A hole in the ear drum is a fairly common condition encountered by ent doctors in Singapore like Dr Dennis Chua.
It can be acute (< 1 month) or chronic (>1 month). Ear drums with hole lasting more than a month usually do not heal by themselves. Find out more about ruptured ear drum here https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ruptured-eardrum/symptoms-causes/syc-20351879.
Acute hole in the ear drum has > 90% of healing spontaneously. These can occur after a traumatic injury (eg a slap to the ear or instruments entering the ear). It is important to keep the ear dry and refrain from using cotton buds to clean the ears.Chronic hole in the ear drums (>1 month) usually does not heal by itself. The middle ear with ossicles (bones for hearing) is exposed to external elements and it is prone to recurrent middle ear infections. These can worsen the hearing level of the patient. It is important for the patient to keep the ears dry and patient should not swim unless with ear plugs. These hole in the ear drum should be repaired with a simple procedure known as myringoplasty. These can be done in a minimally invasive manner with endoscopes these days and is a painless procedure done in a day surgery setting. It is important to repair it earlier rather than later as the longer the hole in the ear drum is in place, the worse the hearing level can get. If you have a hole in your ear drum, consider visiting Dr. Dennis chua. Dr Dennis Chua is one of the few ENT doctors in Singapore that performs endoscopic myringoplasty in a minimally invasive manner. For more information please refer: https://www.drdennischua.com/hearing-ear-doctor-singapore
Picture of a large ear drum hole on the left ear exposing the middle ear to external environment.
