Ruptured Ear Drum Cure

A ruptured or perforated eardrum is a hole or tear in your eardrum stemming from an ear infection, an injury or other causes. This can cause hearing loss ranging from partial to complete, but it is usually only temporary. It may also cause pain and buzzing in your ear. When the eardrum--which separates your ear canal from your middle ear and acts as a barrier to bacteria and germs--is damaged, you are at greater risk for ear infections.

Causes

• The causes of eardrum damage range from injuries to foreign objects getting into the ear. An ear infection or trauma might also cause a ruptured eardrum. A sudden loud noise, like an explosion, can cause an acoustic trauma when sudden sound waves perforate the eardrum. Barotrauma occurs when you go through a sudden change in air pressure like the descent of a plane.

Treatment

• In some cases, a ruptured eardrum needs surgical repair if it does not heal on its own.

  The best cure is usually to let a ruptured eardrum heal on its own. In most cases, this happens within a few weeks to two months. It is not unlike damaged skin, which also heals by itself. No treatment is necessary.

  However, some tips can help with the healing process:

  Keep your ear dry: Avoid swimming and rain. When taking a shower, protect your ear with a cotton ball.

  Do not clean your ears.

  Do not put any pressure on your ears, like when you blow your nose.

  Use warmth to help relieve discomfort.

  If you have an infection or a risk of infection, you might have to take antibiotics. Pain medication may also be necessary.

Considerations

• It is possible to live with small permanent eardrum perforations that never healed. These normally don't cause any problems. People living with perforated eardrums may not experience any symptoms or hearing loss. In these cases, even if your eardrum doesn't heal correctly, no treatment is necessary as long as it doesn't lower your quality of life.

  While a perforated eardrum is healing, don't expose yourself to water, which could enter the middle ear and cause an ear infection. If you are a swimmer and your eardrum is not healing, you might want to have the damage repaired by a small procedure even if the perforation does not cause any hearing loss.

  In any case, it is best to consult a medical expert who can advise you of options and whether treatment is necessary based on your needs.

Complications

• Possible complications of a ruptured eardrum include ear infections, permanent hearing loss or an infection to the bone behind the ear (mastoiditis).