Perforated Eardrum

What is known as the eardrum is medically termed the tympanic membrane and by and large is little more than a thin piece of skin that forms a barrier between the outer ear and middle ear. Being diagnosed with a perforated eardrum can be a rather scary experience. Perforated eardrum symptoms are quite often a sense of dizziness and conductive hearing loss. Frightened patients will flock to their doctors in fear that they may have suffered a permanent hearing loss and that they may need extensive treatment for the damage that was done to the ear.

A perforated ear drum may be the consequence of vigorous ear cleaning involving the insertion of a slender object into the ear canal with the intention of cleaning out ear wax; this is a great danger for an infant - perforated eardrum is quite often the result of a parent’s attempt to remove yellow ear wax when the child moves its head. Other times a perforated eardrum is the result of an explosion that causes a sudden burst of air to hit the inner ear; the same is true for being slapped squarely on the ear with an open hand. In rare cases – as may be seen in a perforated eardrum picture in a medical text – an injury to the skull itself may lead to a subsequent perforation of the eardrum. Interestingly, ear leakage + perforated ear drum presentation are sometimes the result of being in an environment where air pressure suddenly changes (an airplane for example) while at the same time suffering from a serious cold. While some patients may ask “can I fly in a plane with a perforated eardrum?” the question itself is a moot point since the damage is already done.

Perforated eardrum treatment usually simply involves waiting out the perforation in hopes that the thin membrane will heal on its own. A perforated eardrum will heal within a few weeks, or a couple of months. While the healing process is going on, you may notice some fluid in the ear with the perforated eardrum that might leak out. Visit your physician to make sure that there is no infection and if in doubt, she or he will probably treat leakage from your perforated ear drum with the antibiotic penicillin or a similar product. In rare cases, surgery for perforated eardrum treatment is indicated when it appears that the tear is not closing up by itself and the resulting hearing loss will not abate. Additionally, the damage of the perforated ear drum and scar tissue that might have formed may need to be removed to alleviate perforated eardrum pain.

If you have suffered in the past from a perforated eardrum, flying while having a cold or even just congestion should be avoided. Similarly, be careful to keep dry your ear canal of the ear that experienced the perforated eardrum. Additionally, be mindful to never insert anything into your ear canal since this is the number one cause of perforated eardrum occurrences! Avoid a perforated eardrum by only cleaning waxy buildup from the outer ear.