Lifestyle and home remedies

A ruptured (perforated) eardrum usually heals on its own within weeks. In some cases, healing takes months. Until your doctor tells you that your ear is healed, protect it by:

• Keeping your ear dry. Place a waterproof silicone earplug or cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly in your ear when showering or bathing.
• Refraining from cleaning your ears. Give your eardrum time to heal completely.
• Avoiding blowing your nose. The pressure created when blowing your nose can damage your healing eardrum.