A perforation (rupture) of the eardrum is one of the more serious injuries to the ear and can significantly impair hearing. Therefore, a cracked eardrum requires medical attention as soon as possible. What are the causes and symptoms of perforation (rupture) of the eardrum? What is the treatment? When is surgery necessary?

Eardrum perforationmeansrupture , a perforation of the eardrum, the main part of the middle ear that plays a key role in hearing. It is thanks to the eardrum that sound waves can be transformed into vibrations and transferred to the ossicles, which makes it possible to hear.

Perforation (rupture) of the eardrum - causes of eardrum rupture

The most common cause of perforation of the eardrum is trauma. The eardrum may break due to improper cleaning of the ears (e.g. with cotton buds) or a blow to the head. Then it is a mechanical injury. If the cause of the perforation of the eardrum is diving, airplane flight or exposure to very high sounds (e.g. an explosion), it can be considered a barotrauma. Then the high pressure inside the ear moves to the eardrum, causing it to perforate.

A ruptured eardrumcan also be a complication of otitis media. In the course of inflammation, microorganisms lead to the edema of the tympanic membrane. The fluid that collects there may emphasize the eardrum and cause it to rupture.

Perforation (rupture) of the eardrum - symptoms

The characteristic symptoms of an eardrum rupture are:

  • severe, violent earache
  • hearing impairment
  • tinnitus
  • dizziness
  • feeling of stuffy ears

If the tympanic membrane is perforated as a result of otitis, there is fluid from the ear and the pain symptoms that occurred earlier (during inflammation) are alleviated as the pressure in the middle ear drops. In addition, a fever may appear - in children it often reaches 40 degrees C. In infants, symptoms of otitis include: insomnia, irritability, crying, lack of appetite, high temperature, rarely increasing runny nose, sometimes vomiting anddiarrhea.

Perforation (rupture) of the tympanic membrane - diagnosis

In case of suspicion of a rupture of the eardrum, thevideoscopy is performed- an examination which involves examining the condition of the ear with a small webcam.

Perforation (rupture) of the eardrum - treatment

Small ruptures of the eardrum heal on their own within a few weeks (the eardrum has a great ability to regenerate).

However, if the healing process is not going well or there is more damage to the eardrum, it is necessarymyringoplasty- an operation aimed at reconstructing the eardrum with fragments of other tissues, e.g. cartilage, a thin piece of cartilage taken from the auricle or the fascia of the temporal muscle. This material integrates with the surrounding tissues. The procedure is usually performed through the external auditory canal under general anesthesia. The effect of the treatment is not felt until a week after the operation, because only then is the dressing removed. The operated ear should not be wet for a period of about a month.

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ENT