Can ear, nose, and throat examinations detect otitis media during physical examinations?

Ear, nose, and throat examinations during physical examinations usually reveal otitis media. Otitis media is a common disease in otolaryngology. During examination, doctors will make a preliminary diagnosis by examining the condition of the eardrum through otoscopy and observing ear canal secretions. In ear, nose, and throat examinations, doctors can directly observe whether the eardrum is congested, swollen, or perforated using an otoscope, which are typical manifestations of otitis media. If there is purulent secretion, it may indicate acute suppurative otitis media. Some medical examination packages include pure tone audiometry, which can assist in determining conductive hearing loss caused by otitis media. For chronic otitis media, physical examination may reveal long-term pathological features such as tympanic membrane scars and calcified plaques. Some medical institutions also conduct acoustic impedance testing to indicate changes in middle ear pressure through abnormal tympanogram.

It is recommended to avoid self cleaning the ear canal before the physical examination to avoid affecting the examination results. Daily attention should be paid to avoiding water ingress into the ear canal, and timely treatment of nasopharyngeal inflammation should be sought when catching a cold. If abnormalities or symptoms such as ear pain, ear tightness, and hearing loss are found during physical examination, further examination such as temporal bone CT should be conducted at the ENT department.