Home Ear Examination
Ear Exam, Home
Results
A home ear examination is a visual inspection of the ear canal
and eardrum
Ear canal Normal:
- Ear canals vary in size, shape, and color.
- The ear canal is skin-colored and contains small hairs and usually some yellowish brown or reddish brown earwax.
Abnormal:
- Wiggling or pulling on the outer ear causes pain.
- The ear canal is red, tender, swollen, or filled with pus.
Eardrum Normal:
- The eardrum is pearly white or light gray, and you can see through it.
- You can see the tiny bones of the middle ear pushing on the eardrum.
- You see a cone of light, known as the "light reflex," reflecting off the surface of the eardrum. This cone of light is at the 5 o'clock position in the right ear and at the 7 o'clock position in the left ear.
Abnormal:
- The light reflex on the eardrum is dull or absent
- The eardrum is red and bulging.
- You can often see amber liquid or bubbles behind the eardrum.
- You can see a hole in the eardrum (perforation).
- You can see whitish scars on the surface of the eardrum.
- If your child has had a tube placed in an ear, you may also see the tiny plastic tube, which is usually blue or green.
- The eardrum is blocked by earwax or an object, such as a bean or a bead.
Note: If you see an inflamed canal, pus, a dull or red eardrum, fluid behind the eardrum, a hole in the eardrum, or a foreign object in the ear, call your health professional.
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| Author: | Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: April 30, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Donald R. Mintz, MD - Otolaryngology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
| Why It Is Done | |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
 | Results |
| What Affects the Test | |
| What To Think About | |
| Credits | |