Darren lost his balance while waterskiing. As he fell sideways,
his head slapped against the water and he felt a sharp pain
inside his ear. When Darren put his fingers to his ear he saw
blood. He also realized he couldn't hear as well from that ear.
Darren's parents called the doctor and got him an appointment
right away. The doctor looked in Darren's ear and told him he
had a perforated eardrum. What Is a Perforated Eardrum? A
perforated eardrum is a tear or hole in the ear's tympanic
membrane (the medical name for your eardrum). A perforated
eardrum is also sometimes called a ruptured eardrum. A
perforated eardrum can really hurt. And if you can't hear as
well as usual, it can be pretty scary. The good news is, most
people who have a perforated eardrum get all their hearing back
eventually. If you think you have a perforated eardrum, see a
doctor. A tear in the eardrum can allow bacteria and other
things to get into the middle ear and inner ear. If that
happens, an infection could develop that can cause mor