If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should consult a doctor:

• Ear pain, which may result from ear diseases or conditions affecting nearby parts that share neural pathways with the ear.
• Bleeding from the ear canal, often due to a ruptured eardrum or skull base fracture.
• Sudden hearing loss, which has various possible causes.
• Severe earwax blockage that requires medical removal.
• Foul-smelling ear discharge, which could be due to middle ear infection or external ear canal inflammation.
• Foreign objects in the ear that need examination and removal by a healthcare provider.