What is the Doctor Looking for when He Uses an Otoscope or an Opthamaloscope?

You sit patiently on the exam table waiting for your Doctor to finally open the door and ask how your feel. Of course you tell him, "Not to good." So he proceeds to listen to your heartbeat and feel your glands to see if they are swollen. Next he grabs the otoscope off the wall, puts on a probe cover and starts looking.

He looks at your inner ear canal for inflammation indicating an infection. Just make sure the doctor changes the probe cover before putting the probe into the other ear. Otherwise the other ear might become infected as well. The ear should be clear of ear wax otherwise the doctor might compact the wax as he put the probe into the ear.

Since the otoscope has a light at the end of the instrument, the doctor probably uses it as a light source to illuminate your throat to see how your tonsils are also.

Some doctors may even carry the a rechargeable battery operated portable otoscope. Otoscopes usually uses a halogen bulb for a bright light source. There are 2.5v and the more powerful 3.5v otoscopes.

The ophthalmoscope is the otoscope's close partner. Usually sold together as a diagnostic set. Willam Noah Allyn and Frederick Welch invented the first hand-held direct illuminating ophthalmoscope.

With the ophthalmoscope, the doctor examines your retina and vitreous to find any swelling of the optic disc. This swelling can be caused by intracranial pressure which might be a sign of hypertension or a tumor. As a symtom you can have headaches.

These diagnostic tools have helped doctors diagnose millions of patients. For more information regarding otoscopes and ophthalmoscopes, please visit www.cwimedical.com.