What Is Otitis Externa?
Otitis externa is an inflammatory condition of the external ear and ear auditory canal. Also known as swimmer’s ear, this is a very common condition that causes ear ache. Otitis externa can be caused by bacterial infections or non-bacterial causes like dermatitis, fungi and mechanical trauma. Bacterial infections often develop after swimming in a swimming pool or after manipulating your ears with dirty fingers or objects. Mechanical trauma to the ear can include using cotton swabs and metal ear picks. These cleaning devices actually do more damage than cleaning because it can push earwax further into the ear canal causing blockage of the ear canal. When the ear canal is blocked, fluid in the ear and other debris cannot exit the ear which causes more inflammation and can result in conductive hearing loss. The bacterial organisms that cause this infection is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus while usual fungal pathogens are Candida albicansand Aspergillus.
