Inside your ear is very small and delicate membrane known as the eardrum, or tympanic membrane. This membrane serves as the boundary between the organs of the inner ear, and the outer ear canal. Sound waves entering your ear cause slight vibrations to the tympanic membrane, which are passed along to the other tiny structures of the ear and ultimately to the brain where the signals are interpreted as sound. Because of the delicate nature of the tympanic membrane, it is possible for it to rupture.
There are many causes of a ruptured eardrum. Most of the causes are due to acute mechanical damage. There is an old saying in medicine, “Never stick anything in your ear smaller than your elbow.
Children are especially prone to sticking things in their ears. Twigs, pencils, paper clips, Popsicle sticks, small bugs – if they can possibly fit into your canal, chances are some child somewhere has tried to store it in their ear. Any of these objects can put a hole in the tympanic membrane. Even Q-tips, which in theory are designed to be put in your ear, are capable of doing damage it handled improperly.
Trauma to the head can cause the are trumped rupture as well. A punch to the side of the head can do the trick. Getting slapped, especially on the side of the head, can damage eardrum.
Sudden loud noises (which are essentially high intensity pressure waves) can damage your eardrum. This can come in the form of an explosion, car accident, or even doing something as stupid as putting your ear up to a 500 W speaker, and turning the volume up as high as you can.
Of course sudden outward pressure can damage it tympanic membrane also. This is a little harder to achieve, as I imagine most people don’t press a high-powered suction device up to their head just for fun. Or maybe they do – people do odd things for entertainment sometimes.
In theory, a strong sucking kiss over the year could ruptured eardrum. If this happens, you should do two things. First, seek medical attention. Second, seek a new kissing partner as the one you are with clearly has no idea what he or she is doing.
The last significant cause of a ruptured tympanic membrane is an ear infection. The most common infection that results in damage to the eardrum is known as otitis media. This is an infection of the middle ear, which is behind the tympanic membrane. Not all cases of otitis media result in a ruptured tympanic membrane.
Most ruptured tympanic membranes will heal on their own without the need for active medical treatment. Your doctor can diagnose a ruptured eardrum by looking into the ear canal with a device known as an otoscope . Once the diagnosis of a ruptured eardrum has been made, treatment typically involves controlling pain with the use of appropriate pain medications. In uncomplicated cases where there is no infection, a ruptured eardrum can take weeks to months to fully heal.
Care must be taken not to cause further damage to the your drum while it is healing. A person with a ruptured eardrum should try not to blow their nose until it is healed. The outward pressure caused by blowing your nose can cause further damage to the are ready injured eardrum.
Keeping the ear dry while you have a ruptured eardrum is important in reducing the possibility of it becoming infected. Swimming should be avoided, as well as complete immersion of your head in water.
In the event that a ruptured eardrum is caused by an infection, such as otitis media, antibiotics can be used to treat the infection. In some cases a ruptured eardrum can lead to an infection, in which case antibiotics are appropriate as well.
In rare cases, a ruptured tympanic membrane will not heal spontaneously and needs more active treatment. There are some microsurgery is available that can repair a tympanic membrane rupture, however these are not done routinely, and are reserved for only the most severe cases.
If you suspect that you may have suffered damage to your ear, contact a doctor as soon as possible for a proper evaluation. Do not attempt to stick anything else in your ear, or to do an exam yourself. Doing so can cause further damage to the eardrum.
