The eardrum , or tympanic membrane , is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear in humans and other tetrapods . Its function is to transmit sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear. The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles. The are two general regions of the tympanic membrane: the pars flaccida (upper region, see picture on right) and the pars densa. The pars flaccida consists of two layers, is relatively fragile, and is associated with eustachian tube dysfunction and cholesteatomas . The larger pars densa region consists of three layers (ectoderm, entoderm, and mesoderm), is comparatively robust, and is the region most commonly associated with perforations. Rupture or perforation of the eardrum can lead to conductive hearing loss . Collapse or retraction of the ear drum can also cause conductive hearing loss or even cholesteatoma .
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Premium Questions (47)
my name is cheri spring my age is 55, I am 5'2'' and weigh 110 pounds
I was diagnosed with a primary diagnosis or barotrauma and with a secondary diagnosis of tympanic membrane rupture
I am on the east coast and I am supposed to fly back to Los...
I have bleeding from my ear after an episode of auto-erotic asphyxia during which I passed out and hit my chin on the floor (I assume from the cut on the chin). Also a part of that side of my face is numb. I assume...
i have had fluid behind my ear drum for 2 month why wont it drain.i have been on antibiotics and musanex d please help me
I have noticed a lump on the back of my neck. The lump is shaped like a almond. It is on the right side of my neck just below my hairline. It does not hurt, nor does it move. Just concerned that it is there at all. I have not had any headaches or...
eustachian tube dysfunctioni have been suffering with eustachian tube dysfunction since December 2012. my right ear popped on 23 january 2013 which left a buzzing/ringing noise which changes in volume and tone. ...
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I had a bad ear infection which has resolved as my ENT says looking at my ear drum. However, I still feel some pain in the ear radiating to my head. My ENT says it might be some nerve pain. I also had...
Hi. I just noticed that I have an incredibly hard mass on the bottom of my ear canal. It does not budge and my husband used an otoscope to look at it and he says it is white and looks almost crystal-like. There was...
Hi,
I was trying to clean my ear using a cotton swab after putting waxonil, but the ear got blocked more. Now I am having slight pain near the ear drum. I get severe pain (a sudden shock) when some of the air...
I have muffled hearing in left ear and if I here loud noises my vision becomes distorted. When I cover the ear during noises the visual distortion stops. No headaches or pain. Going on for 1.5 years or so. Feels...
my 7 yr old has a burst eardrum. She woke up Monday with blood and yellow fluid draining from her ear. I took her to a doctor within the hour and she was given ear drops and a zpac. Today's Friday and her ear is...
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Online Doctor Chat (23) - Eardrum
Doctor : hi
User : one of my ear is not working properly just now
Doctor : how can i help you
User : it is blocked with wax
User : left ear
Doctor : ok
Doctor : what is the problem
User : what can I do now
Doctor : are you not hearing...
User : hi i just used olive oil and garlic for my ear pressure and pain i beleive i have an ear infection i got the oil to hot and burned my ear drum it was in there for only a second what should i do did i burst my ear drum or cause permamnent...
Doctor : hi
Doctor : how can i help you
User : was diagnosed with externa otis ? two days ago - now have slight fullness to ears and experiencing ring in both.
Doctor : ok
User : is this ringing typical with this type of infection
Doctor :...
Doctor : hi
User : hello
Doctor :
how can i help you?
User : i have an important question please
Doctor :
plz proceed
User : when swimming in the deep end of a pool is it possible to rupture ear drum in a normal 50m pool?
User : if...
User : HiI feel my ears blocked/clogged and can't hear well out of it, its my right ear and please tell me if this is ruptured eardrum or what is this and i feel so down and or if it will
Doctor : Hi
Doctor : How can I help you?
Doctor : May I...
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Public Forum (185) - Eardrum
4 Answers
My cousin having a eardrum problem. while he was playing the cricket he had this problem. goa tree dry stem went into his ear drum suddenly. Next day he went to doctor. he gave medicine. but doctor said wait 2 months, if it is not heiling then go to operation. Can anyone please give the response for my cousin s problem. He should go for...
1 Answer
I have had a slight stabbing pain in my left temple. I have had it all day. Then just recently, I started to get a little piercing feeling in my left ear drum. By just rubbing both temples, I can clearly feel that the left one is bigger. I always get severe headaches when I hear loud noises like loud music or my dog bark. Does this have anything...
hi, this isn t really a query, but i was concerned. i have a perforation in my right ear drum, and doctors say that if i have to operation to fix it now, then i will most proberbly have to re-have it in the future, as it would undo itself as i m still growing. (i m 14) what are the chances of the operation un-doing itself? and what would the...
1 Answer
I fell doing a wakeboard jump and my ear slapped the water hard. I went to an urgent care facility since I m away from home. They irrigated it and removed a lot of wax. When the doc was able to see the ear drum he said it was perforated. He recommended seeing an ENT specialist . I ve read a lot about drums healing on their own. What determines...
1 Answer
i got slapped in the ear twice from a fight i got into and now every time i burp it feels like my eardrum is going to explode... after the fight i felt my eardrum pulsing but that s the only uncomfortability that stopped about an hour later. i m wondering if there s something seriously wrong with my ear or if there can be any serious...
I just found out that my eardrum is missing in my right ear, but i can still hear out of it. What do i go about doing about it?
1 Answer
My left ear ... swollen under and aroundit, big lump behind my ear, tender to touch, feels plugged. Last night I woke up becasue it hurt so bad. I heard a pop and then a gush of fluid ... this happened twice within and hour and a half. Have I broken my eardrum??
2 Answers
MY MOTHER IS SUFFERING FROM EAR PROBLEM SINCE LAST 1 YEAR SHE GOT ITCHING ,LITTLE PAIN & BAD SMELL IN EAR ALSO HEARING PROLBEM. AS PER HER XRAY REPORTS SHE GOT BILATERAL MASTOIDITIS CAN U PLZ EXPLAIN ME WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN IT BE CURED? I HAD CONSULTED 2 ENT SPECIALIST ONE OF THEM TOLD US TO GO FOR SURGERY & OTHER ONE TOLD TO DO MEDICAL...
2 Answers
My son was diagnosed with polyps on his ear drum on Friday morning. It is now Wednesday and he still has little hearing and he has some drainage that is pink tinted coming out of that ear. is this all normal? when does hearing return?
1 Answer
My husband was cleaning his ear with a q tip on friday and all of a sudden it felt like he pushed something into his ear. Now three days later he still has that feeling and can t really hear out of that ear. He tried wax removal drops and nothing. We were wondering if maybe he blew an eardrum or the wax went too deep into his ear. We would like...
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