Toynbee Experience

The Toynbee experience (named after the English otorhinolaryngologist J. Toynbee, 1815-1866; also called the negative Valsalva experience) is a simple diagnostic procedure used to assess the patency of the eustachian tube.

During this test, the patient closes his nose, closes his mouth, and attempts to exhale. If the Eustachian tube is patent, then the pressure will equalize between the middle ear and nasopharynx, and the patient will not feel

Toynbee experience is one of the methods for studying auditory function and has been used in otorhinolaryngology for more than a hundred years. This experiment was developed by the English physician Joseph Toynbee in the 19th century and is a test to determine the condition of the auditory tube.

The essence of the Toynbee experiment is to force the patient to breathe through the nose and mouth at the same time, while closing the mouth and pinching the nostrils. As a result of this procedure, air begins to leave the ear through the auditory tube, which creates a certain pressure in the ear. The doctor then listens to the sound produced in the ear at various pressure levels.

If the eustachian tube is functioning correctly, then when the pressure in the ear changes, the sound should change in the same direction. If the auditory tube has any disturbances, then the sound may change in the opposite direction.

Toynbee's test can also be used to determine the presence of narrowing of the auditory tube, which can be associated with various diseases. Overall, this test is an important tool for diagnosing ear, nose and throat diseases.

Although the Toynbee test was developed more than a hundred years ago, it is still widely used in otorhinolaryngology and is considered one of the main methods for diagnosing diseases of the auditory tube. Thanks to this experience, doctors can quickly and accurately determine the state of a patient's hearing function and prescribe appropriate treatment.