- 7/24 Live Call Center
Living with a perforated eardrum can be a frustrating and sometimes confusing experience. Many patients do not realize they have a hole in their eardrum immediately, especially if the perforation is small or located in a specific area that affects hearing less significantly. The symptoms can vary widely from person to person. While some individuals may experience sudden, sharp pain and immediate hearing loss, others may only notice a vague discomfort or intermittent drainage that fluctuates over months or years. It is important to recognize these signs early, as ignoring them can lead to more chronic issues that are harder to treat.
The causes of these perforations are equally varied, ranging from everyday habits that go wrong to unavoidable medical conditions. Understanding the symptoms helps in seeking the right medical advice, while understanding the causes can help in preventing future damage. The ear is a highly sensitive organ, and even minor changes in its structure can affect your balance, hearing, and general well-being. This section acts as a guide to what you might feel if you have a perforated eardrum and explores the reasons why these holes develop in the first place.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
One of the most consistent and noticeable symptoms of an eardrum perforation is a change in hearing. Because the eardrum acts as a funnel to catch and transmit sound vibrations, a hole disrupts this mechanical process. The size of the hole often correlates with the severity of the hearing loss; a larger hole generally results in more significant loss. Patients often describe the sensation as if their ear is plugged with cotton or as if they are trying to listen underwater. Sounds lose their crispness and clarity.
This specific type of hearing issue is known as conductive hearing loss. It means that the inner ear nerve is likely working fine, but the sound waves are being physically blocked or dampened before they can reach it. The hole prevents the eardrum from vibrating with enough force to move the tiny middle ear bones efficiently. This loss is mechanical, which is positive news because mechanical problems can usually be resolved surgically. Unlike nerve hearing loss, which is often permanent, conductive loss from a perforation is frequently reversible.
In daily life, this hearing loss manifests as difficulty in social situations. Patients may discover themselves constantly turning up the volume on the television or radio. They might frequently ask people to repeat themselves or struggle to follow conversations in crowded rooms like restaurants. The result can lead to social withdrawal or frustration. In children, it might be mistaken for a lack of attention or behavioral issues in school. Fixing the perforation restores the natural conduction of sound, often bringing immediate relief to these communication struggles.
A hole in the eardrum creates an open door for bacteria to enter a space that is supposed to be sterile. The middle ear is designed to be an air-filled pocket protected from the outside world. When the eardrum is compromised, water from showering, swimming, or even high humidity can enter this space. This moisture provides a perfect breeding ground for germs, leading to frequent and persistent infections.
The hallmark symptom of these infections is ear drainage, medically known as otorrhea. This drainage can vary in consistency and appearance. It might be clear and watery, or it might be thick, mucus-like, and colored yellow or green. Patients often wake up with crusting on their pillow or feel a wet sensation in the ear canal throughout the day. Unlike an outer ear infection (swimmer’s ear), this drainage comes from deep inside the ear and can persist for weeks if not treated with oral antibiotics or drops. The fluid may also have a foul odor, which can be embarrassing and distressing for the patient.
Pain is a variable symptom in candidates for eardrum repair surgery. Interestingly, a chronic, long-standing hole in the eardrum is often not painful on a day-to-day basis. Once the eardrum bursts during an initial acute infection, the pressure is released, and the sharp pain usually subsides. Therefore, many people with holes that have been present for years do not complain of active pain. Instead, they might report a dull ache, a feeling of fullness, or simply a sense that the ear “feels wrong.”
However, pain can return suddenly if water gets into the middle ear or if a new active infection starts. Traumatic perforations, such as those caused by a slap to the ear or a cotton swab injury, are intensely painful at the moment of impact. This pain may linger as a sharp, throbbing sensation for several days. Some patients also report a sensitivity to cold air or wind, describing a sharp pain when cold air blows directly into the ear canal, as the sensitive nerves of the middle ear are exposed.
