Tympanitis
Tympanitis refers to an inflamed tympanic membrane, commonly known as the eardrum. It is a painful problem caused by inflammation of the middle ear as well as oozing blisters on the eardrum. It normally is a secondary complication of a viral or bacterial infection. An individual with tympanitis is expected to involve pain that radiates as well as some degree of loss of hearing over the normal course of 2 days as a blister develops.
Function of the eardrum –
The eardrum is a thin, fragile, and pliable membrane that stretches across the ear canal, much like skin stretches across a drum. This sheet-like barrier separates the ear canal from the middle ear, and plays an important role in hearing.
When sound waves strike the eardrum, tiny bones in the middle ear vibrate, transmitting nerve impulses to the inner ear and then the brain, where the sounds are eventually interpreted. When the eardrum is inflamed, however, sounds don’t vibrate properly. The swelling winds up causing pain and hearing becomes distorted.
If the eardrum remains inflamed or continually swells, not only can hearing be affected, but so can speech, especially in young children who need to hear clearly in order to mimic speech correctly.
Symptoms –
A bulging eardrum generally occurs in conjunction with other ear disorders or problems, the symptoms of which can all be intertwined. Some of them include –
• Mild to severe pain in either just one or both ears
• Uneasy heavy feeling in the ear due to excess fluids accumulating behind a swollen eardrum
• Constant irritated feelings along with difficulty sleeping and applying pressure on the ears, particularly in children
• A bloody, watery discharge from the affected ear (if the eardrum swells to such a degree that it bursts)
• Hearing loss, usually temporary
• Possible fever
Causes –
Various factors induce swelling of the eardrum, including:
• Middle ear infections, such as in acute otitis media (AOM), adhesive otitis/glue ear, which occur predominantly in children.
• A perforated eardrum from injury to the ear or head, poking too hard.
• Eustachian tube dysfunction from clogging up of the eustachian tubes – cylindrical conduits that work to drain out surplus fluid from the ears.
• Bacterial infections like bullous myringitis, which gives rise to fluid-filled blisters in the eardrums.
• Swimmer’s ear, a type of bacterial/fungal infection in the outer ear canals occurring mostly in swimmers, due to water remaining in the ears for longer durations, creating a moist environment for microbes to thrive in.
Diagnosis –
To visualize the ear canal and the eardrum for signs of inflammation and infection (bulging, thickened, red tissue, and/or blisters), your doctor will use an otoscope. This is an instrument with a light and a magnifying lens that is inserted into the ear canal.
Treatment –
Treatment of tympanitis may include the following –
▪︎ Antibiotics
• Antibiotics accompanied by steroid ear drops.
• Ear drops which offer local anesthesia.
• Infectious tympanitis or acute otitis media is usually treated with oral antibiotics.
• Chronic tympanitis treatment involves antibiotic ear drops but may respond to acetic acid ear canal irrigations followed by application of steroid cream.
• If the pain is severe, the blisters may be lanced and pain-killing drugs may be prescribed.
▪︎ Home Remedies
• Putting 2 to 4 drops of warm but not hot Garlic extract is also used for the purpose to reduce down the inflammation in the ear and to also cure & fight infection. A very beneficial home remedy in tympanitis.
• Eat fresh pineapple or drink freshly prepared pineapple juice since it helps to reduce down the inflammation in the ears as well as the canals. A very beneficial home remedy in tympanitis.
• Lukewarm water with few onion drops in it can be taken as few drops in the ear. A very beneficial home remedy in tympanitis.
• In teaspoonful of mustard oil put a single clove of garlic and roast it. Let it cool a bit. Then take the clove and squeeze it into the ears, so that the squeezed out oil falls directly into the ears.
• Yoga must also be performed as it helps to increases the circulating blood into the body as well as it oxygenates the whole body and various tissues in it with adequate amount of oxygen as well as blood.
• There are various ayurvedic oils that are beneficial in ear aches, tinnitus and deafness as Apamarga Kshaara Taila, Hingwadi Taila, these oils are generally used for the externally purpose and when rubbed on the ear one can wrap warm towel over the ear to make the vapors of these oils to go into the ear canal.
• Shirodhara therapy is also very beneficial in tympanitis as it brings about the calmness and concentration in the mind freeing it from various tensions and stress.
• One must consume a cupful of milk along with ghee in it and it must be blended thoroughly. Consuming it not only benefits just in tympanitis but even in various discomforts of the ear.
• Another home remedy is to grate onions and placing them in a cloth extract the juice from it the mix this juice into rice this shall benefit in tympanitis.
• Warm some juice of the Tulsi leaves (Holy Basil, Osmium sanctum) and put two to three drops of this juice in each ear. Do this once a day continuously for about three to four days.
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