Similar to your nose, ears also have a natural opening that allows air and moisture to enter. The eardrum is the thin, disk-like structure inside your ear that helps you hear sounds by acting as a natural amplifier. To get a glimpse of what’s happening behind the eardrum and learn about common ear problems that can occur in adults, read on for helpful information about how to see inside your ear without an otoscope. An adult’s ear has an observable hole on its exterior called the external auditory canal. This canal leads directly into the eardrum, which is located directly beneath it. A light inspection of this area with only your eyes can be helpful if you notice any redness or swelling in this area. However, if you are trying to view more details within your ear, you will need another device other than just your eyes. Read on to learn more about how to see inside your ear without an outcome.
How To See Inside Your Ear Without An Otoscope?
1. Find a Light Source (Source)
First, you will need a light source. You can use a flashlight, but it’s best to use a stronger light source to get a clearer view of your ear canal. You can buy an otoscope at your local drug store or pharmacy, or you can make one yourself if you have the necessary materials. You can also ask your doctor for an outcome if they have one available.
2. Use Your Hands to Hold Your Ear Open (Holding Position)
Next, gently hold your ear open by placing your hand on the side of it. Make sure that you don’t press too hard in this position so that the eardrum doesn’t rupture and cause pain and bleeding in the ear canal. If you are using an otoscope, place the end of the instrument against your ear to keep it steady while looking into the opening of your ear with only your eyes.
3. Look into Your Ear with Your Eyes Only (Looking Position)
Now, you are ready to look into your ear. With your free hand, gently direct the light source in the direction of the opening of your ear canal. If you have an outcome, gently hold it against the opening while looking with only your eyes. If you are using a flashlight, hold it at an angle so that you can see through your ear without blocking the light source from entering your ear canal.
4. View and Write Down What You See (Viewing Position)
Once you have a clear view of what’s inside of your ear, write down as much information about what you see as possible, including any redness or swelling in this area. You may also want to take some pictures if possible because later on, it can be difficult to remember what exactly was going on within your ear when trying to describe it later on and write down all of the information that is important to remember during this process.
5. Write Down What You Saw and the Cause (Writing Position)
Once you have a clear view of what was going on inside of your ear, write down all of the information that you observed. If you are using an otoscope, write down what is being seen in the light source, as well as any redness or swelling that may be present. If you are using a flashlight, write down what is being seen in the light source, as well as any redness or swelling that may be present.
6. Repeat Steps 1-5 if Necessary (Repeat Steps 1-5 if Necessary)
If you still aren’t able to see anything clearly inside your ear with your eyes only, repeat steps 1-5 until you can see and read anything that has been written down correctly within your ear canal. If you still can’t see anything clearly with your eyes only after repeating these steps five times, then it may be necessary to go to an ear specialist to have a doctor look into your ear with an otoscope or other device so they can interpret what they see in your eardrum and get a better idea of what exactly is going on within it without having to use their eyes only to interpret what they are seeing within your ear canal.
Why You Can’t See Inside Your Ear?
- You are in a dark location (darkness is the number one reason why you can’t see anything from within your ear canal. Most people have some light seeping in through the small hole at the top of their ear, which is called their eardrum. However, if you are in a very dark place, even if there is light seeping in through your eardrum, it is still very difficult to see anything inside of your ear because there isn’t enough light seeping into it.
- Your eyesight is poor (If you have poor eyesight, then it can be difficult for you to see something that may not be right in front of you due to how close it may be to your face or how far away it may be from where your eyesight is focused.)
- You are wearing too much makeup (If you wear a lot of makeup on a regular basis and haven’t removed all of the excess makeup from inside of your ears before going out, then that can cause some blockage and make it hard for you to see what’s inside them.)
- Your eyes are red and swollen (If you have a lot of broken capillaries in your eyes, which causes them to be red and swollen, then it can be difficult for you to see anything inside your ear canal.)
- You have some sort of infection within your ears (If you have an infection inside of your ears, then it can be difficult for you to see anything that is written down correctly from within them due to the infection and how swollen they may be.)
- Your eardrum is partially ruptured (If the eardrum inside of your ear is partially ruptured, then it can be difficult for you to see anything that is written down correctly from within them due to the pressure that is being placed on it by the eardrum being partially ruptured.)
Other Ways To View Inside Your Ear
- You can see an image of your eardrum in the reflection of a mirror (If you are standing close enough to the mirror and turn your head to look at it, then you should be able to see an image of your eardrum in the reflection.)
- You can see an image of your eardrum if you have a camera with a lens attachment (If you have a camera with a lens attachment that has a close-up feature, then you should be able to see an image of your eardrum in the close-up feature.)
- You can view what is inside your ear using an endoscope (If you have access to an endoscope, then that will allow you to view what is inside of your ear using it. However, because this is not something people often have access to and because they are quite expensive, most people cannot afford one.)
- You can view what is inside your ear using a microscope (If you have access to a microscope, then that will allow you to view what is inside of your ear using it. However, because this is not something people often have access to and because they are quite expensive, most people cannot afford one.)
Conclusion
Your ear is a complex organ that is responsible for helping you hear, balance, and fight against infections. Ear diseases can occur in people of all ages and can be a result of infections, allergies, or be caused by a reaction to certain medications. If you notice symptoms of an ear infection, such as pain, itching, a change in your hearing, or fluid coming from your ear, it is important to visit a doctor as soon as possible. Ear infections are common in children but can also occur in adults. Visiting an ear doctor is the only way to know what is happening inside your ear. An otoscope is a tool that ear doctors use to look inside your ears and examine the eardrums, hearing bones, and surrounding tissue. While you might think that you can see inside your ears with just your eyes, this is not the case.
