A perforated eardrum is a hole or tear in the eardrum. The eardrum, also known as the tympanic membrane, is a thin layer of tissue that separates the outer ear from the middle ear.
If you have a perforated eardrum, you will probably have earache and hearing problems.
There are a number of possible causes of a perforated eardrum. The most common cause is an infection of the middle ear (otitis media).
A perforated eardrum will often heal by itself without the need for treatment. Surgery may be required in severe cases.
The ear
The ear consists of three parts:
- the outer ear,
- the middle ear, and
- the inner ear.
The outer ear is made up of the visible part of the ear (pinna) on the side of your head, the ear canal that goes into your head, and the eardrum.
The middle ear is a small, air-filled cavity, connected to the nose and throat by the eustachian tube. Inside the middle ear there are three small bones, known as the ossicles.
The inner ear is made up of the cochlea (a coiled, spiral tube that contains two fluid-filled chambers) and the auditory nerve (the nerve that transmits sounds to the brain).
How does hearing work?
Soundwaves enter the ear and make the eardrum vibrate. The vibrations from the eardrum pass through the ossicles inside the middle ear. The ossicles amplify the vibrations and pass them on to the inner ear.
The cochlea contains tiny hair cells which move in response to the vibrations passed from the middle ear. The movement of the hair cells generates an electrical signal that is transmitted to the brain along the auditory nerve.
Continue to next section: Symptoms of a perforated eardrum