Health Library

Infectious myringitis

Bullous myringitis

Infectious myringitis is an infection that causes painful blisters on the eardrum (tympanic membrane).

I Would Like to Learn About:

Causes

Infectious myringitis is caused by the same viruses or bacteria that cause middle ear infections. The most common of these is mycoplasma. It is often found along with the common cold or other similar infections. It may also cause pneumonia.

The condition is most often seen in children, but it may also occur in adults. .

Symptoms

The main symptom is pain that lasts for 24 to 48 hours. Other symptoms include:

• Draining from the ear
• Pressure in the affected ear
• Hearing loss in the painful ear

Rarely, the hearing loss will continue after the infection has cleared.

Exams and Tests

The health care provider will do an exam of your ear to look for blisters on the ear drum.

Treatment

Infectious myringitis is usually treated with antibiotics. These may be given by mouth or as drops in the ear. If the pain is severe, small cuts may be made in the blisters so they can drain. Pain-killing medicines may be prescribed, as well.

Related Information

References

Haddad J, Dodhia SN. External otitis (otitis externa). In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 679.

Holzman RS, Simberkoff MS, Leaf HL. Mycoplasma pneumonia and atypical pneumonia. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 183.

Quanquin NM, Cherry JD. Mycoplasma and ureaplasma infections. In: Cherry JD, Harrison GJ, Kaplan SL, Steinbach WJ, Hotez PJ, eds. Feigin and Cherry's Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 196.

Review Date: 5/2/2024  

Reviewed By: Josef Shargorodsky, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.