About
- Perforated ear drum
- Avoid getting water in the ear
Aetiology
- Usually Barotrauma causes it (pressure)
- Direct penetrating injury
- Base of skull Fracture
Clinical
- Severe pain, bloody discharge, hearing loss
Investigations
- A hole in the eardrum can be identified by an ‘auriscope’.
Management
- Most will heal themselves if ear kept clean and dry. Avoid putting anything in ear canal. GP follow up to ensure all healed
- Myringoplasty closes the deficit and repairs the drum. The benefits include prevention of water entering the middle ear, which could cause ear infection. Repairing the hole means that you should get fewer ear infections. It may result in improved hearing, but repairing the eardrum alone seldom leads to great improvement in hearing. There is a risk of complications.