A perforated eardrum can heal on its own in most cases, but recovery depends on protecting the ear from water, pressure, and infection. Learn the healing timeline, what to avoid, and when to seek medical help.
Eardrum Repair: What You Need to Know About Healing and Recovery
When your eardrum repair, a medical procedure to fix a tear or hole in the thin membrane separating the ear canal from the middle ear. Also known as tympanoplasty, it’s often needed after trauma, loud noises, or long-term ear infections. A damaged eardrum doesn’t just hurt—it can mess with your hearing, let germs in, and lead to chronic problems if left untreated.
Most small tears heal on their own in a few weeks, but bigger ones or those that don’t close after months often need help. That’s where tympanoplasty, a surgical procedure to patch the eardrum using tissue from another part of the body comes in. Surgeons usually take a small piece of muscle or vein from behind the ear or the temple to cover the hole. It’s not a big operation—most people go home the same day. But recovery takes time. You’ll need to keep water out, avoid blowing your nose hard, and skip flying until your doctor says it’s safe.
People who get repeated ear infections, especially kids with tubes that didn’t help, often benefit from this. So do adults who’ve had a burst eardrum from an explosion, a slap to the ear, or even scuba diving too deep. If you’ve had hearing loss that didn’t get better after an infection cleared up, or if your ear keeps draining, it’s worth asking about perforated eardrum, a hole or tear in the eardrum that can cause pain, hearing loss, and increased infection risk. It’s not always obvious—some people think they just have "bad ears" when the real issue is a hole that never healed.
And while surgery is common, it’s not the only path. Sometimes doctors use a paper patch or a special gel to help the eardrum close on its own. It’s less invasive, but it doesn’t always work for larger tears. The key is catching it early. The longer the hole stays open, the more likely it is to cause permanent hearing damage or lead to cholesteatoma—a rare but serious skin growth inside the ear that can destroy bone.
What you’ll find here are real stories and facts from people who’ve been through this—from the confusion of sudden hearing loss after an ear infection, to the relief of finally hearing clearly again after surgery. You’ll see how medications, home care, and follow-up visits play a role. You’ll also learn what not to do (yes, cotton swabs are a bad idea here). These posts aren’t just about the surgery—they’re about understanding your ear, protecting your hearing, and knowing when to push for more help.