A 31-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has noticed pain in his left ear when people speak loudly to him. What does this finding indicate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Recruitment is significant hearing loss occurring when speech is at low intensity, but sound actually becomes painful when the speaker repeats at a louder volume. The other responses are not correct. A cerumen impaction and ear infection do not cause these symptoms and these are not normal findings. Instead, this patient's symptoms are a characteristic of recruitment.

A 31-Year-Old Patient Tells the Nurse That He Has Noticed