A patient complains of morning headaches, a feeling of fullness in her head, and a pain similar to that of a toothache under her eye. What should the nurse recognize that these symptoms indicate?

a) Gradual hearing loss: Meniere's disease is characterized by progressive hearing loss due to fluid buildup in the inner ear, which affects hearing.
b) Retracted eardrum: This is typically seen in conditions like otitis media, not Meniere's disease, which involves the inner ear.
c) Bilateral ear pain: Meniere's disease usually causes vertigo and hearing loss rather than pain, and it often affects one ear more than both.
d) Impacted cerumen: Impacted cerumen is not associated with Meniere's disease. It is a separate issue related to earwax buildup.

a) "Cochlear implants cannot enable you to discriminate speech." Cochlear implants improve the ability to hear and discriminate speech, especially in individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. The statement is inaccurate.
b) "Complications of cochlear implant are often disabling." While cochlear implants may have risks such as infection or device failure, these complications are typically not disabling and can often be addressed with medical intervention.
c) "Results vary from minimal to excellent improvement in hearing." The effectiveness of cochlear implants varies from patient to patient. Some individuals experience significant improvement in hearing and speech discrimination, while others may have minimal benefits, depending on factors such as age, duration of deafness, and overall health.
d) "This procedure restores perfect hearing in 99% of patients." Cochlear implants do not restore perfect hearing. While they can significantly improve hearing in many cases, the degree of improvement varies, and not all patients achieve perfect hearing.