Outer ear pain occurs with many conditions, ranging from a minor infection of the ear canal to a severe ear injury, among others. Here's what you need to know about causes of outer/external ear pain.

Although most common in children, ear infections occur in people of all ages. Often, ear infections are complications of the cold or a respiratory infection, but they also can result from irritants such as water being trapped inside the ear.

When your child appears to have red ears it could mean her body is attempting to get rid of a virus or bacteria. However, there are other causes of red ears in childhood.

Tonsils are two clumps of lymph tissue situated on either side of the throat. They kill germs, build your immunity and help your body in resist infections. An infection of the tonsils is called tonsillitis. Tonsillitis usually occurs due to viral or bacterial causes.

MayoClinic.com states that adult ear infections are uncommon and are treated similarly to childhood ear infections. The New York Times reports that 15 to 30 million doctor visits are the result of ear infections annually.

Ear pain may be caused by a variety of noninfectious conditions. Trauma, tumors and jaw disorders may provoke ear pain. A through physical examination of the ear along with a careful history of the onset and nature of the ear pain are important for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.

Any illness can throw your workout schedule into disarray, but inner ear infections can disrupt an element essential to many physical activities: your sense of balance. Complex activities rely on feedback from your inner ear to give you positional awareness.

Antibiotics are prescribed for some types of bacterial ear infections in adults. Since different types of ear infections require different treatment, your doctor will do a careful examination and obtain your health history before deciding how best to treat your ear infection.

If you spend a significant amount of time at the pool or beach, you have probably suffered from ear pain because of swimmer's ear at some point. Swimmer’s ear, also known as otitis externa, is an infection of the ear canal resulting from a buildup of water.

Ear infections happen when fluid builds up inside the ear, giving bacteria or viruses a place to grow. Ear pain and fever can result. Although the National Institutes of Health says most ear infections resolve without causing additional problems, sometimes ear infections cause dangers beyond their immediate symptoms.

Swimmer’s ear is a term used to describe outer ear or ear canal discomfort caused by infection, irritation or inflammation. It is formally known as otitis externa. If you get treatment for this disorder, you can usually resolve your symptoms in a matter of days.

Ear infections, also known as otitis media, are extremely common among children. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders states that about 75 percent of children develop at least one ear infection by the age of 3.