Is it possible for an eardrum to burst without pain?

[Valpollicella]

DS has been a bit off his food the last few days, but otherwise fine in himself. I've just been to change his bedding and there are watery blood spots , about the size of 5p's on his pillow.

He was fine in the night, and went off to school ok. But now I'm wondering if I've sent to poor thing into school with a perforated eardrum.

He does have a high pain threshold, which is why I might not have noticed, but I feel a bit bad now if that is the case!

Sorry, but yes. Ds2 is currently recovering from a perf eardrum after an ear infection. He had exactly what you describe on his pillow - we asked him if it hurt and he just said he felt something a bit funny in the night. There seems to have been no pain as such. He did need antibiotics to prevent infection at first, but now we are just waiting for it to heal itself. No swimming and ear kept dry during bath time.

I'd get an appt for your ds and take him after school.

Thanks Wilbur. I'd always thought there would be pain.

In fact he had an ear infection at Xmas (happy days) and was a lot worse then! No symptoms at all this time..

Have been on hold to docs since I posted

If your child has an ear infection it is very common for the eardrum to burst. The eardrum or the tympanic membrane will bulge and be swollen then it will burst, which is it's way of relieving the pressure. The hole should and normally does close up again really quickly with no problems.

Thanks Lula. DS is prone to them anyway, but usually has temp and holds his ear etc. Never burst before though

yes, been through this too with DS. He was 18 months old though. Got told on the Wed by a dr that there was no infection, it perforated on Sat morning. Was a lot of gunk and mess. Takes a couple of months to heal, so use cotton wool smeared with vaseline to plug the ear during hair washing

Hope the dr is helpful Valpollicella. We were given quite a quick referral to the ENT people at the local hosp, just to make sure it was starting to heal ok and it was nothing more that a bog-standard burst eardrum.

Yes, when ds2 was 2yo, his burst and we only knew because his ear became gunky, like runnier ear wax, and it smelled. Blerk.
There was never any indication that it had hurt. He got antibiotics from doc.
Hope he's ok

ds has had 3 burst ear drums in the last 6 weeks. He's been uncomfortable, but not really in pain as he's been before with ear infections that haven't burst. This last time he's been complaining of it hurting after it's burst, and "something in it" but didn't complain before it went.
The GP may want to take a swab and give antibiotics so it's worth having it checked.

Thank you all!

I did really want to ask as DP had 2 perforated drums over New Year and was in absolute agony!

Luckily we have a brilliant, lovely doc. He did seem bemused that DS had no outward symptoms at all... Although - this is the boy who trapped his fingers in between the door and frame a few weeks ago and couldn't move. When I told him to move away from the door he said 'I can't Mummy!' Lovely bruised fingers the next day...

He has been given antibiotics as it's definately perforated, and doc has suggested I bring him back in a couple of weeks to check how it's healing.

I'm impressed with your DS Val, DD1 has been plagued with these snce birth.

She used to get very leaky ears - the first time it happened I thought her brain was escaping.

DD2 bursts her eardrums all the time without any warning signs

Hope he's better soon.

Really gald I found this thread as DS 12 months has just had a burst ear drum. His ears are full of wax and really bother him. Under ENT who say he also has glue ear both sides. Hearing tests are ok.
I was told my A&E the bleeding from his ear last week was from a burst ear drum caused by infection and swelling in the outer ear possibly caused by the wax build up.
Seeing ENT next week but I really want them to do something as he is upset by his ears and alway pulling them :(

My ds complains of a noise like rice krispies every time, but no pain.