A doctor uses an otoscope, or its other term called the auriscope, to more commonly examine the ears. The otoscope has a magnifying end so that the most inner part of the ear can be seen more clearly. No, you don’t have to be a doctor to use this instrument. Any adult can use an otoscope to look into the ear canal or the eardrum, with proper instructions.
However, if anyone outside of the healthcare community or healthcare industry uses an otoscope, they must know that the ear system does not go straight and down, there are twists and turns. The ear canal requires a gentle manipulation, meaning that you must know what you are doing or else you could cause serious harm. When a doctor uses an otoscope, you will notice that they gently pull your ear. This means that they are pulling to straighten the ear canal to make it easier to see inside with the otoscope.
Many children and adults experience an ear examination during a regularly scheduled medical exam, or if persons are having the following problems:
*ringing in your ears
*punctured eardrum
*hearing loss
*head injury
*remove excess ear wax build-up
*earache
*chronic ear infections
The otoscope is more commonly used to examine children. For this reason, many parents purchase an otoscope under the direction of their physician. Many young children experience frequent ear infections and earaches. As such, the parents can be trained by a medical professional to perform home ear exams. The main instructions by a doctor for parents using the home otoscope is not to use it if your child’s ear is bleeding, if the ear is swollen, or if there is pus or draining of the ear.
In the hands of a doctor, an otoscope allows them to properly diagnose any ear, nose, and throat disorder. The otoscopy gives doctor information on the external ear, as well as the air pressure within the tympanic membrane. It highly illuminates the throat and nose system for any infections or diseases. The otoscope also aids physicians in their examination of their patients’ nose and upper throat. Here is some information about the otoscope:
*an otoscope can be mounted to a physician’s wall or it may be mobile
*the disposable elongated specula is inserted into the inner ear
*the head illuminates the ear with a fiberoptic view and with an LED white light
*it has a magnifying lens
*an insufflator port for providing puffs of air to test the ear’s normal vibrations
*battery door, off and on switch, and the handle.
Historical medical documents describe the otoscope being used in France during the mid-1300s. Its purpose has not changed; it remains a device used to examine the nose and ear. It remained a medical device that was used during the 1800s in Germany. The modern-day otoscope, in different models, are also used to examine the following body parts:
*eyes: can be used to diagnose several eye infections.
*nose: doctors use it to check for infections
*navel: doctors mainly check children’s navel area for infections or injuries that are not visible to the human eye.
For nasal examinations, doctors generally exam the internal nose cavities and the external areas. A physician uses the otoscope to exam the vestibule, the septum, and the turbinate system. Doctors look for infections that affect the colour of the nasal mucosa, they look for the proper alignment of the internal nose structure.
If a child or an adult has been injured in the nasal area, physicians use the otoscope to look for swelling of the mucosa, internal bleeding, or other types of discharges. There are certain health disorders, like cancer, that doctors search the nasal system for to help detect polyps or ulcers.
As an important diagnostic tool, the otoscope is further used to exam the throat. The leading spectrum tip is removed during a throat exam. The small lighted or mirror part of an otoscope is then shined into the mouth to reveal more of the throat with the help of another tool called the laryngoscope that is inserted into the mouth. It is a great time we live in to be able to have these medical tools to help keep us healthy.