic of Meniere's disease.