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Alternative names Return to top
Tympanic membrane perforation; Eardrum - ruptured or puncturedDefinition Return to top
A ruptured or perforated eardrum is an opening in the tympanic membrane (eardrum).Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top
The tympanic membrane (eardrum) separates the outer ear from the middle ear. The membrane vibrates when sound waves strike it, and this starts the process that converts the sound wave into a nerve impulse that travels to the brain. When the eardrum is damaged, the hearing process is interrupted.Symptoms Return to top
Signs and tests Return to top
The doctor will look in your ear with an otoscope. If the eardrum is punctured, the doctor will see an opening in it, and may even see the bones of the middle ear. Sometimes it is hard for the doctor to see the eardrum because of drainage from the ear (pus).Treatment Return to top
A ruptured or perforated eardrum usually heals by itself within 2 months. The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and prevent infection.Expectations (prognosis) Return to top
A ruptured or perforated eardrum may be uncomfortable, but it usually heals by itself within 2 months. Any hearing loss is usually temporary.Complications Return to top
Calling your health care provider Return to top
Call your health care provider if:
Prevention Return to top
Do not insert objects into the ear canal, even to clean it. Foreign objects should only be removed by a health care provider. Have ear infections treated promptly. Update Date: 5/6/2003 Updated by: Jason Newman, M.D., Department of Otolaryngology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Washington, DC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Page last updated: 28 October 2004 |