What Causes a Perforated Eardrum?
Your ears help you to engage with the world around you, and also play a vital role in your balance. When you have a problem with your ear it can not only be painful but it can also mean that you experience other issues too.
The eardrum is a thin membrane that is crucial to the functioning of the ear. When this membrane is broken, it is what is known as a perforated eardrum. The eardrum can be perforated in many ways – it could be caused by an infection in the ear, where fluid builds up and puts pressure on the eardrum, resulting in it breaking. It can also be broken by sudden loud noises or big changes in air pressure, such as when flying or scuba diving.
There are lots of symptoms to look out for if you think that you have a perforated eardrum. Hearing loss is the main one, and the severity of it depends on the damage to the eardrum. You may also experience tinnitus (a ringing in the ear) although these are also symptoms that can be caused by wax build up, so it is also worth going to someone like this ear wax removal Glastonbury based company https://www.earwax.co.uk/ear-wax-removal-near-me/glastonbury/ to check if it is that and to get it treated.
Perforated eardrums do not necessarily need to be treated. In some cases, the doctor may give you antibiotics, if it was caused by an infection for example. However, it will usually heal itself in a couple of months.