Ruptured ear drum

eccentricRN · Mar 14, 2008

I experienced a ruptured eardrum on a flight back from mexico once... I experienced extreme pain that didn't subside for several days... I didn't know it at the time... it's an ear I've had difficulty with since a child, chronic ear infections, etc... So I have difficulty with pressure changes on the plane... plus was suffering a bad sinus infection... so I just tolerated the pain & after a few days it went away...oh I did suffer a hearing loss, that "seemed" to go away after awhile... apparently I just adjusted & got used to it. Well I was in nursing school the following year & kept getting thrush, went hoorifice for 6 months & nothing seemed to cure it... so I was finally referred to ENT... turns out I had thrush on my vocal cords & a hole in my eardrum that had a little flap that had worn away much of my first little bone in there, hence the now permanent hearing loss... I had to have tympanoplasty to repair it.

Sorry, you didn't need to know my life story... my point is keep vigilant & get regular followup appts to ensure you do not endure permanent damage... & I feel your pain, hang in there!!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2008

Anyways, Im not looking for medical advice (I know there isnt much to do but let it heal)... just want to know how long this ringing is going to last.

Only a physician could determine how long the ringing in your ear is going to last. The general membership cannot accurately answer this specific query.

I've had tinnitus (ringing in the ears) continuously for 7 years after exposure to extremely loud noise at a factory where I once worked. It bothered me intensely at first, but now I've become rather acclimated to the buzzing. It's still there, but I'm not as sensitive to it as previously.

nursecave · Mar 15, 2008

Honey, I feel your pain. I had no pain until mine ruptured, at 0230 on Friday, February 22. It took a little over 2 weeks for the pain to subside, and the incessant ringing took a few days longer. I have been back to my primary twice since the day it happened. (I went the day it happened as well.) They have been keeping a keen eye on it to make sure it heals properly and that everything returns to normal. I go back next week also for follow up. The ear drops with antibiotics and hydrocortisone really seemed to help too. Talk to your provider about it if they didn't prescribe them. They may have had a reason. (I hope that isn't considered medical advice, I just know that was my experience, and what I have read on medical info sites) Best of luck to you, it will get better!:)

lindseyxelzbthx3 · Mar 30, 2008

i ruptured my ear drum and it was the most painful experience of my life. when i told people about it they found it funny for some reason. i guess thats highschool, haha. it will heal pretty quickly. mine stated hurting about 10:00 in the morning during school, and the pain got worse and worse until it finally ruptured about 3:45 the same day, really fast. but it felt soooo good when the pressure was released. the happiest ive ever been haha.

MrsCaseyRN · Mar 30, 2008

I ruptured my eardrum, I think...I was using a q-tip, which I know is a No-No, and holding my son. (yeah, I know, real smart) He squirmed, the q-tip got shoved in too far and the pain in my ear was horrible. It was like the whole side of my head and even radiating down my neck hurt. I also had almost complete hearing loss, which over the course of some days returned to normal. My hubby is a P.A. student, and was at the time, learning about ear/eye exams. He looked in my ear and said it looked ruptured, but of course, said I should see a doc, because he's so new at this and is only a student. Like a good little nurse, I never went (we're horrible pts, aren't we) and everything seems fine now...

Good luck!

Indy, LPN, LVN · Mar 30, 2008

I'm so sorry you have to go through this, that really hurts. I went to bed one night with a little cold and a dose of nyquil, and woke up in the wee AM with "drool" on my pillow, got up, used the bathroom in the dark, went back to bed and bam!, pain, pain, pain. Went back to the bathroom, turned the light on and saw the blood stuck to the side of my face. AH well, so I got over a month of antibiotics and had to keep the thing packed with cotton balls and vaseline, and it was interesting trying to wash my hair.

The ringing was for me about 2-3 days. The pain was several weeks, I had 800 mg motrin every 8 hours and I kept working through this. Lucky I was at home with 2 babies in diapers and babysitting two other kids. So it was, do one thing then go sit down for a few minutes. It took all day to feed the kids! Also it made me lose weight because for some reason, the sound of food crunching made me nauseous. I would rather do a lot of things than have to go through that again. The hearing returned in that ear about 3 months later, by which time I was convinced it was gone for good.

crissrn27, RN · Mar 31, 2008

After 26 years of never having problems with my ears, I had an almost constant ear infection with my last pregnancy with my dd. Inner and outer infections, and finally, at about 32 weeks, both drums went pop. It actually felt like such a relief that I didn't mind the ringing. It subsided in a couple of days, but I kept right on with the infections until she was about 6 months old. It was NOT fun! Sorry your having to deal with it.