What is the normal appearance of the tympanic membrane?
A normal TM is a translucent pale gray. An opaque yellow or blue TM is consistent with MEE. Dark red indicates a recent trauma or blood behind the TM.
What is abnormal tympanic membrane?
An abnormal tympanic membrane may be retracted or bulging and immobile or poorly mobile to positive or negative air pressure. The color of the eardrum is of lesser importance than the position and mobility. The redness of the tympanic membrane alone does not suggest the diagnosis of acute otitis media (Tables 2 and 3).
What is thickening of the tympanic membrane?
Serum, fibrin, red cells, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes escape into mucous secreted by goblet cells. This exudate fills the middle ear cavity under pressure. The tympanic membrane becomes very thickened and bulging, resulting in a conductive hearing loss, pain, and otalgia.
How is the normal ear exam charted?
Documenting a normal exam of the head, eyes, ears, nose and throat should look something along the lines of the following:
- Head – The head is normocephalic and atraumatic without tenderness, visible or palpable masses, depressions, or scarring.
- Eyes – Visual acuity is intact.
How would you describe a normal ear test?
Ears – The pinna, tragus, and ear canal are non-tender and without swelling. The ear canal is clear without discharge. The tympanic membrane is normal in appearance with a good cone of light. Hearing is intact with good acuity to whispered voice.
What is this white stuff in my ear?
Most of the time, any fluid leaking out of an ear is ear wax. A ruptured eardrum can cause a white, slightly bloody, or yellow discharge from the ear. Dry crusted material on a child’s pillow is often a sign of a ruptured eardrum. The eardrum may also bleed.
What is the white flaky stuff in my ears?
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin condition. It causes flaky, white to yellowish scales to form on oily areas such as the scalp, face, or inside the ear. It can occur with or without reddened skin.
How would the normal tympanic membrane appear during an Otoscopic examination?
Remove any excessive earwax (cerumen). Assess color, translucency, and position of the tympanic membrane. A normal tympanic membrane is convex, translucent, and intact. Gently squeeze the bulb on the otoscope to create positive pressure on the tympanic membrane and observe the degree of tympanic membrane mobility.
