If none can be seen, the health care provider will then blow a puff of air into the eardrum to see how well the eardrum moves. This test does not hurt and does not test for hearing ability. A second method of testing for middle ear fluid is a tympanometry . For this, a soft plug or probe tip, the size of a person s baby fingertip is gently inserted into the ear canal. This probe is attached to a machine called a tympanometer.
Air pressure is introduced into the ear canal, and the movement of the eardrum is measured.
The results are divided into four categories. Type A, is considered normal eardrum activity. Type B, indicates possible fluid behind the eardrum. Type C indicates negative pressure in the middle ear. When middle ear fluid is present the usual result is a Type B tympanogram .