Overview

This is a tear or a hole in your eardrum. The eardrum is a thin membrane at the back of your ear canal. Normally it seals the ear canal, keeping germs and debris from reaching the deeper parts of your ear. The eardrum helps you hear by transmitting sound waves to the structures behind it. A ruptured eardrum can cause problems.

Causes

What causes a ruptured eardrum? It can happen if you have an ear infection behind the eardrum. Fluid builds up and presses against the membrane, causing it to rupture. It can happen if you experience a pressure change during flying or diving. It can happen if you're exposed to a very loud noise, or if an object goes into your ear and pokes your eardrum. And, it can happen if you have a serious head injury.

Symptoms

What are the symptoms? You may feel pain that goes away quickly. You may feel a rush of fluid from your ear. You may have hearing loss, or hear a ringing sound in your ear. You may have vertigo. That's a spinning sensation that can cause nausea and vomiting.

Treatment

How do we treat it? Most often, a ruptured eardrum heals on its own. If it doesn't, we can help it heal with a thin patch applied to the membrane. If this doesn't help, we can repair it with surgery. Your doctor will create a plan that's right for you.