Diagnosis
A healthcare professional or an ENT specialist often can see a ruptured eardrum by looking inside the ear with a tool that has a light, called an otoscope.
Other tests might help your healthcare professional find the cause of the ear symptoms or see if there's hearing loss. These tests include:
- Lab tests. For fluid from the ear, a lab test might find a bacterial infection of the middle ear.
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Tuning fork test. Tuning forks are metal tools that make sounds when struck. Simple tests with tuning forks can help find hearing loss.
A tuning fork test also might show the cause of hearing loss. The cause might be damage to the moving parts of the middle ear, including the eardrum; damage to sensors or nerves of the inner ear; or damage to both.
- Tympanometry. A tool put into the ear canal measures how the eardrum reacts to small changes in air pressure. This can show whether an eardrum is torn.
- Audiology exam. This is a series of tests done in a soundproof booth. They measure hearing at different volumes and pitches.
Treatment
Most ruptured eardrums heal without treatment within a few weeks. Antibiotic drops can treat an infection. If the hole doesn't heal by itself, treatment might involve ways to close the hole. These may include:
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Eardrum patch. An ENT specialist might seal the hole with a patch made of paper or something else.
This procedure is done in an office. It involves putting a chemical on the edges of the tear. This can help the eardrum heal. A patch is put over the hole. This might need to be done more than once before the hole closes.
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Surgery. This might be the next step if a patch won't or can't fix the tear.
The most common surgery is called tympanoplasty. Your surgeon makes a patch of your own tissue to close the hole in the eardrum. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis. You're likely to go home the same day.
Tympanoplasty
Sometimes a surgeon treats a ruptured eardrum with a procedure called tympanoplasty. The surgeon makes a tiny patch from the person's own tissue to close the hole in the eardrum.
Self care
A ruptured eardrum usually heals on its own within weeks. Sometimes, healing takes months. Until your healthcare professional tells you that your ear is healed, protect it by:
- Keeping the ear dry. Put a waterproof earplug made of silicone or a cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly in the ear when showering or bathing.
- Don't clean the ears. Give the eardrum time to heal all the way.
- Don't blow the nose. Nose blowing can cause pressure that can damage the healing eardrum.
Preparing for your appointment
If you have symptoms of a ruptured eardrum, you're likely to start by seeing your healthcare professional. You may be referred to a specialist in ear, nose and throat (ENT) conditions.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
What you can do
Make a list to share with your healthcare professional. Your list should include:
- Your symptoms, including any that don't seem to be related to your ears, and when they began.
- Things that may be related to your ear problems. These include a history of ear infections, recent ear injuries or head traumas, or recent air travel.
- All medicines, vitamins or supplements you take, including doses.
- Questions for your healthcare professional.
Basic questions about ruptured eardrums might include:
- Do I have a ruptured eardrum?
- What else could be causing my hearing loss and other symptoms?
- If I have a ruptured eardrum, what do I need to do to protect my ear while it's healing?
- What follow-up appointments will I need?
- When do we need to consider other treatments?
Be sure to ask all the questions you have about your ears.
What to expect from your doctor
Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you a number of questions, including:
- Did you have symptoms such as pain or feeling like you're spinning that cleared up?
- Have you had ear infections?
- Have you been around loud sounds?
- Have you been swimming or diving recently?
- Have you recently flown?
- Have you had head injuries?
- Do you put anything in your ear to clean it?
What you can do in the meantime
If you think that you have a ruptured eardrum, try to prevent infection by keeping your ears dry.
Don't swim until your healthcare professional says it's OK. To keep water out of the ear when showering or bathing, use a waterproof earplug you can mold or put a cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly in the outer ear.
Don't put medicine drops in the ear unless your healthcare professional prescribes them for an infection related to the perforated eardrum.
