What to do if the eardrum is perforated due to inflammation in the ear

Analysis: Hello, your condition should be a perforation of the eardrum caused by otitis media. It is possible to heal on its own.

Guidance: **It is necessary to determine the appropriate size according to the size of the eardrum perforation**, and there are two types: conservative and minimally invasive repair. Specialist testing is required.

The tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum, is an oval translucent membrane, composed of epithelial layer, fibrous layer and mucosal layer, located at the junction of the middle ear tympanic chamber and the external auditory canal, constituting the outer wall of the tympanic chamber, which separates the external ear canal and the middle ear cavity, and blocks the foreign bodies and bacteria that protect the external auditory canal from entering the middle ear cavity.

1.Inflammation. When the upper respiratory tract is infected, the bacteria and secretions in the nasal cavity can easily reach the middle ear cavity through the eustachian tube to cause infection, and at the same time, if the breastfeeding posture is not correct, the milk is also easy to flow into or choke into the middle ear through the eustachian tube, and acute otitis media leads to tympanic membrane perforation.

2.Trauma. It is mostly caused by direct or indirect external injuries, such as ear picking, surgery, foreign body in the external auditory canal, temporal bone fracture, pressure injury such as palm hitting the ear and face, blasting, high diving and diving may damage the eardrum and lead to tympanic membrane perforation.

A perforated eardrum is when there is a small hole in the eardrum. Between the external auditory canal and the lumen of the middle canal is the tympanic membrane, which is intact. If there is a hole in the eardrum that connects the ear canal to the middle ear cavity, bacteria and viruses can enter the middle ear cavity and cause infection.

There are two causes of tympanic membrane perforation: trauma and ear infection. Trauma refers to ear picking and car accident injuries, etc.; Ear infections include pathological factors such as cholesteatoma, purulent otitis media, and pus pressure in the middle ear cavity.

Experts from Lanzhou Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital and Gansu Provincial Hospital pointed out that eardrum perforation is a common ear disease, the eardrum is the protective barrier of the middle ear, and the perforation of the eardrum will lead to bacteria, sewage, and foreign bodies that can enter the middle ear through the perforation, causing infection and pus, and hearing loss, which is really harmful. For patients, a detailed understanding of eardrum perforation can lead to timely and effective targeted methods. Regarding a series of problems about eardrum perforation, the following experts from Jinan Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital will introduce you in detail.

Trauma of eardrum perforation**: due to the thin eardrum, accidental injury to the eardrum when picking the ear to remove cerumen and foreign bodies can lead to eardrum perforation; It is also more common in head trauma with temporal bone fracture that damages the eardrum; The eardrum can also be damaged by strong jets of water or air jets, inacitating chemical corrosives into the ear, splashing metal chips and slag into the ear canal, and blowing up the Eustachian tube. Infection:

Infection is caused by the direction of the Eustachian tube, and is more common in infancy and early childhood. Because the eustachian tube of the baby is short and relatively thick, and the tube is relatively straight, nasal secretions and milk are easy to flow into or choke into the middle ear through the eustachian tube, resulting in acute otitis media. After the middle ear suppurates, the pus erodes the eardrum and causes a perforation of the eardrum.

Sudden and drastic changes in the outside atmospheric pressure: the eardrums are shattered by the loud sound of shells and bombs at close range; When taking an airplane, due to the blockage of the eustachian tube, the pressure of the external auditory canal changes sharply when the plane lands, and the membrane can also be crushed and perforated, which is aviation otitis media; Blowing your nose vigorously causes the air pressure in the middle ear to suddenly hit the eardrum from the inside out, which can rupture and perforate the eardrum. Symptoms of eardrum perforation Deafness and tinnitus:

At first, the ears are stuffy, and then the hearing gradually decreases, accompanied by tinnitus. Deafness is reduced after perforation. Sometimes vertigo.

Systemic symptoms: Before tympanic membrane perforation, symptoms such as fever, chills, and fatigue are more obvious. Children are often accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms of acute gastroenteritis.

Sharp or stabbing pain in the deep ear before eardrum perforation, which can radiate to the ipsilateral frontal, temporal, and tooth due to the trigeminal nerve branch reflex on the tympanic membrane. In infants and young children, they often cry and refuse to eat. The earlier the eardrum perforation**, the better The sooner the eardrum perforation**, the better, if the eardrum perforation is not timely, the eardrum perforation may affect hearing, causing conductive hearing impairment, the small hole does not hinder hearing, the larger the hole, the more severe the hearing damage, but still not completely deaf.

When water enters the external auditory canal, such as when washing hair, bathing or swimming, the water will penetrate into the middle ear through the hole, causing acute inflammation and causing great inconvenience and distress in life. According to experts from Gansu Provincial Hospital, myringitis and otitis media will cause damage to the tympanic chamber, tympanic membrane perforation, tympanic membrane rupture, etc., resulting in hearing loss. Gansu Provincial Hospital is the first to adopt the international advanced tympanoplasty repair for tympanic damage caused by myringitis and otitis media, hearing loss and other diseases.

