Patient's question:
Patient: Female, 20 years old. Since elementary school, she has felt hearing loss and had discharge. Later, she took medication prescribed by the hospital doctor, and the discharge stopped. However, her hearing has gradually declined. During her vocational high school years, she visited a large hospital and was told by the doctor that her eardrum was torn—one side was completely torn, and the other was torn but less severely. The doctor recommended repairing the eardrum and gave her medication (to promote eardrum regeneration), but she did not follow up for the repair. She also had her hearing tested at Stark Hearing Aids, and the specialist said she had moderate hearing loss. What should she do now?? Now, she finds it difficult to communicate with others and has to ask them to repeat themselves several times, which frustrates her.Doctor's answer:
Hello, if your condition is caused by chronic otitis media leading to a tympanic membrane perforation and hearing loss, here are some suggestions:Recommendation: It is advisable to first undergo a temporal bone CT scan to assess the condition of the middle and inner ear, and to check if the ossicular chain is affected. Additionally, you can have an auditory brainstem response (ABR) test to evaluate the status of the auditory nerve. Based on the results of these examinations, further decisions can be made.
If you undergo a tympanic membrane repair, some hearing loss may be restored. However, if your otitis media recurs, there is a possibility that the tympanic membrane may perforate again. With residual hearing, it is still possible to wear hearing aids.