Can otitis media and tympanic membrane perforation heal itself?

The eardrum is also called the tympanic membrane. A perforated eardrum can cause hearing impairment. There are many reasons that can cause a perforated eardrum, and otitis media is one of them. Many people want to know whether otitis media perforation can heal itself. This type of otitis media perforation is difficult to heal itself.

1. Generally, tympanic membrane perforation caused by otitis media cannot heal itself. Self-healing of tympanic membrane perforation is generally for traumatic tympanic membrane perforation. A detailed diagnosis by a doctor is required before an eardrum repair surgery can be performed. If the perforation is caused by interfering factors such as chronic inflammation, it will be difficult to heal on its own and requires timely treatment. Blindly believing that it will heal itself will lead to hearing loss, larger perforation, and even conductive deafness! Recurrent otitis media will cause the perforation of the eardrum to increase, adhesions and hardening of the middle ear, further reducing hearing. Drug therapy can only provide antibacterial, pus drainage and swelling reduction treatments, and can only relieve the pain caused by eardrum perforation. On the contrary, the cost of treatment will increase due to missing the best treatment time and worsening of the condition.

2. The eardrum has a strong regenerative ability. Generally, it only takes 10 to 15 days for a perforated eardrum to heal. However, if there are interfering factors such as chronic inflammation, whether the perforation can heal depends on the circumstances. After acute suppurative otitis media is perforated, pus will flow out of the tympanic cavity. If treated correctly, the pus can be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, antibiotics can be dripped into the ear, and antibiotics can be applied systemically. The perforation can usually heal after 10 to 15 days. The perforation of chronic suppurative otitis media is not large, and pus is discharged intermittently. If the ear is dry for a long time, the eardrum will heal on its own. If the perforation of the eardrum of chronic otitis media is large and there is pus in the middle ear cavity, the eardrum perforation generally will not heal. Some patients even have perforated eardrums and pus discharge in the ears all year round.

3. In this case, electrical audiometry, bilateral mastoid photography, CT scans, and other examinations are required to assess the scope of surgery and whether there is damage to the inner ear ossicles. The tympanic membrane needs to be repaired while otitis media is being treated. The autologous fat sheet tympanoplasty currently used in clinical practice is to compress the fat behind the ear into a thin sheet and implant the graft for repair. It can repair large tympanic membrane perforations up to 6mm in diameter and close the perforations. The new eardrum is basically formed on the 14th to 18th day of treatment. Hearing may improve after surgery.