A perforated eardrum means there is a hole in the eardrum, which may have been caused by infection or injury. Quite often a hole in the eardrum may heal itself. Sometimes it does not cause any problems. However it may cause recurrent infections with a discharge from the ear. If you have an infection you should avoid getting water in the ear. If the hole is large then you may experience some hearing loss. A hole in the eardrum can be identified by an ENT specialist using an instrument called an ‘auriscope'.