External otitis: is an inflammation secondary to infection of the skin of the external auditory channel (EAC). It can be bacterial or fungal. It usually presents itself with pain, mild discharge and sense of hearing loss or ear blockage.
Otitis media: the inflammatory-infectious process that affects the lining of the middle ear.
We can distinguish acute otitis media caused by germs such as Pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, etc. that manifest with earache and sometimes otorrhoea (ear discharge) and hearing loss. And serous otitis media (mucus in the middle ear), which manifests with blockage of the ear causing hearing loss without pain.