In general, there is a significant history of trauma. After trauma, the ears will be swollen, tinnitus, hearing loss, nose pinching, and gas flowing out of the external auditory canal. Keep the external ear canal clean and dry, do not get water, avoid infection, and it usually heals within three months.

If the eardrum is perforated due to chronic purulent otitis media, the main manifestations are repeated pus discharge from the external auditory canal, hearing loss, and even persistent tinnitus. For eardrum perforation caused by chronic purulent otitis media, it is generally recommended to keep the ear clean and dry for more than three months and have an eardrum repair surgery.

Causes of a ruptured (perforated) eardrum may include:

Middle ear infection (otitis media). Middle ear infections usually result in fluid buildup in the middle ear. The pressure from this fluid ruptures the eardrum.

Barotrauma. Barotrauma is the compression of the eardrum when there is an imbalance between the air pressure in the middle ear and the ambient pressure. If the pressure is too high, the eardrum may rupture. The most common cause of barotrauma is changes in air pressure associated with air travel.

Other events that can cause sudden changes in pressure (and possibly rupture the eardrum) include scuba diving and direct blows to the ear, such as the impact of a car airbag.

Loud or ** sounds (subterfuge hearing loss). A loud sound or sound, such as the sound of a gun being fired, is essentially a very strong sound wave that, in rare cases, can cause a tear of the eardrum.

Foreign bodies in the ear. Small objects such as cotton swabs or hairpins can be suspected of puncturing or tearing the eardrum.

Severe head trauma. Severe injuries, such as basilar skull fractures, can cause dislocation or injury to middle and inner ear structures, including the eardrum.

1.Generally, the perforation is caused by too much positive pressure when a slap is slapped, or it is touched when the ears are picked up! If the perforation caused by this is not large, it can usually heal on its own, and take some anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent infection.

Keep your mood comfortable, avoid fatigue, and avoid staying up late. Intensify physical activity. Stay in a good mood.

Perforated eardrum is a common ear disease that refers to a condition in which the eardrum is ruptured or defected due to inflammation or trauma, resulting in symptoms such as earache, tinnitus, small bleeding, and hearing loss.

1. Perforation of the tympanic membrane.

1. Infection. The common cause of tympanic membrane perforation is infection caused by the eustachian tube, which is more common in infancy. Due to the short and thick Eustachian tube of infants and young children, when the upper respiratory tract is infected, the fine nasal cavity of local hand bacteria and secretions can easily reach the middle ear cavity through the Eustachian tube and cause infection.

In addition, during acute and chronic otitis media attacks, pus from the middle ear corrodes the eardrum and can cause perforation of the eardrum.

2. Direct cause of trauma:

It is more common in head trauma with temporal bone fracture that damages the tympanic membrane;

Accidentally injuring the tympanic membrane when picking the ear to remove cerumen and foreign bodies, resulting in tympanic membrane perforation;

The eardrum can also be damaged by strong air jets, by mistakenly dropping a chemical agent into the ear, or by splashing metal shavings into the ear canal.

Indirect causes: It is more common in sudden and sharp changes in external atmospheric pressure, such as a loud sound from a shot, and the air wave will break the eardrum; The take-off and landing of the aircraft creates a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the eardrum;

Slapping can also cause perforation of the eardrum;

A sudden and sharp rise in air pressure in the middle ear cavity will also cause an imbalance in the air pressure inside and outside the eardrum, such as blowing the nose vigorously, causing the air pressure in the middle ear to hit the tympanic membrane violently and suddenly from the inside out, which can rupture the eardrum.

2. Symptoms of tympanic membrane perforation:

The perforation of the eardrum in patients with otitis media is mainly manifested as repeated pus, earache, tinnitus, hearing loss, etc., and the pus can have a foul smell.

Patients with traumatic tympanic membrane perforation will experience tinnitus, ear tightness, hearing loss, and air leakage when pinching the nose and blowing air after trauma.

Prone population: Children.

The Eustachian tube in children is short, has a wide inner diameter, a relatively large lumen, and a low pharyngeal position, so the virus can easily invade the middle ear.

Immunocompromised.

People with weakened immunity are susceptible to bacterial infections, which can lead to otitis media, and if the inflammation is not controlled, there is a possibility of perforation of the eardrum.

Divers, divers.

Traumatic tympanic membrane perforation occurs due to excessive extratympanic pressure.

The reason for the eardrum piercing the foramen magnum may be caused by infection, the most common is the infection caused by the direction of the eustachian tube, and it may be caused by some trauma, and it may be due to otitis media.