Glossary of Communication Disorder Terms - O

O

Odorant
substance that stimulates the sense of smell.
Olfaction
the act of smelling.
Olfactometer
device for estimating the intensity of the sense of smell.
Open-set speech recognition
understanding speech without visual clues (speech reading).
Otitis externa
inflammation of the outer part of the ear extending to the auditory canal.
Otitis media
inflammation of the middle ear caused by infection.
Otoacoustic emissions
low-intensity sounds produced by the inner ear that can be quickly measured with a sensitive microphone placed in the ear canal.
Otolaryngologist
physician/surgeon who specializes in diseases of the ears, nose, throat, and head and neck.
Otologist
physician/surgeon who specializes in diseases of the ear.
Otosclerosis
abnormal growth of bone of the inner ear. This bone prevents structures within the ear from working properly and causes hearing loss. For some people with otosclerosis, the hearing loss may become severe.
Ototoxic drugs
drugs such as a special class of antibiotics, aminoglycoside antibiotics, that can damage the hearing and balance organs located in the inner ear for some individuals.
Outer ear
external portion of the ear, consisting of the pinna, or auricle, and the ear canal.

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