Rupture of the tympanic membrane: causes and consequences

The rupture of the tympanic membrane is a mechanical damage to the thin tissue that separates the auditory canal and the middle ear. As a result of such a trauma, a person can completely or partially lose his hearing. In addition, without natural protection, the middle ear remains vulnerable to infections and other physical injuries. As a rule, a hole or a breakthrough in the tympanum is overgrown independently for several weeks, and no treatment is required. In difficult cases, doctors prescribe special procedures or surgery to ensure normal healing of the wound.

Symptoms

Signs of rupture of the tympanic membrane are as follows:

• Pain in the ear, which can start abruptly and abruptly disappear.
• Transparent, purulent or spotting from the ear.
• Loss of hearing.
• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus).
• Dizziness (vertigo).
• Nausea or vomiting as a result of dizziness.

When to see a doctor

If you find yourself experiencing symptoms of rupture or small damage to the tympanic membrane, or if you feel pain or discomfort in your ears, make an appointment for a consultation with a health center or a health center. The middle ear, like the inner ear, consists of very fragile fragments and is vulnerable to diseases and injuries. Timely adequate treatment is of paramount importance for the preservation of normal hearing.

Causes

The main causes of rupture of the tympanic membrane can be combined into the following list:

• Infection of the middle ear (otitis). As a result of the infectious disease in the middle ear, fluid accumulates, which exerts excessive pressure on the tympanic membrane and thereby causes damage to it.
• Barotrauma is a damage due to the strong tension of a thin tissue provoked by the difference in pressure in the middle ear and in the environment. Too strong pressure can tear the eardrum. The barotrauma is closely connected with the so-called syndrome of blocked ears, from which practically all passengers of air transport suffer. Differential pressure is also characteristic for scuba diving. In addition, any direct impact in the ear is potentially dangerous, even if such a blow produced an activated airbag in the car.
• Low sounds and explosions (acoustic trauma). The rupture of the tympanic membrane, the symptoms of which will be evident in the blink of an eye, often occurs under the influence of too loud sounds (explosions, shooting). Excessively powerful sound wave can seriously damage the delicate structure of the ears.
• Foreign objects in the ear. Small objects like a cotton swab or hair clip can pierce and even rupture the eardrum.
• Severe head injury. Craniocerebral injuries cause dislocation and damage to the structure of the middle and inner ear, including rupture of the tympanic membrane. The head can crack a head, this circumstance often serves as a prerequisite for a breakthrough in a thin tissue.

Complications

The tympanic membrane performs two main functions:

• Hearing. When sound waves beat on the membrane, it starts to vibrate. The structures of the middle and inner ear recognize these vibrations and translate sound waves into nerve impulses.
• Protection. The tympanic membrane also acts as a natural protective barrier, preventing the middle ear from getting there water, bacteria and other foreign substances.

In case of trauma, complications can occur both in the healing process and in the event that the tympanic membrane can not completely overgrow. Potentially possible:

• Loss of hearing. As a rule, the hearing disappears only for a while, until the hole in the tympanic membrane disappears by itself. However, many patients of otorhinolaryngologists note a noticeable decrease in hearing quality even after a complete overgrowth of the breakthrough. Much depends on the location and size of the wound.
• Infection of the middle ear (otitis). A ruptured eardrum in a child or adult facilitates the access of bacteria to the inside of the auditory canal. If the tissue does not heal itself, and the patient does not seek medical help, there is a high risk of developing non-treatable (chronic) infectious diseases, which can eventually lead to complete hearing loss.
• Cyst of middle ear (cholesteatoma). Cholesteatoma, or pearl tumor, is a cyst consisting of skin cells and necrotic tissue. If the tympanic membrane is damaged, dead skin cells and other organic debris can enter the middle ear and form a cyst. Cholesteatoma provides a favorable environment for the propagation of harmful bacteria and contains proteins that can weaken the bones of the middle ear.

Before a visit to a doctor

When you think that you have a ruptured eardrum, the symptoms allow you to accurately judge the presence of trauma. If the quality of hearing noticeably decreased, sign for a consultation with a specialist. You can first visit the therapist, but to save time it is recommended to go to the otorhinolaryngologist immediately.

Before visiting a specialist, it is advisable to think about what you are going to tell about your illness. To forget nothing, record key information in writing. It is desirable to describe in detail:

• Symptoms that you are concerned, including those that do not seem to affect the eardrum damage and are not associated with hearing loss, watery discharge and other typical trauma symptoms;
• Recent cases from your life that could cause damage to the ear, including infectious diseases, sports injuries, travel by air;
• Medicines, including vitamin-mineral complexes and biologically active food additives, which you are taking at the moment;
• Questions that should be asked the doctor.

If you suspect a rupture of the eardrum during otitis or stroke, think about asking the otorhinolaryngologist the following questions:

• Is my eardrum ruptured?
• If not, why did my hearing deteriorate and other symptoms of disturbance occur?
• If the eardrum is damaged, what can I do to protect my ear from possible infections during the process of its natural healing?
• Do I need to re-record at the reception so you can check how well the tissue has healed?
• When will it be necessary to consider the question of the appointment of specific methods of treatment?

