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Normal ear drum. A perforated eardrum (tympanic membrane perforation) is a prick in the eardrum. It can be caused by infection (otitis media), trauma, overpressure (loud noise), inappropriate ear clearing, and changes in middle ear pressure. An otoscope can be used to view the eardrum to diagnose a perforation. Perforations may heal naturally ...
The eardrum usually closes without a residual hole at the tube site but in a small number of cases a perforation can persist. [1] For children with otitis media with effusion (glue ear), tympanostomy tubes decrease the prevalence of effusions by 33% and improve hearing by 5-12 decibels , within 1–3 months of the procedure.
If medical management fails, myringotomy, which is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the eardrum to drain pus from the middle ear or to relieve pressure caused by a large buildup of fluid, is indicated, and usually accompanied by the insertion of a tympanostomy tube. [10]
The fluid or pus comes from a middle ear infection (otitis media), which is a common problem in children. A tympanostomy tube is inserted into the eardrum to keep the middle ear aerated for a prolonged time and to prevent reaccumulation of fluid. Without the insertion of a tube, the incision usually heals spontaneously in two to three weeks.
Most research has not been conducted upon the general, healthy population, but rather those with otitis media or patients who have had tympanostomy tubes in prior procedures. Of the children studied who had 'glue ear', and who were treated with tympanostomy tubing, 23-40% of cases had tympanosclerosis.
A common cause of primary otalgia is ear infection called otitis media, meaning an infection behind the eardrum. [3] The peak age for children to get acute otitis media is ages 6–24 months. One review paper wrote that 83% of children had at least one episode of acute otitis media by 3 years of age. [10]
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Even though the perforation of the tympanic membrane suggests a highly painful and traumatic process, it is almost always associated with a dramatic relief of pressure and pain. In a simple case of acute otitis media in an otherwise healthy person, the body's defenses are likely to resolve the infection and the ear drum nearly always heals. An ...