Ear Examination
Ear Examination - Related Videos
09:10
Ear Exam
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2023
Source: Richard Glickman-Simon, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, MA This video describes the examination of the ear, beginning with a review of its surface and interior anatomy (Figure 1). The cartilaginous auricle consists of the helix, antihelix, earlobe, and tragus. The mastoid process is positioned just behind the earlobe. The slightly curving auditory canal ends at the tympanic membrane, which transmits sound...
20:06
The Comprehensive Infant Examination
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2023
Source: Heather Collette and Jaideep Talwalkar; Yale School of Medicine The newborn exam is important in establishing a baby's baseline health status as they enter the world. Newborn providers have the unique opportunity to evaluate a patient for the very first time. They are also tasked with identifying congenital anomalies that require early intervention to promote a long and healthy life for the child. Many newborn anomalies, such as heart defects, are noted on prenatal ultrasound. However,...
01:16
Anatomy of the Ear
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2024
Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
07:44
Ophthalmoscopic Examination
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2023
Source: Richard Glickman-Simon, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, MA The simplest ophthalmoscopes consist of an aperture to look through, a diopter indicator, and a disc for selecting lenses. The ophthalmoscope is primarily used to examine the fundus, or the inner wall of the posterior eye, which consists of the choroid, retina, fovea, macula, optic disc, and retinal vessels (Figure 1). The spherical eyeball...
04:42
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on the Human Ear
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2025
Source: Badran, B. W., et al. Laboratory Administration of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS): Technique, Targeting, and Considerations. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)This video demonstrates transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), a noninvasive method for modulating brain activity. Electrodes are placed on the anterior wall of the outer ear canal and the tragus, targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN). When stimulated, the resulting nerve impulse...
FAQs
Pneumatic otoscopy adds a functional observation to the visual inspection of the tympanic membrane. By assessing how the membrane moves, the clinician obtains information that ordinary illumination and magnification alone cannot provide. This can help evaluate possible middle-ear disease and complement findings from the ear canal, membrane appearance, and patient history when forming a clinical impression.
Tuning-fork tests provide a rapid screen for whether hearing loss is more consistent with conductive or sensorineural impairment. They do not replace the broader clinical assessment, but they add information about hearing function alongside inspection and otoscopy. Their results can help clinicians decide whether findings warrant additional evaluation or referral.
Inspection and otoscopy assess separate anatomical areas that may show different abnormalities. Examination of the external ear and canal can identify signs associated with otitis externa, injury, or cerumen impaction, while viewing the tympanic membrane can support recognition of perforation or middle-ear disease. Interpreting these observations together improves clinical localization of the problem.
History supplies clinical context that cannot be obtained from the ear’s appearance alone. When combined with inspection, otoscopy, hearing screening, and, when appropriate, membrane mobility assessment, it helps clinicians interpret whether observed findings fit infection, obstruction, injury, or middle-ear disease. This integrated approach supports more appropriate treatment or referral decisions.
The assessment begins with patient history and inspection of the external ear, followed by otoscopy to illuminate and magnify the ear canal and tympanic membrane. If additional information is needed, pneumatic otoscopy can assess membrane mobility, while tuning-fork tests screen hearing function. The combined findings then inform diagnosis, management, or referral.
These tests add targeted information when visual examination alone is insufficient for the clinical question. Pneumatic otoscopy focuses on tympanic membrane mobility and may contribute to assessment of middle-ear disease. Tuning-fork testing addresses hearing function by screening for conductive versus sensorineural loss. Using either test can make the examination more informative without replacing history and inspection.
Findings from the examination help identify conditions such as otitis externa, otitis media, perforation, and cerumen impaction. That information supports decisions about treatment or referral rather than relying on symptoms alone. Repeating the assessment also allows clinicians to monitor response to care by comparing later inspection, otoscopic, mobility, or hearing findings with the initial evaluation.