What Does an Ear Examination Involve?

Ears are an important sensory organ that help us perceive and interpret external sounds and play an important part in the body’s balance system. But even after regular care, our ears become prone to dust, dirt, viruses and bacteria. This leads to auditory problems that only an expert ENT doctor scores through detailed ear examination.

What is an Ear Examination?

Performed at a hospital or a private clinic, an ear examination or otoscopy is a thorough check-up of ears to detect problems that might be leading to:

· Pain in the ears

· Frequent discharge

· Ringing sound in the ears

· Lumps in the ears

· Partial or complete hearing loss

· Any other ear-related problem

Most of these issues are because of infection in the middle ear, inflammation of the outer ear canal, wax deposition, jaw problems and/or issues with the cervical spine.

What Does an Ear Examination Involve?

During an ear exam, your ENT doctor will use a specialised tool called an otoscope to thoroughly check the outer canal of your ear and the eardrum.

He will place the tip of the otoscope into your ear and shine a light into your ear canal, down to your eardrum. He’ll then rotate the otoscope in all directions to check the inside of your ear and eardrum.

He might also use a pneumatic otoscope, an instrument that has a plastic bulb on end, to blow a puff of air against your eardrum. This causes your eardrum to move and will help your private GP to check for an infection and fluid build-up behind your eardrum.

Additional Ear Examinations Performed by an ENT doctor

Depending on your condition and results of otoscopy examination, your doctor might perform additional tests at his ENT clinic to check your ears and hearing. These include

· Acoustic immittance testing: This test helps to measure how your middle ear relays sound. In this, a soft tip of a small tool is put into the ear canal to make a tight seal. Then, sound and air pressure are sent toward the eardrum to detect the pressure and sound.

· Vestibular test: This test detects problems in the inner ear. In this, the ENT doctor asks you to move your body parts in a certain way. It helps to check your balance and coordination.

· Private imaging: Ultrasound scans, CT scans, and MRI scans are detailed tests requested by an ENT specialist. They are used as part of diagnosis of many ENT conditions and can show parts of the ear that are not visible on otoscopy.

What to Expect During an Ear Examination?

While most of the ear examinations are painless, you might feel some discomfort if you have infection or inflammation in the ears.