MODEL RELEASED. Paediatric examination. Image 11 of 14. Doctor examining a young girl's ear using an otoscope. The otoscope magnifys the ear canal and eardrum, allowing the doctor to see the interior of the ear more easily. Children are more susceptible to ear infections than adults because their eustachian tubes, which link the ear to the nasal cavity, are shorter. This means infections of the nasal cavity can spread easily to the ear. For a sequence of images showing a paediatric examination, see M825/831-843.