health

The diagnosis of an ear infection is based on a combination of the
patient’s age, history, and a physical examination in the doctor’s office.
Otitis externa can usually be diagnosed by simple movement of the outer
ear, which will typically produce intense pain. When the doctor looks
into the ear with an otoscope, the ear canal will look red and swollen, and
there may be pus present. The doctor may take a sample of the pus or
fluid and send it to a laboratory for culture.
In the case of otitis media, the doctor will use a pneumatic otoscope
to examine the child’s ear. This specialized otoscope allows the doctor to
puff a small amount of air into the middle ear to see whether there is
fluid behind the eardrum. If fluid is present, the eardrum will not move.
Another test known as tympanometry may also be done to measure the
movement of the eardrum. In tympanometry, a small plug is inserted
into the outer ear and air is blown into the ear canal to evaluate the
movement of the eardrum.
If there is evidence of hearing loss, the child may be referred to an
audiologist for hearing tests.