Do not hesitate to ask other questions to a specialist.

What the doctor will say

The otorhinolaryngologist, in turn, will take an interest in the following:

• When did you first notice symptoms of trauma?
• The rupture of the ear drum is often accompanied by pain syndrome and characteristic dizziness. Have you noticed similar signs of tissue damage? How quickly did they pass?
• Did you suffer from infectious diseases of the ears?
• Were you exposed to too loud sounds?
• Have you been swimming in a natural pond or in the basin recently? Did they scuba dive?
• Have you traveled recently by airplane?
• When was the last time you suffered a head injury?
• How do you clean your ears? Do you use any items for cleaning?

Before consultation

If the appointment time for the otorhinolaryngologist has not yet come, and you suspect that you have a ruptured eardrum from a stroke, treatment on your own initiative should not begin. Better take all possible measures to prevent infectious diseases of the ear. Try to keep your ears clean and dry, refrain from swimming, make sure that water does not get inside the ear when swimming in a bath or taking a shower. To protect the damaged ear during water procedures, each time insert elastic waterproof silicone ear plugs or a cotton ball soaked in vaseline.

Do not use any ear drops, purchased at the pharmacy at your own discretion; Medicines can be prescribed only by a doctor and only for the treatment of infectious diseases associated with damage to the tympanic membrane.

Diagnostics

To determine the presence and extent of damage, the ENT usually visually examines the ear using a special instrument with a backlight - an otoscope. If, during a superficial examination, it is not possible to pinpoint the cause or extent of the discontinuity, the doctor may prescribe additional diagnostic examinations, including:

• Lab tests. If you notice a discharge from the damaged ear, the otorhinolaryngologist will most likely prescribe a laboratory study or cultivation of the discharge pattern to determine the type of infection that has hit the middle ear.
• Assessment of hearing with the help of a tuning fork. The tuning forks are two-toothed metal instruments that produce sound when struck. A simple examination with their help will allow the doctor to diagnose hearing loss. In addition, the use of a tuning fork allows you to determine what caused the hearing loss: damage to the vibrating parts of the middle ear (including the tympanic membrane), traumatizing the receptors or nerves of the inner ear, or all together.
• Timpanometry. A tympanometer is a device that is placed in the auditory canal to assess the response of the tympanic membrane to minor changes in air pressure. Certain patterns of reaction may indicate a rupture of the tympanic membrane, the symptoms of which in some cases do not even cause particular concern to the patient.
• Surdological examination. If other tests and tests have not yielded significant results, the doctor will prescribe a surdological examination, which means a series of rigorously tested tests conducted in a soundproof cabin to assess the patient's perception of sounds of varying loudness and at different frequencies.

Treatment

If you are diagnosed with an ordinary, not complicated infection by the rupture of the tympanic membrane, the consequences are most likely to be most favorable: in the worst case, only a slight deterioration of hearing from the injured party is expected. If there are signs of infection, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic in the form of ear drops ("Otipaks", "Sofraks", "Otinum"). If the breakthrough does not grow on its own, you may have to resort to special procedures to ensure the complete healing of the eardrum. The ENT can appoint:

• Imposition of a special plaster on the tympanic membrane. This is a fairly simple procedure, in which the doctor treats the edges of the rupture with a substance that stimulates the growth of cells, and glues the damage with a special material serving as a kind of plaster for injured tissue. Most likely, you will have to repeat this action several times before the eardrum finally heals.
• Surgery. If the patch application did not help, or the doctor seriously doubts that a simple procedure will help heal the rupture of the eardrum, he will recommend you treatment through surgery. Most often, an operation called tympanoplasty is performed. The surgeon will make a cut over the ear, extract a tiny patch of tissue and close the gap in the eardrum. This is a simple operation, and most patients return home the same day.

At home

It is not always necessary to contact a specialist for medical advice and diagnosis. Many people with the diagnosis of "rupture of the tympanic membrane" treatment consists only in protecting the injured ear from new injuries and in preventing possible infections. The process of self-healing takes several weeks. Regardless of whether you applied to the otorhinolaryngologist or not, take all possible measures to protect the damaged ear from complications. Doctors recommend following the rules:

• Keep your ear dry. Every time you take a bath or shower, insert a waterproof silicone ear plug or cotton ball soaked in Vaseline into the outer ear .
• Refrain from cleaning. Do not use any substances or objects to clean the ears, even if they are specifically designed for this purpose. Give your eardrum time for complete healing.
• Do not blow your nose. The pressure created when blowing out, can damage an already injured tissue.

Prevention

To prevent the rupture of the eardrum, follow the recommendations below:

• Timely treat infectious diseases of the middle ear;
• Ensure that the ears are adequately protected during the journey by air;
• Avoid cleaning your ears with foreign objects, including cotton swabs and paper clips;
• Wear headphones or earplugs if your work is associated with excessive loud noise.

Following these simple tips will protect your tympanum from damage.