In the article we will consider what it means - the eardrum is retracted.
Hearing for a person is one of the main abilities, with the help of it we actively learn about the world. For accurate transmission of sound vibrations to the auditory ossicles, there is a tympanic membrane at the border of the outer and middle sections of the ear, which also performs protective functions: it covers parts of the hearing organ from various bacteria, dirt and infections.
In a he althy state, the membrane is slightly stretched, but due to a number of pathological problems, its tension can change. What can cause such a violation as a retracted eardrum? How to identify and treat this condition, as well as return it to its previous position? Let's try to deal with these issues.
Diagnosis
Eardrum retraction is a painful condition that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Since atthe disease creates discomfort, then it is possible to recognize a violation of the membrane by sensations. The most common symptoms of a retracted eardrum are:
- pain;
- hearing impairment;
- feeling of fullness in the ear;
- extraneous noise;
- congested;
- pain when swallowing.
An otolaryngologist will help you make an accurate diagnosis, determine whether the eardrum is retracted, and also prescribe the right course of treatment. He will examine with an otoscope and determine the exact location of the membrane. Look for additional signs of a retracted tympanic membrane associated with:
- clouding or discoloration of the membrane;
- thinning of the membrane;
- tissue hyperemia;
- perforation development;
- granulation;
- fluid in the middle ear;
- change or absence of light reflection.
Reasons
Doctors note several causes of an inverted eardrum:
- Eustachitis, or more often it is called tubo-otitis. With any malfunction of the auditory tube, there are problems with normal ventilation and drainage of the middle ear cavity. With tissue edema, the channel is blocked, due to which the pressure changes, and the membrane is sucked into the cavity. Such consequences can lead to a severe runny nose and other diseases of the nasopharynx. What are other causes of an inverted eardrum?
- Otitis. Inflammation resulting from eustachitis cancause the situation to worsen. Other symptoms are added to the retraction of the membrane, which can develop perforation over time.
- Barotrauma. With large pressure drops in the external environment, there is a great negative impact on the state of the membrane. A sharp impact creates an excessive load and pushes the membrane. Concavity is mild to moderate, with severe tearing.
Intracted tympanic membrane: treatment
To cure a pathology, a comprehensive course is needed related to:
- Blowing out the Eustachian tube. This method restores ventilation and drainage function, equalizes the balance between atmospheric pressure and cavity pressure.
- Inflammation therapy. If there is an inflammatory process, which is provoked by a violation of the patency of the Eustachian tube, stop its focus and restore the he althy state of the tissues. For this, anti-inflammatory drugs are used, and in the case of a purulent process, antibiotics are prescribed.
- Taking vasoconstrictors. They relieve puffiness and open the auditory tube.
- Vitamin therapy. To strengthen the immune system, restore the eardrum and eliminate the consequences of taking antibiotics, it is necessary to fill the body with vitamins and minerals. Nutrition should be adjusted, multivitamin complexes are prescribed.
- Paracentesis, i.e. incision of the membrane. Surgery is used if necessary to equalize pressure and eliminate fluid from the cavity.ear.
Eustachitis and its symptoms
Acute tubo-otitis can become a complication after influenza or SARS. It manifests itself with the following symptoms:
- Congestion in the diseased ear.
- Hearing your voice in the affected ear.
- Noise and hum in my ears.
- Headache.
- Dizzy.
- Nausea.
- Incoordination.
- Feeling of "fluid transfusion" in the ear.
- Hearing loss.
- Slight discharge from the diseased ear.
Patients do not experience fever and severe pain. If the inflammatory processes are not treated, the disease becomes chronic, which is difficult to treat further and may result in hearing loss.
Clinical signs of disease
Clinical signs of chronic tubo-otitis include:
- mucosal changes;
- change in color and mobility of the eardrum;
- narrowing of the lumen of the Eustachian tube;
- appearance of redness on the mucosa;
- bursting and pressure in the ear.
During remission, the patient's ability to work remains, the state of he alth is satisfactory.
How is Eustachitis treated?
In order to prescribe the correct treatment, it is necessary to establish the cause of the disease. After determining the exact diagnosis, the doctor prescribes the following therapy:
- Antibacterial in case of infectiontubootitis. For this, an antibiotic is prescribed for instillation into the ear: Normax, Otofa, Tsipromed; for oral administration "Amoxicillin", "Ampicillin", "Azithromycin"; antibacterial drugs for the course of injections - Cefazolin, Netilmicin. Self-administration of any drugs is unacceptable, as this may worsen the general condition of the patient.
- Treatment with antihistamines, if the disease is caused by allergic tubo-otitis, in this case, Cetrin, Diazolin, Loratadin are prescribed.
- To relieve the symptoms of eustachitis, vasoconstrictor drops for the nose are used, which reduce swelling of the mucous membrane ("Nafthyzin", "Rinonorm", "Xylometazoline").
- Immunomodulatory drugs that increase immunity - "Polyoxidonium", "Imunorix", "Bronchomunal".
- To reduce inflammation and thin the transudate, "Hydrocortisone" is injected through a catheter into the middle ear area.
For the treatment of inflammation of the Eustachian tube, the elimination of the source of infection is of great importance. To do this, carry out such procedures as: adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, removal of neoplasms, septoplasty.
Symptoms and treatment of eustachitis are interrelated.
Physiotherapy for Eustachitis
For the treatment of a disease, physiotherapy procedures are a must:
- Pneumatic massage of the tympanic membrane will increase its elasticity, reduce tension and be able to normalize the mobility of the auditory ossicles.
- Laser therapy will help to cope with inflammatory processes, reduce swelling,cleanse the body of toxins and reduce allergic reactions.
- UVR has an immunostimulating, analgesic and tonic effect.
- UHF-therapy will stimulate lymph and blood circulation, speed up the work of internal organs.
Disease prevention
To prevent the development of pathologies, patients are recommended:
- Avoid sudden changes in pressure, hypothermia, drafts and exclude diving and mountaineering.
- Pay special attention to the process of blowing your nose. The procedure should be carried out carefully, first holding the left nostril and slightly opening the mouth, then repeat on the other side.
- Be sure to use antihistamines for allergic reactions, and vasoconstrictors for respiratory diseases.
- Use hardening procedures to help avoid SARS and reduce the risk of Eustachitis.
- Restrict long-term air travel.
Consequences of pathology
If left untreated for a long time, it can lead to unpleasant results.
- The patient may experience discomfort, there is a risk of hearing loss. Hearing is reduced due to loss of sensitivity, the amplitude of its oscillations decreases during the passage of sound waves.
- Due to the stress to which the membrane is exposed, its structure is disturbed. And if there is a lack of vitamins in the body and the production of collagen is slowed down, the situation is even more aggravated. As a result, the membrane becomes thinner and its sound conductivity deteriorates. There is more riskher break. Most of all, this is dangerous for children, as they are more likely to suffer from this disease. Therefore, treatment must be started immediately, as soon as the first signs of pathology appear.
If the symptoms of a retracted eardrum were detected in time and correctly diagnosed by a specialist, then the treatment will not take much time and labor. The recovery processes of the ears are very fast, so you should not worry even if surgery is scheduled.
