Detecting Middle Ear Disorders With The Tympanometry Test

By Author: Doug Rehder
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If you’re experiencing hearing loss or pain in the ear your doctor may order a tympanometry test. Along with a complete medical history and visual examination, a tympanometry test is used to test the function of your middle ear. The middle ear is made up of three tiny bones and is separated from the ear canal by the tympanic membrane, a viscous membrane about 0.08 mm thick.

Simply put, it’s the job of the middle ear to transfer sound waves that are passed down the ear canal and through the tympanic membrane to the inner ear. Symptoms of a middle disorder include pain, balance problems, vertigo, discharge from the ear, itching, hearing loss or a general feeling of the ear being “plugged.”

There are many reasons why the inner ear may not be functioning correctly, many of which are easily treated. Also called a tympanogram, the tympanometry test has no serious side effects and is not painful, though you may experience some mild discomfort. Tympanometry can be safely performed on children as well as adults.

How is a Tympanometry Performed?

A hearing specialist will ask you to stay still without ...
... speaking, moving or swallowing while carefully inserting a probe into the ear canal. The presence of the probe affects the air pressure inside the ear canal. Sound tones emit from the probe which cause the eardrum to move as it adjusts to the changes. A tympanometry machine then records the test results and prints them on a graph called a tympanogram.

Though it’s painless, the loud noises can be startling which makes it difficult to remain still. Your hearing specialist should prepare you for this likelihood before starting the test. Practicing the test with a doll is a good way to lessen the anxiety in children and prepare them for the loud noises.

Test Results

In a healthy ear, visual inspection of the eardrum should show a smooth texture, and it’s normal for the pressure to vary a small amount, about 100daPa on the tympanogram. If your eardrum does not look smooth or your tympanometry results show a larger than average variance, further testing may be necessary to decide the exact cause of the problem. Some common causes of an irregular tympanometry include:

• A perforated eardrum
• Scars on the tympanic membrane
• Fluid in the ear
• A tumor or growth in the middle ear
• Improper alignment of the middle ear bones
• Excessive ear wax or impaction

A tympanometry test is only one step in resolving issues with the middle ear. Depending on the results of the evaluation your doctor may suggest further tests or further medical consultations.

Source:
http://www.healthhype.com/ear-problems-symptoms-of-inner-middle-and-outer-disorders.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003390.htm
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/1101/p1713.html.

Dr. Douglas E. Rehder, and the Rehder Hearing Clinic has been serving the hearing impaired since 1974. We offer professional hearing services and hearing aid fittings in a respectful, compassionate atmosphere. All of our hearing care staff are audiologists (people with advanced degrees in hearing science) who use state of the art testing and fitting technology.For up-to-date hearing aid information visit Dr. Rehder's blog.