Background: The present study was conducted for evaluating the risk factors of acute otitis externa. Materials & methods: A total of 50 patients with presence of acute otitis externa were enrolled. The clinical diagnosis of acute otitis externa was based on the major presentations such as rapid onset (usually within 48 h) in the past 3 weeks of otalgia, itching of the ear canal or fullness in the ear canal, and the signs of ear canal inflammation: Tenderness of the tragus/pinna or both with or without otorrhea, regional lymphadenitis. All the results were recorded in Microsoft excel sheet followed by statistical analysis. Results: In 62 percent of the patients, the risk factor was cotton bud while in 6 percent and 4 percent of the cases, the risk factors were fingertip & cotton bud and broomstick respectively. Prolonged use of topical ear drops was risk factors in 10 percent of the cases while instilling water into ear canals was risk factor in 6 percent of the cases. Conclusion: Self-ear cleaning with cotton bud was the major risk factor seen in our patients with otitis externa.