Should You Take Time Off Work With a Perforated Eardrum?

The short answer. Not necessarily. The NHS says a perforated eardrum usually gets better on its own within 2 months, and its guidance does not set any time off work. Whether you should be off depends on your symptoms, such as pain, dizziness or hearing loss, and on what your job involves. You can self-certify for 7 days; after that, a doctor assesses you.

Get help urgently if your hearing changes. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, your hearing has been getting worse over days or weeks, or you have hearing loss with earache or discharge. You can call 111 in England, Scotland and Wales; 111 online covers England only. In Northern Ireland, contact your GP or the GP out-of-hours service.

What the NHS says about healing

Most perforated eardrums heal without treatment. The NHS says it usually gets better on its own within 2 months and hearing returns to normal. You may need antibiotics if you have an ear infection, or to stop one developing while it heals, and sometimes surgery to repair the eardrum (myringoplasty) is needed if it does not heal by itself. The NHS says to see a GP if your symptoms have not started to improve after a few weeks.

Symptoms usually start suddenly after an ear infection, an injury, a loud noise or a sudden change in air pressure. They include hearing loss, ringing or buzzing, earache, itching, fluid or blood leaking from the ear, feeling dizzy and a high temperature.

What to avoid while it heals

Do not go swimming or get your ear wet until the eardrum heals.
Do not put anything inside your ear, such as cotton buds or eardrops, unless a doctor recommends them.
Try not to blow your nose too hard, as this can damage the eardrum as it heals.

Painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen can ease the pain, and the NHS suggests cotton wool covered in petroleum jelly in your outer ear when you wash your hair.

Does your job make a difference?

The NHS page on perforated eardrums does not mention work, so the question is what your job asks of you while the eardrum heals. For the first week that is your call; after that, a doctor judges it. Some jobs meet the NHS advice head on:

Work in or near water. If your job involves swimming or getting your head wet, the NHS advice not to get your ear wet until it heals applies to your work.

Flying for work. The NHS says it is safe to fly with a perforated eardrum. After surgery to repair it, do not fly until you are told it is safe.

Noisy workplaces and diving. Loud noise is one of the causes the NHS lists, but its page gives no specific advice on noisy work, and it does not cover diving. If your job involves either, ask the doctor treating you before you go back.

Dizziness. If you feel dizzy, tell the doctor what your job involves, especially if it includes driving or work at height.

Sick notes and self-certifying

For the first 7 days of any absence you self-certify. Your employer cannot make medical evidence a condition of statutory sick pay for that week, and if they want a note anyway, any fee should be covered by them. If you are off for more than 7 days in a row, they can ask for a note. A doctor can also say you may be fit for work with changes, such as amended duties, which may suit a job where only one part, like swimming, is off limits. The self-certification guide explains the first week.

Another route is a private sick note from a GMC-registered UK doctor, following an online questionnaire; the doctor may decline if it is not clinically appropriate. Being private, not an NHS fit note, it is your employer’s choice whether to accept it (government guidance for employers says it can be), and it cannot be used for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Pay and getting back

Statutory sick pay is paid from your first full day off if you qualify, at £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. See statutory sick pay. You can go back before a note ends without seeing the doctor again; the returning early guide covers how. The conditions hub sets out the rules every absence shares. Other infections are covered on pages such as shingles and time off work.

Common questions

Should I take time off work with a perforated eardrum?

It depends on your symptoms and your job. The NHS guidance does not set any time off work. If pain, dizziness or hearing loss stop you doing your job, you can self-certify and then see a doctor.

How long does a perforated eardrum take to heal?

The NHS says it usually gets better on its own within 2 months and your hearing returns to normal. Sometimes it needs antibiotics, or surgery if it does not heal.

Can I fly for work with a perforated eardrum?

The NHS says it is safe to fly with a perforated eardrum. If you have had surgery to repair it, do not fly until you are told it is safe.

Can I swim with a perforated eardrum?

No. The NHS says not to go swimming or get your ear wet until the eardrum heals.

Can I get a sick note for a perforated eardrum?

You self-certify for the first 7 days. If you are off longer, a doctor can assess you and decide whether you are fit for work.

Need a note for a perforated eardrum?

A GMC-registered UK doctor reviews your online answers and decides whether a private sick note is appropriate. £47, no appointment.

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Assessed by a GMC-registered UK doctor. Full refund if a note cannot be issued on clinical grounds.