subject: What Is Tympanometry and How It Can Help Grow Your Bottom Line? [print this page] What Is Tympanometry and How It Can Help Grow Your Bottom Line?
Whenever I meet doctors at their office, one of the first things I look to see is what they have in their exam rooms. I'm surprised time and time again that more doctors don't own a Tympanometric Instrument. While these machines were very expensive a few years back they have come down in price quite a bit. More than that, its a machine that can be used on many of your patients when they come in for a normal check up and best of all the reimbursement on it is quite good. The test takes a minute or so, and insurance will pay you upwards of $25 (depending on state).
Exam Overview
Tympanometry tests the movement of the eardrum when an ear infection or other middle ear problem is suspected. A doctor places the tip of a hand-held tool into the child's ear. The tool changes the air pressure inside the ear and produces a clear tone. Then, the tool measures how the eardrum responds to the pressure and the sound. The results of this test are used to help figure out what is going on in the ear.
Why It Is Done
The results of tympanometry can tell doctors whether there is fluid behind the eardrum or whether an ear tube is blocked. The test can also discover whether there is a hole in the eardrum. This information helps doctors decide what kind of treatment your child may need.
I tend to recommend the WelchAllyn MicroTymp3 Tympanometric Instrument.
Exam Overview
Tympanometry tests the movement of the eardrum when an ear infection or other middle ear problem is suspected. A doctor places the tip of a hand-held tool into the child's ear. The tool changes the air pressure inside the ear and produces a clear tone. Then, the tool measures how the eardrum responds to the pressure and the sound. The results of this test are used to help figure out what is going on in the ear.
Why It Is Done
The results of tympanometry can tell doctors whether there is fluid behind the eardrum or whether an ear tube is blocked. The test can also discover whether there is a hole in the eardrum. This information helps doctors decide what kind of treatment your child may need.
