Ruptured or perforated eardrum

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Ear anatomy

Medical findings based on ear anatomy

Mastoiditis - side view of head

Eardrum repair - series

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Ruptured or perforated eardrum

Alternative Names:

Tympanic membrane perforation; Eardrum - ruptured or punctured

Symptoms:

Earache or ear discomfort
- May be severe and increasing
- A sudden decrease in ear pain may occur followed by ear drainage
Drainage from the ear (may be clear, pus, or bloody)
Hearing loss in the affected ear (may not be complete loss of hearing)
Ear noise/buzzing

Signs and tests:

The doctor will look in your ear with an otoscope. If the eardrum is punctured, the doctor will see an opening in it, and may even see the bones of the middle ear. Sometimes it is hard for the doctor to see the eardrum because of drainage from the ear (pus).

Audiology testing can measure the extent of hearing loss.

Review Date: 4/11/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Fung, MD, FRCS(C),Department of Otolaryngology, Division of Head and Neck Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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