Outer ear infection treatment, prescribed and delivered to you

What is an outer ear infection?

An outer ear infection (otitis externa) is an infection of the ear canal — the passage between the outer ear and the eardrum. It is different from a middle ear infection, which affects the space behind the eardrum and is more common in children. Outer ear infections affect adults and children alike, and they are particularly common in people who swim regularly, use in-ear headphones, or clean their ears with cotton buds.

Symptoms include pain in the ear (often worse when you touch or pull the outer ear), itching inside the canal, a feeling of blocked fullness, discharge, and occasionally some temporary reduction in hearing. The skin inside the canal can become swollen, red and tender.

What causes outer ear infections?

Most outer ear infections are caused by bacteria, though some are caused by fungi — particularly in people who have used antibiotic ear drops before, or who are immunocompromised. The ear canal has its own protective ecosystem: a slightly acidic environment and natural earwax that keeps pathogens at bay. Water getting into the canal — especially pool or sea water — disrupts this balance, which is why swimmers are particularly prone.

Trauma to the canal lining from cotton buds, fingernails or hearing aid tips provides an entry point for infection. Skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis affecting the canal also increase susceptibility.

How are outer ear infections treated?

Prescription ear drops or a medicated ear spray are the standard treatment. Depending on what is causing the infection, the preparation may combine an antibiotic, a steroid to reduce swelling and relieve pain, or both. The spray format is particularly useful when the canal is very swollen, because it reaches the affected area more easily than drops.

Keeping the ear dry while the infection clears — avoiding swimming, and using a cotton-wool plug when showering — makes a significant difference to how quickly it resolves. Most cases clear within seven to ten days with appropriate treatment.

Treating ear infections with NewGen

NewGen Pharmacy is a GPhC-registered community pharmacy on Stratford High Street. Our online service covers outer ear infections in adults with an intact eardrum. Complete a short consultation, have a UK prescriber review your answers, and if treatment is appropriate your ear drops or spray are dispensed and delivered — or available to collect.

How the online ear infection consultation works

You will be asked about your symptoms — pain, discharge, itching and duration — and about any factors that affect which treatment is appropriate, such as whether you have had a perforated eardrum. The prescriber uses your answers to choose the right preparation for you and check that there is no reason to refer you for a face-to-face assessment first.

If approved, the treatment is dispensed and dispatched the same working day. With most ear drop courses, symptoms begin to ease within two to three days — complete the full course even if you feel better sooner.

When to see your GP instead

See your GP if you have a known perforated eardrum, if you have had recurrent ear infections that have not responded to drops before, if you have dizziness or sudden hearing loss, or if symptoms are spreading beyond the ear canal. Children under 12 with ear pain should also be assessed by a GP. If you have a temperature above 38 degrees and feel generally unwell alongside your ear symptoms, seek same-day GP advice. In severe pain or rapidly worsening symptoms, call NHS 111.