A ruptured or perforated eardrum is exactly what you might imagine: a tear or hole in the eardrum — the part of the ear that vibrates in response to sound waves. Eardrum injuries can be extremely painful and, in the worst cases, might lead to infections and hearing loss.
Fortunately, though, most eardrum injuries heal within a few weeks with no problems arising. When an eardrum won't heal on its own, surgery may be required to repair it and restore normal hearing.
How the Ear Works
The eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane, is the thin, cone-shaped piece of tissue that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. It's found at the end of the ear canal (the part that gets waxy).
The hearing process begins when the pinna (the part of the ear that's visible) funnels sound waves into the ear canal, where they hit the eardrum and make it vibrate. In the inner ear, these vibrations are converted into nerve impulses by the snail-shaped cochlea. These impulses then travel to the brain along the cochlear nerve, also known as the auditory nerve. The brain's auditory cortex receives these signals and interprets them as different sounds.
If the eardrum is perforated, it can hinder the eardrum's ability to vibrate correctly, leading to muffled or diminished hearing. Hearing loss is usually temporary and can vary in intensity based on the size and location of the injury.
Sometimes bacteria and other materials enter the middle ear through this opening and can cause an infection. Fortunately, this rarely leads to permanent hearing damage.
No comments:
Post a Comment