In the tympanometry test, the movement of the eardrum is examined in response to hearing sounds that are played in the auditory canal at different pressures. The aim of this test is to check the integrity of the middle ear.
The middle ear cavity in the healthy ear is filled with air, and the tympanum is a thin, conical membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear, whose function is to transmit sound from air to bone within the middle ear.
How to perform the examination
The tympanometry tests how well the eardrum is moving. The doctor will place a small probe similar to a stethoscope in each ear. A small device attached to the probe will push air into the ear. Then the examining doctor will see a graph on the device called an tympanogram.
Warnings
general
It is not recommended to perform the examination in cases where there is a danger to the ear, such as: suspicion of a hole in the eardrum.
Analysis of the results
A valid tympanometric test result is a type A graph which is the normal graph of the ear when exposed to air. Possible results and interpretations of the tympanometric graph are as follows:
Graph A: Normal, the maximum response is zero, the low response is positive or negative pressure.
Graph B: There is no movement, there is no maximum response point for the eardrum. These data correspond to the situation in which there is no air, but rather there is fluid in the middle ear, and therefore caused the eardrum to be unable to move.
Graph C: There is a maximum point when running negative pressure. This data corresponds to a space in the middle ear, and is often consistent with sinus congestion, allergies, or the final stages of a cold or ear infection.
