What should I do if my eardrum is perforated while swimming?

Tympanic membrane perforation is an extremely serious disease that can even cause deafness, so if you find a perforation while swimming, you must seek timely treatment. Currently, the best way is to perform tympanic membrane repair surgery, which is very effective. Tympanic membrane repair surgery has a wide range of indications. For example, otitis media can also be treated with this method. It should be noted that spicy food should be avoided during treatment.

1. What should I do if my eardrum is perforated while swimming?

There are three ways to treat a perforated tympanic membrane: 1. If there is pus discharge from the external ear due to middle ear inflammation, anti-inflammatory treatment should be given. In the acute stage, oral antibiotics should be taken and 2.5% chloramphenicol ear drops or 0.3% ofloxacin ear drops should be used locally for ear baths. 2. If the perforation is caused by trauma and there is no infection, the ear canal can be plugged with sterilized dry cotton balls and antibiotics can be used to prevent infection. No local ear drops are needed and it may heal on its own. 3. Health care after taking the medicine is also very important, such as preventing water from entering the ears. 4. If the tympanic membrane perforation has not healed after 2 to 3 months of treatment, a specialist examination is required and, if necessary, tympanoplasty is performed to improve hearing. 4. If the eardrum perforation has not healed after 2 to 3 months of treatment (1 month for traumatic perforation), a specialist examination (including otoscopy, hearing, nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and Eustachian tube function examination) is required. If conditions permit, tympanoplasty can be performed to preserve or improve hearing. For patients with long-term uncured otitis media or granulation growth, or marginal perforation in the flaccid or tense part of the tympanic membrane, X-rays or CT scans should be performed to clarify the nature and extent of the lesions, and surgery should be performed to remove the lesions first to obtain a dry ear, and then tympanoplasty can be performed selectively according to the conditions. Traumatic perforation may heal on its own. If it does not heal after 1 to 2 months, surgical treatment can still be performed according to the above conditions.

2. Points for attention of patients with perforated tympanic membrane during swimming

For those who do not want to have their eardrum repaired, or who are unable to have their eardrum repaired due to age, poor health, or long distance, the following points should be kept in mind:

1. Waterproof ear canal, do not swim, use sterilized cotton balls to plug the ear canal opening when washing your hair or taking a bath;

2. Be careful when digging your ears. Digging your ears with unclean tools can easily bring in bacteria.

3. Be careful to prevent colds. Otitis media is usually caused by colds;

4. Avoid improper nose blowing, such as pinching both nostrils to force the nasal discharge, which can easily squeeze the nasal secretions into the middle ear through the Eustachian tube and cause inflammation. You should block one nostril and blow the nasal discharge gently;

5. Improve nutrition, exercise properly, pay attention to rest, and improve immunity; 6. Go to the hospital for regular check-ups and deal with problems as soon as possible if they are discovered.