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Ear Exam, Home

What Affects the Test

Reasons why the results of the test may not be helpful include:

• Lying down while the ear is being examined. This can make it difficult to detect the presence of a middle ear infection (otitis media) or fluid behind the eardrum (otitis media with effusion).
• Crying. A small child who is upset or crying may have red eardrums. It is easy to confuse this redness with an ear infection.

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Author:	Monica Rhodes	Last Updated: April 22, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Donald R. Mintz, MD - Otolaryngology
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