Tympanometry

Tympanometry measures how the eardrum and middle-ear system move as air pressure in the ear canal changes. It helps assess middle-ear pressure and mobility, but does not directly measure hearing.

Tympanogram: A graph of eardrum-system compliance measured across changes in ear-canal air pressure. Its peak and shape are the main results produced by tympanometry.
Otitis media with effusion: Fluid accumulation in the middle ear without signs of acute ear infection. It often reduces eardrum mobility and produces a flat tympanogram.
Tympanic membrane: The thin membrane separating the ear canal from the middle ear. Its movement is central to the test's mechanical measurement.
Acoustic reflectometry: A noninvasive method that estimates middle-ear fluid by analyzing sound reflected from the ear. It screens for middle-ear abnormalities without sweeping ear-canal pressure.
Acoustic admittance: A measure of how readily an acoustic system transfers sound energy. Tympanometers estimate this property while varying ear-canal pressure.
Eustachian tube dysfunction: Impaired ventilation of the middle ear through the Eustachian tube. Negative middle-ear pressure can appear as a shifted tympanogram peak.
Auditory ossicles: The malleus, incus, and stapes, three small bones that transmit eardrum vibrations. Their mobility contributes to the compliance measured by the test.
Wideband tympanometry: A method measuring middle-ear sound absorption or reflectance across a broad range of frequencies. It extends conventional tympanometry beyond a single probe-tone frequency.
Probe tone: A steady test sound used to measure the acoustic properties of the ear. The instrument monitors how this sound is reflected as pressure changes.
Tympanic membrane perforation: A hole or tear in the eardrum. A perforation can prevent a pressure seal and alter measured ear-canal volume.

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