Ruptured eardrum

A ruptured eardrum is characterized by a tear or hole in the eardrum. The eardrum, medically known as the tympanic membrane, is a thin structure that separates the auditory canal from the middle ear. When sound waves strike the tympanic membrane, it vibrates. It is also the starting point for the conversion of sound waves into nerve impulses, which are then transmitted to the brain. The eardrum also works as a protective cover to the middle ear, preventing the entry of bacteria. A ruptured eardrum allows bacteria to enter the middle ear and give rise to an infection.

Initially, a person who suffers from a ruptured eardrum may experience discomfort or a sudden, sharp ear pain. Hearing loss, decrease in ear pain followed by discharge from that ear, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) are some of the other symptoms of the condition. Hearing loss occurs because the ruptured eardrum interferes with the conduction of sound waves from the external ear, across the tympanum, through the middle ear, to the auditory area of the brain.

Various factors can lead to a ruptured eardrum. A prior respiratory tract infection, injury to the ear (acoustic trauma), otitis media (middle ear infection), a loud noise, barotrauma (pressure changes when flying in an airplane), and insertion of foreign objects into the ear to clean it or remove the accumulated wax can cause perforation of the eardrum. Scratching the auditory canal due to itchiness caused by a fungal infection can also be contributive.

Medical attention must be sought whenever there is severe pain in the ear or discharge of blood and pus from it. Most small-sized perforations of the eardrums can heal without any kind of treatment within a matter of few weeks. In large-sized perforations, healing by itself is not possible; and therefore, treatment is a must. Your ENT specialist (a doctor who specializes in ear, nose, and throat disorders) will use an otoscope to look into your ears and clean the pus to view the eardrum directly and assess the amount of damage. A sample of your ear discharge may be sent to the laboratory for microscopical examination to identify the type of bacteria causing the infection.

A small perforation in the eardrum is usually sealed using a patch. With the help of certain chemical substances applied to the intact edges of the eardrum, re-growth of the latter is stimulated so as to fill up the perforated area completely. Sometimes, more than one patch may be required to do so. If this method fails, surgical intervention becomes necessary. In tympanoplasty, the surgeon applies a tissue patch across the perforation. This process causes healing of the tear completely and restores hearing.

Rupture of the eardrum can be prevented by treating ear infections early, avoiding getting exposed to very loud noises, not inserting foreign objects into the ears to clean or scratch it, and protecting the ears when travelling by air by plugging them with a wad of cotton.

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