Ruptured Eardrum: Causes and How to Overcome it

If the ear feels uncomfortable, hurts,ngung, and discharge, it could be because your eardrum ruptured. Infections and injuries are some of theamong the causes. But don't worry, there are some medical steps to deal with it.

The eardrum is a thin membrane that separates the outer ear and the middle ear. The eardrum, also known as the tympanic membrane, vibrates when exposed to sound waves. The vibrations are then sent to the middle and inner ear to then be transmitted to the brain. The eardrum also serves to protect the middle ear from bacteria, fluid, or foreign objects that want to enter.

Things That Can Cause a Ruptured Eardrum

Because it is thin, this very important part of the ear is prone to damage, such as tearing or rupturing. The reason could be due to the following things:

• Infection

  A common cause of a ruptured eardrum, especially in children, is due to an ear infection. Middle ear infections cause fluid to build up behind the eardrum. As a result, the pressure inside the middle ear will increase and push the eardrum outward, causing a tear.

• Injury

  A ruptured eardrum can also occur if the side of the head is hit so hard that the skull fracture occurs, not carefully cleaning the ear with cotton buds, or because a small object gets into the ear.

• Pressure change

  When the air pressure in the middle ear and the environment is out of balance, it compresses the eardrum. This is known as barotrauma. Barotrauma can cause the eardrum to burst, if the pressure is too great. Barotrauma can occur when a person is diving, driving at high altitudes, or flying in an airplane.

• Acoustic trauma

  Hearing very loud noises (blasts or gunshots) can also harm the eardrum and cause the eardrum to burst, although this is rare.

Need Medical Help to Treat It

A ruptured eardrum can heal on its own without treatment, within a few weeks. However, if there is no improvement, the doctor will provide treatment in the form of:

• Antibiotics

  Antibiotics in the form of pills (drugs taken by mouth) or ear drops serve to clear the infection and protect the ear from new infections due to exposure to the middle ear from a torn eardrum. Antibiotics are given if the eardrum rupture is caused by an infection.

• Eardrum filling

  If it doesn't close on its own, an ENT specialist can patch the eardrum. You do this by applying a chemical to the edge of the tear to stimulate the growth of new membranes and covering the torn eardrum with a patch. This procedure may need to be repeated more than once until the hole is completely closed.

• Operation

  If the patch doesn't work, the last resort is to perform tympanoplasty surgery. In this operation, an ENT specialist will graft a small amount of skin from the patient's body to close the hole in the eardrum. After the surgical procedure is completed, the patient can go home on the same day, unless there are other reasons that require the patient to be hospitalized.

When experiencing a ruptured eardrum, there are several things that need to be considered to support the healing process, namely:

• Keeps ears dry. When bathing, use earmuffs made of silicone or cotton swabbed petroleum jelly to prevent water from entering the ear.
• Do not swim for some time until the eardrum has healed, or until it is approved by a doctor.
• Avoid picking your ears because there is a risk of injuring the eardrum.
• Avoid exhaling by covering your mouth and nose, the increased pressure inside the ear can cause the eardrum to re-injure.

If your ear hurts due to a ruptured eardrum, or if there are other complaints such as hearing loss when you experience a ruptured eardrum, don't hesitate to consult an ENT specialist (ear, nose, throat) so that they can be given proper treatment.