title: "Physiological" Ear Clicking: Its Origin and Potential Usability as a Test Tool for the Eustachian Tube Function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the origin of "physiological" ear clicks during deglutition or other pharyngeal movements, which, in contrast to disturbing frequent clicks under pathologic conditions, mostly remain unnoticed by the patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical experimental study at a tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ear clicks were recorded by a microphone sealing the external ear canal parallel to endoscopic or manometric evaluations of the Eustachian tube function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obviously, the acoustic signals (clicks) appear when the tube opens. The clicks might be explained by a disruption of fluid or mucus films covering the mucosa. As in our tests clicks could be recorded regularly, they might potentially be used as indicators in a new tube function test, which has to be elaborated.
authors.affiliation: *ENT Department, University Medicine, Rostock †ENT Department, Military Hospital, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ehrt
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Punke
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ovari
authors.forename: Hans Wilhelm
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Pau
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004424:Ear Canal; D004724:Endoscopy; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D010614:Pharynx / Q000502:physiology*