Tympanometry?
DefinitionTympanometry is a test used to detect disorders of the middle ear.Alternative NamesTympanogramHow the test is performedBefore the test, your health care provider will look inside your ear canal to make sure there is a clear path to your eardrum.Next, a device is placed into your ear. This device changes the air pressure in your ear and makes the eardrum move back and forth. A machine records the results on graphs called tympanograms.How to prepare for the testYou should not move, speak, or swallow during the test. Such movements can change the pressure in the middle ear and give incorrect test results.The sounds heard during the test may be loud and potentially startling. You will need to try very hard to avoid being anxious and becoming startled during the test.If your child is to have this test done it may be helpful to show how the test is done using a doll. The more familiar your child is with what will happen and why, the less anxiety he or she will feel.How the test will feelThere may be some discomfort while the probe is in the ear, but no harm will result. You will hear a loud tone as the measurements are taken.Why the test is performedThis test measures your ear's responses to the sound and different pressures.Normal ValuesThe pressure inside the middle ear can vary by 100 daPa (a very small amount). The eardrum should look smooth.What abnormal results meanTympanometry may reveal any of the following:A tumor in the middle earFluid in the middle earImpacted ear waxLack of contact between the conduction bones of the middle earPerforated ear drumScarring of the tympanic membraneWhat the risks areThere are no risks.ReferencesSeidman MD, Simpson GT II, Khan MJ. Common problems of the ear. In: Noble J, eds. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2001:chap 178.Cummings CW, Flint PW, Haughey BH, et al. Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 4th ed. St Louis, Mo; Mosby; 2005:3514.Reviewed ByReview Date: 04/26/2010Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.