There are more reasons why the ear hurts when you touch it with your hand, and the more common causes include: herpes zoster of the ear, acute otitis externa, and acute middle ear mastoiditis. 1. Ear herpes zoster: it is caused by varicella zoster virus infection, manifested as pain in the auricle, in the ear, and around the ear, which can be very intense. 2. Acute otitis externa: caused by water in the ear canal, cerumen embolism or bad ear digging habits, etc. Early symptoms of this disease are ear pain, refusal to press, and in severe cases, localized abscess may be formed, and the pain is aggravated by touching with the hand. The pain may radiate to half of the head. 3. Acute middle ear mastoiditis: mainly caused by bacterial infection, bacteria can be infected through the Eustachian tube pathway or the blood pathway, manifested by severe ear pain, may be accompanied by pus, hearing loss, some patients may also cause high fever. In addition to the above causes, ear pressure injuries (e.g. when flying, diving or hyperbaric oxygen therapy), papilloma of the external auditory canal, auricular suppurative perichondritis, and neoplastic lesions can also cause the above symptoms. It is recommended to go to the hospital in time, to clarify the cause, and to carry out regular treatment under the guidance of the doctor.