Ear Drum Perforation

As the vibration of the eardrum is crucial to passing on the vibration to the ossicles, a perforation that effectively reduces the surface area of the ear drum would intuitively result in a problem conducting sound to the inner ear. An ear drum perforation can result from ear infection, through trauma, or from its failure to close after a ventilation tube for the ear drum comes out.

The perforation predisposes one to getting ear infections if water is allowed get into the ear canal. Thus, it is important that one keeps water from their ear canal if an ear drum perforation is diagnosed. This can be done by simply putting cotton lubricated with petroleum jelly into the ear canal.

An ear drum perforation can be managed many ways. It can simply be left alone or it can be closed surgically. The surgical procedure to close the ear drum perforation is called a tympanoplasty. This operation is done in the hospital but does not require a stay in the hospital. One typically enters the hospital on the day of surgery and leaves afterwards.