Politzerization, also called the Politzer maneuver or method, is a medical procedure that involves inflating the

middle ear The middle ear is the portion of the ear medial to the eardrum, and distal to the oval window of the cochlea (of the inner ear). The mammalian middle ear contains three ossicles, which transfer the vibrations of the eardrum into waves in ...

by blowing air up the

nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next pass ...

during the act of

swallowing Swallowing, sometimes called deglutition in scientific contexts, is the process in the human or animal body that allows for a substance to pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, and into the esophagus, while shutting the epiglottis. Swallowing ...

. It is often performed to reopen the

Eustachian tube In anatomy, the Eustachian tube, also known as the auditory tube or pharyngotympanic tube, is a tube that links the nasopharynx to the middle ear, of which it is also a part. In adult humans, the Eustachian tube is approximately long and in ...

and equalise pressure in the sinuses. The procedure was derived from a medical experiment first performed by

Ádám Politzer Ádám Politzer ( hu, Politzer Ádám; 1 October 1835, Albertirsa, Pest, Hungary – 10 August 1920, in Vienna) was a Hungarian and Austrian physician and one of the pioneers and founders of otology. Life Ádám Politzer was born in Alberti (n ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

that involved studying the air movement through the Eustachian tube by connecting a manometer to the external auditory canal meatus and another manometer in the

pharynx The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its ...

. His first results on the technique were published in 1861 and he introduced a pear-shaped rubber air-bag for performing the procedure in 1863, which came to be known as a Politzer bag. This system was far more practical and less difficult for the patient than catheterizing the Eustachian tube and brought fame to Politzer.

Use in clinical devices

One device that utilizes Politzeration is the EarPopper, developed by Shlomo Silman, Ph.D., professor of hearing sciences and audiology at Brooklyn College, CUNY, and otolaryngologist Daniel Arick, M.D. The EarPopper is a hand-held, battery-operated device that delivers controlled air flow through the nostril and can be used by the patient without medical supervision. Clinical studies have demonstrated the device's efficacy in the treatment of ear blockage caused by Eustachian tube dysfunction and

otitis media with effusion Otitis media is a group of inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. One of the two main types is acute otitis media (AOM), an infection of rapid onset that usually presents with ear pain. In young children this may result in pulling at the ear, ...

.Daniel S. Arick, MD, FACS; Shlomo Silman, PhD: "Nonsurgical home treatment of middle ear effusion and associated hearing loss in children. Part I: Clinical trial and Part II: Validation study", ''ENT-Ear, Nose & Throat Journal'', September 2005 • Volume 84, Number 9

References

* * * {{cite web, accessdate=February 2, 2005, url=http://merckmedicus.com/ppdocs/us/common/dorlands/dorland/dmd-m-026.htm#10017969, title=Politzer' Method, work=Dorlands Medical Dictionary

External links

Adam Politzer
ENTLink. * Mudry, A

Am. J. Otol. 21:753-763, 2000.
Website of the EarPopper medical device, www.earpopper.com
Rhinology