Can tympanic membrane perforation caused by otitis media be cured?
Disease description:
My mother was diagnosed with otitis media some time ago, and her condition worsened yesterday—she was found to have a perforated eardrum. Our entire family is very anxious. Could you please tell us whether otitis media with eardrum perforation can be cured?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Xu Gang
Otitis media with tympanic membrane perforation is generally curable. Antibiotic therapy is required to treat the infection, gradually reducing the inflammatory response and alleviating clinical symptoms. Small tympanic membrane perforations—particularly those caused by acute inflammation—often heal spontaneously as the ear canal infection resolves. In contrast, large tympanic membrane perforations resulting from recurrent purulent discharge in chronic suppurative otitis media cannot heal spontaneously and require tympanoplasty (tympanic membrane repair surgery).
