How is a perforated eardrum treated?
Treatment for a perforated eardrum begins with seeking medical care from your health care provider. Antibiotics may be prescribed if there is an infection involved or as a preventive measure against future infection. Your health care provider may patch the ear to prevent bacteria from entering and to allow the eardrum to heal.
Analgesics, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), may be taken for the pain. You can also take such self-help measures as putting a warm heating pad over your ear. It is important to keep the area dry while you are showing or swimming to expedite the healing.
If significant time has passed and the eardrum is still not healing, surgery (tympanoplasty) may be required to restore the eardrum.
What you can do to improve your perforated eardrum
In addition to following the treatment steps your health care provider has outlined, you can take self-care measures at home that include:
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Applying gentle heat to your ear
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Keeping your ears dry while they are healing
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Taking over-the-counter pain medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
What are the potential complications of a perforated eardrum?
You can help minimize your risk of complications by following the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you. Left untreated, complications of a perforated eardrum include:
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Mastoiditis (infection of the bone behind the ear)
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Otitis media (middle ear infection)
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Permanent hearing loss
References:
Ear problems. FamilyDoctor.org. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/507.html. Accessed April 28, 2011.
Ruptured eardrum. PubMed Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002033/. Accessed April 28, 2011.
INTRODUCTION
What is a perforated eardrum?
A perforated eardrum is a rupture or a tear in the tympanic membrane, which is located between your outer ear and middle ear. Better known as the eardrum, the tympanic membrane vibrates in response to sound waves entering the ear. Nerve cells in the middle and inner ear transmit signals to the brain, which the brain perceives as sound....
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SYMPTOMS
What are the symptoms of a perforated eardrum?
Symptoms of a perforated eardrum primarily occur in the ear but may be present in other body systems as well. You may feel immediate pain, discomfort and buzzing in the ear; pain in the face; and dizziness....
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CAUSES
What causes a perforated eardrum?
A perforated eardrum is a rupture or tear in the tympanic membrane, located between your outer ear and middle ear. It can be caused by an infection leading to the accumulation of fluids or pus in the middle or inner ear. The ear may continue to swell and the eardrum may burst upon experiencing pressure....
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