What it means
The eardrum. Sound waves make it vibrate, and three tiny bones in the middle ear pass the vibrations on to the inner ear. Seen with an otoscope, a healthy eardrum is pearly gray and shiny, with a cone of reflected light. In a middle ear infection it may look red and bulging. It can tear from infection, loud blasts, pressure changes or objects put in the ear.
For the nurse
To see the eardrum in an adult, pull the outer ear up and back; in a child under 3, pull it down and back. A tympanic thermometer reads the temperature from the eardrum's heat.
At a glance
| Everyday words | eardrum |
|---|---|
| Spanish | membrana timpánica, tímpano |
| Also written | tympanic membranes, eardrum, eardrums |
Related terms
perforation
A hole that goes all the way through the wall of an organ or tissue.
aur/o
A word root that means ear or hearing; ot/o means ear too.
-scope
A word ending that means an instrument for looking or examining.