SHANGHAI - A PASSIONATE kiss ruptured a young woman's eardrum in southern China, state media reported on Monday, in what has been dubbed the 'kiss of deaf'.

The 20-something girl from Zhuhai city in Guangdong province was treated by hospital doctors after completely losing the hearing in her left ear, the China Daily reported, citing the Guangzhou Daily.

'The kiss reduced the pressure in the mouth, pulled the eardrum out and caused the breakdown of the ear,' the treating doctor, surnamed Li, was quoted as saying, adding the woman's hearing would likely recover in about two months.

The incident prompted newspapers to dispense kissing safety advice.

While kissing is normally very safe, doctors urge people to proceed with caution, the China Daily reported.

'A strong kiss may cause an imbalance in air pressure between the two inner ears and lead to a broken ear drum,' said the English-language Shanghai Daily in a story headlined 'Kiss of deaf'. -- AFP