Does a busted ear drum cause permanent damage?

Question

I got hit really hard by a hand upside my head yesterday and right when it happened I felt my hearing go away in the ear. It is still like that today. I can hear a little out of that ear but not fully. Will my hearing permanetly be like that from now on? I'm just scared because I don't want it to be like that permanetly

Answer 1

Congratulations. A job well done.

You, most likely, have a ruptured eardrum. Most ruptured eardrums heal within a few weeks without treatment. If the tear or hole in your eardrum doesn't heal by itself, you may need treatment. Usually, hearing loss is temporary, lasting only until the tear or hole in your eardrum has healed. The larger the tear or hole in your eardrum, the greater your hearing loss tends to be. The location of the tear or hole also may affect the degree of hearing loss.

Seek medical care if you have pain or swelling in your ear or drainage from your ear. Discharge of blood or pus may be a sign that your eardrum has ruptured. See your doctor immediately if you develop fever or headache, or if the pain in your ear becomes severe.

If the tear or hole in your eardrum doesn't heal by itself, treatment involves steps to close the rupture. Treatments may include:

    * Eardrum patch. If the tear or hole in your eardrum is small, an otolaryngologist may seal it with a paper patch. This procedure is done in the doctor's office. Your doctor may touch the edges of your eardrum with a chemical to stimulate growth and then place a thin paper patch on your eardrum. Your ear may need several applications of a patch (up to three or four) before the perforation closes completely.

    * Surgery. If your doctor determines that a paper patch won't provide prompt and adequate closure of the tear or hole in your eardrum, or if attempts with paper patching fail to heal the damage, you may need surgery. During a procedure called tympanoplasty, your surgeon places a tissue patch across the perforation, allowing it to heal. Tympanoplasty is often successful in closing the tear or hole permanently and restoring hearing. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis, meaning you can go home the same day.

Answer 2

In most cases, the hearing should return to normal when the eardrum heals. If it does not heal spontaneously then an operation can be performed where a small skin graft will be taken from above your ear (i've had this done) and used to fix the eardrum. This should improve hearing. If the damage is from a blow to the head or ear then other things must must be taken into consideration. Damage can occur in the middle ear where three tiny bones are, as they are fragile and can dislocate. Any trauma to the inner ear can cause damage to the acoustic nerve and the cochlea. Also parts of the brain which control hearing may also become damaged as this is where we consciously "hear".

I only know this from a fractured skull i suffered a few years ago, and i needed ear surgery as i broke one of those tiny bones and had a burst eardrum. My hearing has improved about 70%.

I would expect yours to improve in the region of 90 -99% depending on the severity of your hearing loss as it is now.