She has never had ear problems before. Her hearing is marginally impaired. In certain cases of otitis media with particularly virulent organisms, the infection develops rapidly causing in essence an abscess behind the ear drum. You can consider a spontaneous rupture of the ear drum in this situation as a function of the body's natural defense mechanism. With rupture of the ear drum, the abscess is effectively drained thereby aiding in the resolution of the infection.
Antibiotics help ensure complete eradication of the infection.
The rupture of the ear drum also helps to prevent serious complications of middle ear infections. Typically, rupture of the ear drum is associated with diminished ear pain and fever. Spontaneous tympanic membrane ruptures that occur with acute otitis media typically heal rapidly without any specific treatment outside of antibiotics prescribed for the inciting infection. Water precautions are often recommended to avoid introducing bacteria or other organisms into the middle ear during the healing period. Such perforations often heal within a few weeks.