Traumatology >>>> Eardrum injury

Eardrum injury.

The eardrum is a delicate and sensitive membrane that sits at the border of the middle ear cavity and the external auditory canal. It is securely attached from below to the groove of the temporal bone, and from above is not fixed at all. The three-layer structure of the tympanic membrane (epidermal layer, connective tissue layer, mucous layer) allows it to withstand certain loads and perform the function of protecting against foreign objects and substances (air, water, microorganisms, earwax, etc.) from entering the tympanic cavity.

Causes of perforation of the tympanic membrane.

The tympanic membrane has a certain degree of elongation; if the permissible values of its mechanical endurance are exceeded, perforation of the tympanic membrane is possible .

The most common cases of perforation of the tympanic membrane are associated with the use in everyday life of unsuitable items for cleaning earwax from the ear canal, for example: pins, paper clips, matches and the like.

In children, damage to the eardrum can occur due to careless handling of pencils, construction kit parts, brushes and other long and thin objects of their games.

Inflammatory and purulent processes in the middle ear often cause rupture of the tympanic membrane due to the fact that the purulent exudate does not find any other way out but to move towards the outer ear, and the tympanic membrane does not withstand the pressure of the serous - purulent masses.

Trauma to the eardrum can occur with some physical phenomena (created artificially or accidentally): barotrauma, blow to the auricle, kiss on the auricle, when sneezing with a pinched nose, strong sonic shock (for example, a shot near the ear, contusion). Such an injury to the tympanic membrane occurs due to the pressure difference that occurs in the tympanic cavity and outside.

Chemicals can also cause injury to the membrane, such as the entry of toxic corrosive fumes into the ear canal or accidental exposure of chemicals to the ear cavity.

A ruptured eardrum can occur due to work in rooms with high temperatures, for example, in forges, in metallurgical workshops, in pottery workshops.

Perforation of the tympanic membrane – signs.

The moment of rupture of the tympanic membrane is accompanied by a sharp pain. The pain subsides over time, but the person begins to feel unpleasant noises, sound distortions, and dizziness. There is a feeling of deafness and / or ear congestion. Bloody discharge from the auricle may appear.

At the moment of sneezing, a stream of air bursts out of the ear, this effect occurs when the eardrum is completely ruptured. Small tears of the tympanic membrane are accompanied by a slight decrease in hearing, but with a complete rupture of the tympanic membrane, pain continues, and hearing may disappear.

Eardrum Injury – treatment.

With a slight tear of the tympanic membrane, no special treatment is required. But it is necessary to strictly follow the precautions to prevent the complications of the injury:

Do not plug the damaged ear.
Do not drip drops into your ear,
Do not clean the ear canal with cotton swabs,
Do not create conditions for water to enter the ear canal (do not dive, cover your ear when swimming),
Give up activities such as diving or climbing to great heights,
Cover your ear from winds and drafts,
Don't sneeze with your nostrils closed,
Do not listen to music (or other sound design) at high volumes and music using a subwoofer (both with headphones and without headphones),
In case of perforation of the eardrum (even minor), flights on airplanes are not recommended, as painful symptoms may develop during takeoff and landing.

To cleanse the ear from accumulated sulfur, blood clots and other types of contamination, consult an otolaryngologist.

With a large-scale injury to the tympanic membrane, the doctor may prescribe antimicrobial therapy to avoid infection.

Eardrum restoration.

The eardrum can be reconstructed with plastic surgery. Surgery is performed using an endoscope and general anesthesia. The procedure is called myringoplasty. The tympanic membrane is restored from a skin flap or from the fascia of the temporal muscle taken from the victim himself, or from a chicken amnion (the embryo of a chicken embryo). Self-absorbable suture material is used during the operation.