Children scratching their ears may be caused by otitis externa, excessive cerumen in the external auditory canal, entry of foreign bodies into the external auditory canal, acute otitis media, and so on. 1. Otitis externa. Otitis externa is caused by water inadvertently entering the child’s external auditory canal and damage to the external auditory canal, resulting in edema of the skin of the external auditory canal and pain. Due to the lack of expression, the child may express and relieve ear discomfort by scratching the ear, crying, and tossing and turning. 2. Excessive cerumen in the external ear canal. If the child has excessive cerumen in the external auditory canal, it may cause irritation to the external auditory canal, resulting in the above symptoms. 3. Foreign objects entering the external auditory canal. Sometimes children tend to insert smaller toys into the external ear canal during play, or smaller flying insects enter the external ear canal, which may cause discomfort in the ear, and then the child may scratch the ear to relieve the discomfort. 4. Acute otitis media. If a child has a recent upper respiratory tract infection, acute otitis media may be triggered. Due to the pain and discomfort in the ear, the child will express this to the parents by scratching the ear. What causes this symptom, need to actively seek medical systematic examination can be clearly diagnosed.