The patient may also experience tinnitus and ringing.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no external sound is present. It is commonly described as a ringing, buzzing, hissing, or clicking noise inside the ear. Many patients with eardrum perforations experience tinnitus to some degree. This phenomenon occurs partly because the hearing loss from the hole dampens the background noise of the environment, making the brain’s internal electrical noise more audible.
Additionally, the inflammation and irritation in the middle ear can stimulate the nerve endings, contributing to the noise. The ringing can be constant or intermittent, often becoming more noticeable at night or in quiet rooms. For some, it is a minor annoyance, while for others, it can interfere with sleep and concentration. Repairing the eardrum often helps reduce the intensity of tinnitus by improving hearing, which introduces more environmental sound to mask the internal ringing.
The ear is responsible for both hearing and balance. The balance organs (vestibular system) are located very close to the hearing organs in the inner ear. While a simple hole in the eardrum does not usually cause severe dizziness, chronic infection or inflammation can spread toward the inner ear, causing unsteadiness.
Patients might feel off-balance or experience brief moments of vertigo, a sensation that the room is spinning. A specific phenomenon can occur if cold water enters the ear through the hole, for example, while swimming. The cold water cools down the inner ear fluid, triggering a strong vertigo response that can be disorienting and dangerous in water. Closing the hole prevents this caloric stimulation and protects the balance organs from external temperature changes.
Understanding how the hole formed is useful for preventing recurrence. The causes are generally divided into infection-related issues and trauma. In children, infections are the primary culprit. The Eustachian tube, which connects the ear to the back of the nose, is often immature in children, leading to fluid buildup and pressure that ruptures the drum.
Chronic ear infections are a leading cause of persistent perforations. When fluid and pus accumulate behind the drum, the tissue weakens and stretches. Eventually, it bursts. If this procedure happens repeatedly, the eardrum tissue becomes scarred and loses its blood supply, preventing it from healing naturally. This procedure leaves a permanent opening that requires surgical repair. The presence of a cholesteatoma, a skin cyst that grows into the middle ear, can also erode the eardrum and require more extensive surgery.
Sudden injuries are a frequent cause in adults and active children. One of the most preventable causes is the use of cotton swabs or other objects to clean the ears. Pushing an object too far can puncture the thin membrane. Sudden changes in pressure, known as barotrauma, can also cause a rupture. The rupture can happen during scuba diving if equalization fails or during a flight while congested. A direct blow to the ear, such as a slap or a sports injury, compresses the air in the canal and can blow out the eardrum.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Yes, many small holes heal on their own within a few weeks. Surgery is usually only considered if the hole fails to heal naturally after several months of observation.
Yes, inserting cotton swabs or other objects into the ear canal is a very common cause of accidental eardrum tears. It is best to avoid putting anything smaller than your elbow inside your ear.
When you blow your nose, air is forced up the Eustachian tube into the ear. If there is a hole, the air rushes through it, which can cause pain or a squeaking sound.
Yes, if the pressure cannot equalize because of congestion, the stress on the eardrum can cause it to rupture. This is known as barotrauma and can be quite painful.
The drainage contains bacteria, so it is hygienic to clean it away and wash hands. However, you cannot “catch” a perforated eardrum from someone else; it is a structural issue.
Did you know millions of people feel strange sounds in their ears, like eardrum tingling, without knowing why? Explore causes of eardrum tingling and its
Did you know a severe ear infection can spread to the brain? This can lead to serious complications. It’s important to spot brain infection symptoms
The eardrum, or tympanic membrane, is key to our hearing. It sends sound vibrations to the middle ear and keeps the ear canal safe. But,
Eardrum issues are a big problem worldwide, affecting millions. Research shows that about 5 out of 6 kids get an ear infection by age 3.
We count on our eardrum, or tympanic membrane, to help us hear. The eardrum is a thin, semi-transparent membrane. It separates the outer ear canal from
A bulging eardrum happens when the tympanic membrane pushes out. This is due to too much pressure or fluid in the middle ear. It usually means there’s
Your Comparison List (you must select at least 2 packages)
