Otoscopes aren’t that expensive. I have a $40 model that would require another person to look into your ears to check and a sub $100 digital model with screen that you can see yourself and take pictures with. You can always meet in the middle and get a digital one that works with your phone, but weird 3rd party apps don’t sit well with me.
I always press the pediatrician if we take one of the kids in for ear issues. For our 5 year old there is so much built up wax you can’t see the ear drum. (We have tried Debrox twice and both times he has gotten an ear infection.) The doctor looks in and makes some comment about the ear drum and I usually chime in with a “Hmm when I looked last night there was so much wax I couldn’t see the ear drum clearly.” They don’t like that - and I don’t like them making up stuff either.
