A perforated eardrum can cause sudden ear pain, hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness, and increase the risk of middle ear infection. It can be caused by ear infections, trauma, sudden changes in air pressure, or foreign objects. Treatment includes keeping the ear dry and clean, and antibiotics if necessary. Most perforated eardrums heal within two months, but surgery may be necessary for severe cases.
Perforated eardrum, also called a ruptured eardrum, occurs when the tympanic membrane that separates the outer and middle ear tears or ruptures. This type of ear injury can cause sudden ear pain, hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness. It can also increase the risk of middle ear infection. A perforated eardrum is often the result of an ear injury or sudden changes in air pressure. Most eardrum injuries can heal without surgery, although tympanoplasty or surgery to repair the tympanic membrane can restore function to severely damaged eardrums.
Perforation or puncture of the eardrum can occur as a result of an ear infection. Pus and other fluids can build up behind the eardrum, putting enough pressure on the membrane to rupture it. Loud noises or trauma, such as from a blow to the head, can cause the eardrum to perforate. Sudden changes in air pressure, such as those normally experienced by airplane passengers, can cause the eardrum to rupture. Foreign bodies, including cotton swabs, inserted too deep into the ear canal can also perforate the eardrum.
The first symptom of a perforated eardrum is often immediate and extreme pain in the ear. Blood, pus, or other fluids may leak from the ear. Hearing loss and tinnitus or a ringing in the ear may occur. Vertigo, or lightheadedness, is another common symptom of an ear injury.
A perforated eardrum can leave the middle and inner ear vulnerable to infection. If fluid or debris can enter the middle ear through the perforated eardrum, an infection can occur, causing pus to accumulate in the middle ear and drain from the ear canal 24 to 48 hours after the ear injury.
A ruptured eardrum can usually be diagnosed by a visual examination of the middle ear. Doctors typically use an instrument known as an otoscope to perform this visual exam.
Treatment for a perforated eardrum is often relatively straightforward. Patients are generally advised to keep the ear dry and clean. Cotton balls can be inserted into the ear to prevent liquid or debris from entering the middle ear. Patients are generally advised not to swim or immerse their heads in water. If the patient is suffering from an ear infection, oral antibiotics and ear drops may be prescribed to treat it.
Most perforated eardrums heal within about two months. Tympanoplasty, a surgical procedure, can be used to repair more severely perforated eardrums. The hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness often caused by a ruptured eardrum are almost always temporary. If the ear is or becomes infected, however, the risk of permanent hearing loss usually increases.
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