How is cerumen impaction diagnosed?

Diagnosis of cerumen impaction is typically made based on the following:

1. Otoscopy: A healthcare professional, such as a doctor, nurse, or audiologist, uses an otoscope, which is a lighted instrument, to examine the ear canal and eardrum. If there is cerumen impaction, the healthcare professional will see a buildup of earwax blocking the ear canal.

2. Symptoms: The healthcare professional may ask about the person's symptoms, such as hearing loss, ear pain, tinnitus (a ringing or buzzing sound in the ear), or a feeling of fullness in the ear. These symptoms can be caused by cerumen impaction.

3. Medical history: The healthcare professional may also ask about the person's medical history, including any history of ear problems or ear surgery.

4. Imaging studies: In some cases, imaging studies, such as a CT scan or MRI, may be needed to rule out other possible causes of the person's symptoms, such as a foreign object in the ear canal or a tumor.

Additional tests that may be performed to confirm cerumen impaction include:

1. Ear irrigation, which involves flushing the ear canal with warm water to remove the earwax. This procedure can both diagnosis and treat impaction.

2. Audiometry: This test measures hearing ability and can be performed before and after earwax removal.

3. Tympanometry: This test measures the movement of the eardrum in response to sound waves and can be performed before and after earwax removal.