Blockage sensation and decreased hearing after eardrum injury — what to do?

When an eardrum injury causes a perforation, it commonly leads to decreased hearing and a blocked feeling in the ear. Some patients also experience tinnitus, a ringing sensation, or even numbness in the ear. These injuries usually happen from blunt trauma, like a slap or getting hit by a ball or balloon, or from penetrating injury, such as during an accident or while cleaning the ear with a bud, pin, or stick.

The good news is that most of these injuries heal on their own. Around 85% of traumatic perforations heal spontaneously within 4-6 weeks, and only the remaining cases need some form of intervention, such as patching or surgery. Because of this, doctors generally recommend waiting through this 4-6 week window before considering surgery like myringoplasty, while attending follow-up visits so healing can be properly monitored along the way.

That said, certain symptoms shouldn't wait for the standard timeline and need urgent evaluation instead. These include sudden or rapidly worsening hearing loss, vertigo or dizziness, and any discharge coming from the ear. These red-flag signs can point to complications beyond a simple perforation, so it's important to see a doctor promptly rather than waiting out the usual healing period.

If healing doesn't happen naturally within the expected timeframe, myringoplasty, a surgical repair of the eardrum, becomes the next step to restore the eardrum's integrity and improve hearing.