What Is the Difference Between a Perforated & Ruptured Ear Drum?

The ear drum separates your ear canal from the delicate structures of your middle and inner ear. It transfers sound waves into your ear and serves to protect the rest of your ear from damage by keeping debris and fluid out.

Function

• The ear drum--known as the tympanic membrane--is very thin and flexible. It’s attached to surrounding skin in the deepest portion of your ear canal. Behind the ear drum, in the middle ear, air pressure is regulated through the sinuses. A build up of pressure can cause suction on your ear drum. The ear drum is designed to tear or perforate naturally if too much suction occurs; it does so to release the pressure from the middle ear and avoid rupturing.

Significance

• A perforation is a tiny hole, tear or incision in your ear drum. Sometimes it’s necessary for your doctor to make a tiny incision in your ear drum to drain fluid, for example, when treating a middle ear infection.

  A ruptured ear drum is totally ripped open, destroying most of the membrane. When air pressure around you changes rapidly, your ears may not be able to keep up. For example, if you ascend and descend too fast while scuba diving or flying, an intense suction is created that can cause ear drum rupture.

Identification

• When a natural perforation occurs to help release pressure from the middle ear, you may feel a slight brief pain.

  When an ear drum ruptures it’s painful: usually you’ll feel intense pressure and pain in your ear prior to rupture. At the moment of rupture you will lose your ability to hear from that ear. Within moments, you might have fluid or blood come out of your ear. You may also experience an intense ringing in your ear at the time of rupture.

Solution

• Ear drum rupture requires immediate medical attention. Your hearing can be permanently damaged following rupture; a ruptured ear drum must be surgically corrected.

  Ear drum perforation will heal quickly on its own. Your ear drum is designed to naturally heal small tears, incisions or holes.

Expert Insight

• If you suffer from a perforated or ruptured ear drum, it’s important to keep liquid out of your ear. Use ear plugs while showering, bathing or swimming.