Making the Diagnosis
Based on visual examination with an otoscope (a lighted instrument to see inside the ear) and a description of the symptoms, your doctor can diagnose otitis media. In an infected ear, the eardrum usually appears red and swollen and pus may be seen behind the eardrum, which is usually clear and translucent.
When fluid or pus builds up in the middle ear, the doctor can perform a tympanometry. This is a simple hearing test that measures the pressure on both sides of the eardrums.