The condition known as "perforated eardrum" is a hole in the eardrum where a small piece of tissue that separates the middle ear from the outer ear can damage hearing. The tympanic membrane or eardrum separates the middle ear from the outer ear and vibrates when hit by sound waves, which become nerve impulses that travel to the brain. The drilling eardrum may result from otitis or trauma.
The eardrum acts as a barrier that prevents external materials, such as bacteria, from entering the middle ear. When pierced, bacteria easily travel to the middle ear and can cause an infection. In most cases, the eardrum repairs itself but if the membrane does not rebuild spontaneously, then an eardrum transplant can be performed.
Ear infection causes perforation of the eardrum
Ear infections cause the eardrum to rupture, which occurs most often in children. The infection causes pus or fluid to collect behind the eardrum, and as pressure increases, the eardrum may open or rupture. Damage to the eardrum can also occur from a very loud noise near the ear, a rapid change in pressure in the ear, which can occur when flying or diving, a foreign object in the ear, an injury to the ear such as from a powerful slap or blast, swabs or small objects inserted into the ear to clean it.
Earache can decrease suddenly, immediately after a ruptured eardrum, clear discharge from the ear with pus or blood, noise in the ear, ear discomfort or pain, facial weakness or vertigo in the most severe cases may occur.
The doctor will examine the ear with an instrument called an otoscope. If the eardrum is ruptured, the doctor will see an opening in it. The bones of the middle ear may also be visible, although pus discharge from the ear can make it difficult for the doctor to see the eardrum. An audiometry can measure how much hearing loss has occurred.
How to treat it at home
You can take steps at home to treat an earache, use warm compresses to help ease the discomfort. Often the opening of the eardrum heals on its own within 2 months if it is a small hole. Keep your ear clean and dry while it is healing, put cotton balls in your ear when you take a shower or apply shampoo to prevent water from penetrating this organ, avoid swimming or putting your head under water, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics orally or as ear drops to prevent or treat infection.
The opening of the eardrum usually heals on its own within 2 months, the hearing loss will be short-lived if the rupture heals completely, in rare cases, other problems such as prolonged hearing loss, spread of the infection to the bone behind the ear known as mastoiditis, prolonged dizziness and vertigo.
If the pain and symptoms do not improve, you should call your doctor immediately if you feel very dizzy, have a fever, a general feeling of discomfort or hearing loss, you have very severe pain or a loud ringing in your ear, you have an object in your ear that it doesn't go away or you have any symptoms that last more than 2 months after treatment.
To avoid the appearance of perforation of the tympanic membrane, it is advisable to avoid cleaning the ears with cotton swabs. Do not introduce objects into the external auditory canal, the objects housed in the ear should only be removed by a specialist expert, try to treat ear infections promptly, if you present any.
It is important to watch children, as objects sometimes get into the ear. It is also essential to reduce episodes of childhood otitis, there are antimicrobial vaccines for this, you have to avoid swabs, to clean the ears it is better to use a tissue or the little finger, in a plane or under the sea it is essential to balance the pressure, it is enough with covering the nose and sending the air to the ears.
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