Question
Patient: Female, 20 years old. Since elementary school, I have felt a decline in hearing and had purulent discharge. Later, after taking medication prescribed by a hospital doctor, the discharge stopped. My hearing has gradually declined over time. By the time I was in technical secondary school, I went to a large hospital to see a doctor. The doctor said I had tympanic membrane perforation, one side completely and the other partially (not as severe). At that time, the doctor suggested tympanic membrane repair and also gave me medication (to regenerate the eardrum), but I did not go for the repair. I also had my hearing tested at a Stak hearing aid center, where the expert said I had moderate hearing loss. What should I do?? Now, it’s difficult to communicate with others; they have to repeat things several times, and they get frustrated…
Answer
Hello, if your condition is tympanic membrane perforation caused by chronic otitis media with hearing loss. Guidance: It is recommended that you first have a temporal bone CT scan to check the condition of the middle ear and inner ear to see if there is any impact on the ossicles. Additionally, you can have an auditory brainstem response test to assess the condition of the auditory nerve, and then make a decision based on the results of the examination. If you undergo tympanic membrane repair, it can restore some hearing. If your otitis media recurs, there is a possibility that the tympanic membrane may perforate again. Wearing a hearing aid is an option as long as you have residual hearing.