Do your ears feel blocked? A physical ear examination could be the reason why your hearing seems muffled. In this article we describe what happens when an Audiologist checks your ears for wax and/or infection.
The First Look With an Otoscope
An otoscope is a small handheld torch with a magnifying lens at the end. Audiologists use an otoscope to look down your ear canal to see your eardrum. They will look for wax, infection and any damage to your eardrum. An examination using an otoscope takes a matter of seconds and is completely painless.
Video Otoscopy for a Clearer Picture
Some clinics use video otoscopy which involves placing a tiny camera at the end of the otoscope probe. The image is then displayed on a screen. This allows the clinician to share images with you to show you the inner ear in more detail and to explain exactly what they have seen in more detail. This could be a blockage of wax close to the eardrum or a clean ear canal.
What They Are Looking For
When looking inside your ear, the Audiologist will be checking for the following: wax build-up, whether this be in the form of hard dry wax or soft dark wax, redness of the canal walls, swelling of the canal walls, discharge from the ear, a perforated eardrum, or foreign body in the ear. All of these signs and symptoms indicate different things. For example redness and discharge from the ear could indicate an ear infection as explained by the NHS in the article Ear infections – Diagnosis and treatment.
What Happens Next
If wax is found in your ear then many clinics are now able to remove the wax using microsuction on the same day as your ear examination. However, if the audiologist suspects that you have an infection or that you have a perforated eardrum then you will be referred to your GP or to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor for further treatment.
A useful reference for Audiologist Cheltenham is https://www.imperialhearing.com/audiologist-near-me/cheltenham/.
The whole examination is usually carried out and completed within a few minutes but it is crucial to how your hearing is assessed and diagnosed after your examination.