How to treat a sunken eardrum

A sunken tympanic membrane will cause a transparent film deep in the ear to collapse, which will affect normal hearing and may even cause pain and swelling in the ear. Therefore, it is important to avoid signs of infection and go to the hospital for appropriate examinations based on your physical condition.

Deep in the ear, at the end of the external auditory canal, there is a grayish-white, translucent membrane, the tympanum. It is the boundary between the external auditory canal and the middle ear, and is responsible for conducting sound waves to produce hearing.

The eardrum is also called the tympanic membrane. When the eardrum moves inward toward the middle ear, it is called tympanic membrane invagination. The reason why the eardrum moves inward is due to the imbalance of air pressure inside and outside the eardrum. There is a tube in the nasopharynx that opens downward, backward, and outward, with the other end opening on the front wall of the eardrum. This tube is called the Eustachian tube. Its function is to communicate the tympanic cavity and the nasopharynx, so that the atmospheric pressure in the tympanic cavity and the external auditory canal is equal, so as to maintain the balance of the tympanic membrane pressure. If you have otitis media, it may cause dysfunction of the Eustachian tube, causing an imbalance in the atmospheric pressure inside and outside the eardrum. Over time, the eardrum will retract. In addition, rhinitis, pharyngitis or nasal congestion due to colds can cause Eustachian tube obstruction, resulting in an imbalance in the pressure inside and outside the eardrum. Therefore, keeping the Eustachian tube open is the key to preventing the tympanic membrane from retracting.

If tympanic membrane retraction occurs, symptomatic treatment should be given. If you have otitis media or rhinitis, you should cure these diseases first. The second method is to use air-breathing therapy to correct it. The method is: pinch your nostrils, hold your breath and blow air out, but the force must be appropriate. If too much force is used, it may easily cause the eardrum to rupture.

Treatment/tympanic membrane retraction If tympanic membrane retraction occurs, symptomatic treatment should be given. If you suffer from secretory otitis media, throat disease or rhinitis, you should cure these diseases first. The second method is to use the Eustachian tube blowing method to unclog the Eustachian tube. The specific method is: pinch your nostrils, hold your breath and blow air out, but the force must be appropriate and it must be done under the guidance of an experienced doctor. If too much force is used, it may easily cause a rupture of the eardrum. When using this method, you should be careful not to pinch your nose or blow air because there is a possibility of transmitting the infection of the nasopharynx to the middle ear, especially when there is a lot of inflammatory secretions in the nose and pharynx. During the acute stage of Eustachian tube inflammation and blockage, and nasal blockage caused by colds, do not do patency checks or blowing techniques, and do not blow your nose too hard. At this time, you should take some mucosal astringents such as ephedrine in time to keep the nasal cavity open and prevent complications of otitis media.