Otoscopy
Otoscopy is a simple method for examining the ear, performed by an ENT doctor during a patient’s examination. It allows the doctor to observe the condition of the external and middle ear and detect various diseases.
Indications for otoscopy:
hearing loss: to detect earwax plugs (cerumen impaction), foreign bodies, inflammatory processes, or eardrum perforation.;
tinnitus (ringing) or ear pain: for the diagnosis of outer or middle ear inflammation, and to identify tympanitis (inflammation of the eardrum);
feeling of discomfort in the ear canal: to rule out swelling, redness, earwax plugs, or growths (neoplasms).
ear discharge: to determine the nature of the discharge, detect eardrum perforation, and diagnose otitis (ear infection);
suspicion of external or middle ear inflammation (otitis): to assess the condition of the eardrum;
earwax plugs (cerumen): for a visual assessment of the size and density of the wax buildup blocking the ear canal;
feeling of splashing or fullness in the ears: For the diagnosis of fluid in the middle ear, which is a sign of eustachitis or serious otitis.