How Long Does It Take For A Ruptured Eardrum To Heal?

The eardrum, also known as the tympanic membrane is a thin piece of tissue that separates the outer and middle ear. A ruptured eardrum is a medical condition in which there is a tear or hole in the eardrum. You may feel a sharp pain in your ear or an earache that you have had for a while that goes away suddenly.

It's also possible that you may not experience any signs or symptoms that your eardrum has ruptured. This condition can lead to several other complications such as middle ear infections and hearing loss. Therefore, it’s extremely important to get it diagnosed and treated on time.

Experts believe that if you protect your ear, there is a high possibility that a ruptured eardrum will heal on its own in 1-2 months without the need for medical attention. However, if it doesn't heal on its own or if the size of the hole is big, you may need surgery to repair the damage to the eardrum.

How Is A Ruptured Eardrum Treated?

To treat the damage caused to the eardrum, the doctor uses the following treatment options:-

1. Patching

This procedure can be used to treat a small hole in the eardrum. During this procedure, the doctor places a medicated paper patch on the hole. This encourages the eardrum to grow back together. Patching is a simple and easy procedure that gets completed in just 20-30 minutes.

After patching the ruptured eardrum, the doctor prescribes required medicines and eardrops, then discharges you from the hospital. After a few weeks of patching, you will be recovered completely and to ensure you recover smoothly, your doctor may ask you for a follow-up meeting with him/her. However, you can resume your daily routine after 2-3 days of the patching.

1. Surgery

The surgical treatment of a ruptured eardrum is called tympanoplasty. This is considered the most effective treatment for the problem. When nothing helps with the ruptured eardrum, the doctor recommends tympanoplasty. This surgery is one of the most common procedures that are used to treat other problems associated with the ear.

During tympanoplasty, the doctor makes a small incision in the back of your ear, evaluates the size of the hole and the severity of the condition. After that, the doctor grafts a patch from your tissue and closes the hole in the eardrum with it. Then, closes the incision with stitches.

The ear is a very sensitive part of the body and its proper functioning is extremely important. Therefore, you should consult a specialist doctor and get it diagnosed as well as treated timely so that further complications can be avoided effectively.

How To Prevent A Ruptured Eardrum In The Future?

There are certain things that you can do to prevent a ruptured eardrum in the future. This includes the following:-

1. Keep your ear dry as it helps in preventing infections

2. Try to avoid swimming until your ears are healed completely

3. If you have a cold or sinus infection, try to avoid flying in airplanes.

4. To stabilize your ear pressure, use chewing gum, force a yawn, or use earplugs.

5. In case you have an ear infection, get it diagnosed and treated timely and properly.

6. To prevent water from entering the ear canal, put cotton in your ears when you take a bath.

7. Don't use objects such as a pen, pencil, hairpin, nail, or other stuff to clean out extra earwax.

8. Wear earplugs when you know you might be exposed to a lot of noise, such as around loud machines or at concerts and construction sites.

9. Keep small objects that the children may put in their ears out of their reach. However, if the children are old enough, you can teach them about the damage that can be done by putting those objects in their ears.

A ruptured eardrum is a serious problem that shouldn’t be left unattended or untreated because it can lead to complete hearing loss. Usually, perforation in the eardrum heals on its own in one or two months. But if it doesn’t, medical treatment becomes the need of the hour.

If you have a ruptured eardrum and you want to get rid of it just within a few days, you should consider tympanoplasty. It’s one of the most effective treatments for a ruptured eardrum as well as other conditions associated with the ear.

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