A perforated eardrum, also known as a ruptured eardrum or burst eardrum happens when the tympanic membrane or eardrum becomes damaged. This can be in the form of a rupture, hole, or tear. They can be painful and come with a host of different symptoms as well as a range of complications such as hearing loss and infection. They usually heal themselves but occasionally you may need medication or surgery to treat a perforated eardrum.
There are a variety of symptoms you can experience from having a perforated eardrum although not everyone experiences symptoms and may only find out they have a perforated eardrum if they have their ears examined.
Symptoms usually only affect the ear in which the perforation occurs and while most are temporary – going away once your eardrum heals – some symptoms can continue depending on the nature and severity of the perforation.
The most common symptoms of a perforated eardrum include:
There are multiple different possible causes of perforated eardrums. Symptoms of a perforated eardrum usually appear after:
Prevention is important when it comes to protecting your ears. And there are many ways that you can prevent having a perforated eardrum.
Because your eardrum is a live tissue, it typically will repair itself within 2 months and, in most cases, your hearing should return to normal. If you have an ear infection, or if your perforation has caused an ear infection, your GP may prescribe antibiotics to treat it.
In very severe cases in which your eardrum is not able to heal itself, you may be offered an eardrum patch (myringoplasty) in which a special gel or thin paper is placed over the holes in your tympanic membrane or a surgery where some of your own tissue is used to patch the hole in your eardrum (tympanoplasty).
Perforated eardrums can cause discomfort and affect your hearing as well as quality of life. However, thankfully, they are generally temporary and will heal on their own within 2 months. You may experience ear pain, hearing loss, dizziness or tinnitus with a perforated eardrum but some people don’t experience any symptoms at all. Severe cases can be treated using surgery and you may be prescribed antibiotics to help treat any related ear infections.
The severity of a perforated eardrum varies depending on the cause and size of the perforation and can range from mild to severe. With any perforated eardrum, you can be more prone to contracting an ear infection so ensure proper precautions are put in place.
A perforated eardrum is not usually an emergency on its own however if it is caused by head trauma, it could be considered an emergency.
If you have symptoms of a perforated eardrum, it’s best to seek professional healthcare advice as it’s not always easy to self-diagnose. Instead, they can visually diagnose a hole in your eardrum or do further testing such as tympanometry (a test that measures how your eardrum moves) to confirm.
Try to sleep on the side with your unaffected ear or on your back to help minimise discomfort or pain.
If your eardrums are healthy and you have no infections in your ears, it is unlikely that blowing your nose will rupture your eardrum. However excessive pressure can lead to perforation.
The length of time that your ear will hurt will depend on the severity or cause of your perforated eardrum. If it hasn’t improved after a couple of months, make sure you see your GP or hearing care specialist.