Both otitis externa and otitis media are essentially infectious diseases, but they occur in different locations, so there is no question of which is more serious. If you dig your ears for a long time or if a foreign body enters your eardrum and causes otitis externa, if it is not controlled in time, it can lead to perforation of the eardrum and pathogenic bacteria can enter the middle ear and cause otitis media, which can cause a life-threatening intracranial infection in severe cases. Therefore, it is recommended to ensure the cleanliness of the ears, do not dig the ears, avoid getting dirty water inside the ears, try to avoid catching a cold, and if otitis externa or otitis media occurs, you must go to the otolaryngology department of a regular hospital in time to seek active treatment to avoid delaying the disease.