Otitis media secretions from the nasopharynx into the normally sterile middle-ear space, the fluid may then become infected — usually with bacteria. The virus that caused the initial URI (upper respiratory infection) can itself be identified as the pathogen causing the infection. As its typical symptoms overlap with other conditions, such as acute external otitis, clinical history alone is not sufficient to predict whether acute otitis media is present; it has to be complemented by visualization of the tympanic membrane. Examiners use a pneumatic otoscope with a rubber bulb attached to assess the mobility of the tympanic membrane. In more severe cases,
Tympanic nerve Tympanic nerve The tympanic nerve (nerve of Jacobson) is a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve found near the ear. It arises from the petrous ganglion, and ascends to the tympanic cavity through a small canal, the inferior tympanic canaliculus, on the under surface of the petrous portion of the temporal bone on the ridge which separates the carotid canal from the jugular fossa. In the tympanic cavity it divides into branches which form the tympanic plexus and are contained in grooves upon the surface of the promontory. Jacobson's nerve contains both sensory and secretory fibers. The postganglionic parasympathetic fibers are