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Ear drum- What is the ear drum and what are the conditions affecting it-By ENT Doctor Bangalore

What is meant by ear drum?

The ear drum normally is a thin multilayered membranous structure separating the delicate middle ear structures from the outer ear canal.

What is the other name for the ear drum?

The ear drum is called tympanic membrane in medical terminology.

What is the function of the ear drum?

The ear drum has 2 main functions

Protection:It protects the delicate middle ear and inner ear structures from the environment by forming a physical barrier to the external environment

Hearing: the ear drum plays an important role in hearing by transmitting and ampliying the sound waves .

The ear drum is also attached to the maleus[hammer bone] which is one of the small bones of hearing[called ossicles]which in turn is attached to the other bones of hearing.When the ear drum vibrates the sound waves are transmitted to the ossicles which in turn vibrate and transmit the sound waves to the inner ear.From the inner ear the sound is tranmsitted via the auditory nerve[8th nerve] to the brain and then we hear the sound.

How can the ear drum become injured?

Since it is a delicate structure even a slap on the ear can burst the ear drum. Injury can also occur with use of ear buds.Sometimes with ear buds wax is pushed into the depths of the ear and abuts on the ear drum creating hearing loss, ear discomfort,sounds in the ear and even dizziness.This is why ENT surgeons always say do not use ear buds or pins or sticks etc in the ear.

What can happen if the ear drum is affected by disease?

The ear drum is a thin delicate structure with a rich supply of nerves and blood vessels. Diseases affecting the ear drum can produce

Ear pain

Ear discharge

Hearing loss

Ear fullness

Tinnitus[sounds in the ear]

Dizziness [Vertigo]

What are the diseases and conditions affecting the ear drum?

Bacterial ear infection- the ear drum is afffected as part of a middle ear infection due to the anatomical relation to the middle ear

Fungal infection[ otomycosis]

Viral infection[myringitis]

Retraction of the ear drum

Thinning of the ear drum

Tympanosclerosis

Perforation of the ear drum[ear drum hole]

What is the danger of disease or injury to the ear drum?

Due to its delicate nature ,the ear drum can get perforated [ hole in the ear drum] due to disease or injury.If the ear drum is perforated it adversely affects both the protective and hearing functions of the ear drum.

What is the treatment for ear drum perforation?

Such small perforations can be healed by special endoscopic/ microscopic medication application or suture less ear surgery.However if the perforation is large and long standing further investigations will be required and surgery tailored accordingly.

What are the steps to diagnose an ear drum disease?

Meet an ENT Surgeon in your locality.

Your ENT doctor will take a detailed history and perform and otoscopy.

In some cases an otoendoscopy or microscopic examination will be done.This is a simple examination of the ear and will not pain.

You may need a hearing evaluation also which may be a basic tuning fork tests or a formal audiometry performed by the ENT Specialist or audiometrist.

If there is associated dizziness or Tinnitus your ENT Surgeon [ many of whom also have training in neurootology which deals with dizziness and other conditions of the inner ear and surrounding structures]and will also perform a neurootological examination.

Many ear drum conditions can be treated with medications , some require certain precautions to prevent complications while some conditions require surgery. For further reading on the ear drum : Ear drum- what is the ear dum?

Ear drum perforation causes

 

About the Author

Dr Sonia S V is a Consultant ENT , Head & Neck Surgeon with expertise in advanced otolaryngology including endoscopic sinus surgery, microlaryngeal surgery and neurotology[ treatment of hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus,ear diseases].Dr Sonia S V is at present practising in Bangalore.

Dr Sonia Suprabha Venugopal
MBBS MS ENT[AIIMS]
Consultant ENT & Head & Neck Surgery
Sonia & Prateek's ENT Speciality Center,Sahakaranagar, Bangalore
Mobile:9742201211
Website: http://drsoniasv.webs.com
http://my.opera.com/soniasv
ENT Specialist Bangalore

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