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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 part of the ear you can see, down to your eardrum) has gotten inflamed and swollen.

Doctors call outer ear infection otitis externa.

Most outer ear infections are caused by bacteria.

But at times this type of ear infection can be caused by a fungus.

Sometimes the ear gets inflamed without any infection, especially if you have 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 a cotton swab inside your ear or you wear a hearing aid)
• You have eczema or some other skin problem in your ear.

Most people get an acute infection. This means the symptoms come on quickly and can be treated quickly, too. In some people, the infection becomes chronic. This means the pain goes away but the inflammation lasts for weeks or months.

A chronic ear infection can make it difficult for you to hear properly.²

Young children often get an earache from an infection of the middle ear. Doctors call this otitis media. Middle ear infections are treated differently than outer ear infections. To find out more, see Ear infection, middle ear.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.