Ask a doctor on the topic of Otorhinolaryngology

Hole or tear in the eardrum

October 21, 2010 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Olaf Stephan

Hello,

In a 6-year-old child, a tear in the eardrum is likely to have occurred due to a slap.

Questions:
- Can a doctor accurately determine the freshness of the injury 2-4 days after the slap, or is it difficult to tell whether the injury occurred some time ago?
- Is it possible for the healing process to take over 9 months without surgery, or could something have gone wrong?
- When is the best time to determine if any further damage (to hearing) has occurred?

Thank you.

Dr. med. Olaf Stephan