Glossary of Terms in Otolaryngology

Arnold’s Reflex

  • Arnold’s reflex is a phenomenon where patients cough during stimulation of the ear canal. Studies suggest that it can be seen in around 1.74% of the general population.1
    • Arnold’s reflex occurs because Arnold’s nerve (the auricular branch of the vagus nerve) innervates the ear canal.
    • As a result, instrumentation of the ear canal can result in vagal stimulation, leading to a cough response.

  1. Bloustine, Stanley, Lloyd Langston, and Tom Miller. “Ear-cough (Arnold’s) reflex.” Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 85.3 (1976): 406-407. ↩

Last updated October 08, 2022
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