When the human eardrum is perforated, the patient will experience hearing loss and a buzzing sound in the ear, as well as a distinct airflow sound in the ear that is also commonly referred to as an ear leak by some patients. After the eardrum is perforated, the tympanic membrane will heal on its own in about a month and a half by keeping the outer ear canal clean and taking oral anti-inflammatory medication for about five days. After the tympanic membrane perforation has healed, the patient will noticeably feel that the hearing has returned to its previous normal state, the tinnitus will disappear, and the airflow sound in the ear will also disappear. When this happens, it usually means that the tympanic membrane perforation has healed on its own, but in order to determine if it has really healed on its own, an electronic otoscopy should be performed at the hospital.