Perforated Eardrum Ruptured (Perforated) Eardrum Symptoms, Treatment, and Healing Time

Perforated Eardrum Ruptured (Perforated) Eardrum Symptoms, Treatment, and Healing Time

Ruptured (perforated) eardrum definition and facts
he eardrum (tympanic membrane) is a thin, oval layer of tissue deep in the ear canal that helps protect the delicate middle and inner ear from the outside. Because it is so thin, the eardrum can be ruptured or perforated, exposing the ear to damage or infection.

There are many signs and symptoms of a ruptured eardrum that may include one or more of the following:
Ear pain
Whistling sounds when sneezing or blowing your nose
Decrease in hearing or hearing loss
Ringing in the ear
A spinning sensation
Nausea
Vomiting

Middle ear Inflammation or infection
Relatively common causes of a ruptured eardrum include infections, car accidents, sports injuries, and putting foreign objects in the ear.
A ruptured eardrum is diagnosed routinely by otoscopy (use of an otoscope), however, your doctor or other healthcare provider may order additional tests.
Treatment of eardrum rupture varies from person to person. Some individuals require no treatment, while others may need to have surgical repair the eardrum.
It takes several weeks (about two months) for a ruptured eardrum to heal.
Most people will not lose all of their hearing, however, rarely, hearing loss may occur in the damaged ear.
While the ruptured eardrum is healing, you should not go swimming or participate in certain physical activities. Ask your doctor when you can start exercising again.
You can prevent a ruptured eardrum by treating middle ear infections, avoiding sharp changes in atmospheric pressures, avoiding putting items in the ear, not attempting to remove earwax with cotton swabs or items like paperclips, and by avoiding noise at high levels.

What is a perforated (ruptured) eardrum?

A perforated (ruptured) eardrum is a hole or tear in the eardrum.
The eardrum (tympanic membrane) is a thin, oval layer of tissue deep in the ear canal.
It is called an eardrum because it looks and acts like a drum.
The eardrum helps protect the delicate middle and inner ear from the outside, and it receives vibrations from the outer ear and transmits them to the small hearing bones (ossicles), of the middle ear.
Because the eardrum is so thin, it can be ruptured or punctured.
The hole or tear exposes the middle and inner ear to damage or infection.
An eardrum rupture is also called a tympanic membrane perforation.

How does a ruptured eardrum affect hearing?
In the picture above, the eardrum is connected to, and moves the bones in the middle ear that send out signals to the nerves and to other structures. A hole in the eardrum does not allow the normal movement of the eardrum as a response to sounds. Usually, the larger the hole in eardrum means that your hearing will worsen. If the rupture is very large, your eardrum may not translate any sound waves to the bones in the middle ear, which results in hearing loss.

What are the signs and symptoms of a perforated (ruptured) eardrum?

Ear pain is the most common symptom of a perforated eardrum. The pain can include:
General discomfort
Immediate, sharp, or intense pain
Pain that suddenly gets better
A feeling as if something is not right with the ear

Other common symptoms and signs of perforated eardrum include:
Vertigo (spinning sensation)
Dizziness
Hearing changes
Often with ringing (tinnitus), buzzing, clicking, or other noise
Hearing loss
Fluid (may be clear or pus-colored) or blood draining from the ear

What causes a ruptured eardrum?

There are many different potential causes of an eardrum rupture.
Relatively common causes of the condition include:

Infection is the most common cause of ruptured eardrum. The infection is caused by viruses, bacteria and/or fungi that infect the inner ear and/or Eustachian tube, which exerts pressure on the eardrum and stretches it. The eardrum then may perforate, depending upon the amount of pressure put on it.
Trauma, for example, a fall and hit to the side of the head on the ground, during water skiing, or an object like a stick or twig that penetrates the eardrum
Rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, for example, barotrauma from scuba diving or from explosives producing a blast wave.
Other blast waves, for example, gunshots, fireworks or any type of explosives
Car accidents
Sticking sharp objects into the ear canal (or even dull objects like cotton-tipped swabs) to remove earwax
Sports injuries (any head trauma)
Poor technique of irrigation of the ear canal to remove earwax (cerumen)
Surgical placement of tubes in the ear (myringotomy)

How can I tell if I have a ruptured eardrum (diagnosis)?
Most ruptured eardrums are diagnosed by routine otoscopy by primary care physicians, emergency medicine physicians, and/or otolaryngologists, or by medical professionals skilled in laryngology with an otoscope. Small ruptures or a small hole may require otomicroscopy to locate them. Screening tests (screening tympanometry) may show evidence of perforation; however, screening tests need to be confirmed by physical examination of the ear. Most doctors will perform audiometry to record the extent of the hearing loss. This test is highly recommended before treatment attempts.


What are the treatments for a ruptured eardrum?
The treatments for a perforated eardrum depend upon the symptoms, the size of the rupture, and a risk-benefit analysis done by your doctor and yourself to determine what treatment(s) are best for your condition.

Some patients’ perforation of their eardrum have few or no symptoms, and medical treatment is not necessary for these individuals. However, if the individual participates in certain lifestyle activities such as water sports or scuba diving, they should discuss potential treatments and/or risk-benefits of treatments with their doctor.

Larger perforations may result in greater hearing loss.
Audiology tests can help determine the extent of hearing loss.
Larger perforations may be repaired surgically, but again, individuals should receive medical advice from their doctor or other healthcare professional about the risk benefits of surgical repair of the eardrum versus the use of a hearing aid.

How long does it take for a ruptured eardrum to heal?
On the average, a ruptured eardrum can heal within about two months. Small ruptures may heal faster. Some very large perforations and occasionally, some smaller ones will not heal. For these problems, an eye, ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT surgeon, otolaryngologist) may use a graft of the patient’s fat, muscle or other material like a paper patch to close the perforation and allow the eardrum to heal

Will I lose my hearing if I rupture an eardrum?
Although a perforated or ruptured eardrum can cause hearing problems, it does not mean that you will lose your hearing. However, until the eardrum heals, you may experience some decline in your ability to hear. With severe ruptures, some individuals may lose their ability to hear and may not be a candidate for eardrum surgery. These individuals may be able to augment hearing with a hearing aid.


Can I go swimming after a ruptured eardrum?
Most doctors and health care providers who treat individuals with ruptured eardrums advise their patients not to go swimming while the eardrum is healing. The eardrum helps to keep viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants from entering the inner ear. Swimming can cause pressure changes that can force contaminants and bacteria through the ruptured membrane and encourage problems such as infection of the inner ear. This situation is especially true for individuals that like to scuba dive. You and your doctor need to discuss when and if you are able to go back to swimming and other activities like scuba diving.


How can a ruptured eardrum be prevented?
One of the first ways to prevent a ruptured eardrum is to get treatment for middle ear infections as soon as they develop.
If you are flying, you should try to keep your ears clear by equalizing pressure using such techniques as yawning, chewing gum or gently attempting to blow your nose while pinching your nostrils and keeping your mouth closed.

Keep small items that children may use to put in their ears out of their reach.
Moreover, if the child is old enough, you can teach them about the damage that can be done by putting items in their ears.
Adults should never attempt to dig out excessive earwax with cotton swabs, paperclips, hairpins and/or other objects that can easily rupture an eardrum.