Otitis externa/swimmer’s ear (patient fact sheet)

Please note that this guidance is currently undergoing review by Safer Care Victoria to ensure  the content is up to date. In the meantime, we recommend that you also refer to more contemporaneous evidence where possible.

Download our fact sheet to provide your patients with easy to follow guidance on otitis externa.

This fact sheet has the #withconsumers tick from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia

Otitis externa, also known as swimmer’s ear, is an inflammation of the ear canal skin. The skin that lines the outer ear canal becomes red and swollen due to infection by bacteria or fungus. This infection is very common and affects all age groups.

The outer ear canal is a short tunnel that runs from the ear hole to the eardrum inside the ear. It is lined with normal skin that contains hairs and glands that produce wax