When a doctor checks your ears it's called an otoscopy.
An ear exam by a doctor is called an otoscopy which is a medical term for a visual examination of your ear canal and your eardrum using a tool called an otoscope.
The otoscope is a handheld instrument that has a light and a magnifying lens which allows the doctor to see inside of your ear canal and your eardrum.
Ear exams by a doctor are done to check for various different ear problems like ear infections, hearing loss, ear pain or to check for any excessive earwax or foreign objects inside your ear canal.
The physical ear exam using an otoscope is not painful but if you have an ear infection then the otoscope being put into your ear may cause some mild pain.
The doctor checks you ears when sick to also check if there is a problem with your eustachian tube and opens dialog fluid behind the eardrum.
A normal eardrum will flex inward and outward in responses to changes in pressure.
A doctor using tools like an otoscope and curettes can identify infections, earwax impaction and more.
A doctor can also clean out your ears which is called a cerumenectomy which is the removal of earwax from your ears.
In most cases ear wax blockages respond to at home treatments that are designed to soften the earwax so it can be removed easily by yourself but sometimes you may need to or want a doctor to do a good cleaning of the ears.