How long for eardrum perforation to heal

A perforated eardrum happens when you have a perforation a tear, or rupture of the eardrum. Your eardrum is a thin membrane that separates your outer ear from your middle ear. The medical term for the eardrum is the tympanic membrane, so a perforated eardrum or eardrum perforation is also known as tympanic membrane perforation. However, treatment is needed in some cases. If you have a middle ear infection otitis media associated with the perforated eardrum, you may also have a fever.

If you think you may have a perforated eardrum, see your doctor for advice. Although most perforations heal on their own over time, sometimes treatment is needed.

Keep your ear dry. To help with this, wear earplugs or a shower cap to cover your ears when showering, and avoid swimming. You should also protect your eardrum by avoiding blowing your nose this puts pressure on the eardrum or cleaning inside your ear. Since eardrum perforation can result from middle ear infection, people who are susceptible to middle ear infections may also be at risk of a perforated eardrum. This includes young children, most of whom will have a middle ear infection at least once before they reach school age.

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are particularly susceptible to middle ear infection and eardrum perforation. The eardrum plays an important part in enabling us to hear sounds, so damage to the eardrum can lead to problems with hearing.

Usually such problems go away once the perforation has healed. The eardrum also plays an important role in protecting the inside of the ear. As a barrier between the outer and middle ear, it helps prevent water, bacteria and other contaminants from getting in. If the membrane is damaged, the middle ear can become infected.

If the infection becomes chronic ongoing , hearing loss may get worse, last longer, or in some cases, become permanent. Another potential complication of eardrum perforation is developing a type of skin cyst called a cholesteatoma.

This can happen when debris from the ear canal gets into the middle ear. As it grows, the cyst can damage the bones of the middle ear and lead to significant problems. When you go to a doctor with symptoms of a perforated eardrum, he or she is likely to take your medical history and ask you about what may have caused the problem, such as an injury or exposure to very loud noise. The doctor will also need to examine your ear.

To diagnose a perforated eardrum, a lighted instrument called an otoscope is used to look inside the ear and see if there is a hole or tear in the membrane. Other tests may also be done to assess hearing loss, the extent of damage to the eardrum, or the cause of the perforation. Most eardrum perforations heal without treatment. However, if you have an ear infection, or your doctor believes you are at risk of getting an ear infection before the eardrum has healed, you may need to take antibiotics.

If the eardrum does not heal properly on its own, your GP may refer you to a specialist called an ENT ear, nose and throat surgeon.

If necessary, the eardrum membrane can be repaired using a surgical procedure. The symptoms will usually pass once your eardrum has healed or any infection has been treated. Your eardrum will usually heal without treatment, but a GP can check for an infection which may need treatment and talk to you about how you can look after your ear. They'll look into your ear using a small handheld torch with a magnifying lens. The tip of this goes into your ear, but it only goes in a little way and should not hurt.

Perforated eardrums do not always need to be treated because they often get better by themselves within a few weeks. While it heals, the following tips can help you relieve your symptoms and reduce the chances of your ear becoming infected:.

If you have an ear infection caused by a perforated eardrum, a GP may prescribe antibiotics. Lalwani AK. Temporal bone trauma. New York, N. Vernick DM. Ear barotrauma. Traumatic perforation of the tympanic membrane. Merck Manual Professional Version. Elsevier Point of Care. Ear and sinus barotrauma. Accessed June 6, Sagiv D, et al. Traumatic perforation of the tympanic membrane: A review of 80 cases. The Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Pediatric hearing loss. Neff BA expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 11, Related Ruptured eardrum Tympanoplasty. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.