Introduction: Otitis externa is the condition that causes the diffuse inflammation of the external auditory meatal skin which may spread to involve the pinna and the epidermal layer of the tympanic membrane, not extending into the middle ear. Otitis externa can be either acute or chronic Objective: To determine the causative factor of otitis externa and to investigate whether it was bacteria or fungal infection caus ing the inflammation extensively. Methods: It is a clinico-social, prospective, cohort study conducted at ENT department of Saveetha medical college, India. About 40 patients who were diagnosed with otitis externa were taken in for study. After plotting demographic details, history, symptoms and predisposing factors in excel sheets, three specimens of affected external ear canal were taken in cotton swabs. The first swab was processed for aerobic bacteria in 5% sheep blood and the second one was placed in thioglycolate broth and the last was kept in sabouraud dextrose agar with antibiotics for fungal organisms. Results: Among 40 patients, females were more affected. The common predisposing factors were bathing in waterbodies, head baths and ear trauma. The most common symptom was otalgia. In case of microbiological study, Of the 40 patients, 32 were positive for bacteria and the others were for fungal. Among the bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (30%) were the most common bacterial agent followed by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (25%) and others. Conclusion: The management of otitis externa involves prevention, aural toileting and topical antibiotics. Delayed treatment may lead to complications like CSOM, mastoiditis and oth ers.