What is an outer ear infection?
If your ear hurts and feels ‘full’ or itchy, you might have an outer ear infection. This means that the skin of your outer ear canal (the tube that leads from the bit of the ear you can see, down to your eardrum) has become inflamed and swollen. Doctors call outer ear infection otitis externa.Most outer ear infections are caused by bacteria. But this type of ear infection can also be caused by a fungus. Sometimes the ear gets inflamed without any infection, especially if you’ve got a skin condition such as eczema. Some of the reasons why your outer ear can get infected are:[1] • Water enters your ear canal (for example, when you go swimming) • The ear canal gets damp (for example, if the weather is hot and humid or if you sweat a lot) • The skin of the ear canal gets damaged (for example, if you put a finger or cotton bud inside your ear or you wear a hearing aid) • You’ve got eczema or some other skin problem in your ear. Most people get an acute infection. This means the symptoms com
