Can You Get Herpes in Your Ear?

HSV-1, the virus most commonly responsible for oral cold sores, can occasionally spread to the ear through direct contact or from touching an active sore and then the ear — causing a similar cluster of painful blisters at the new site.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus responsible for chickenpox and shingles, not herpes simplex — reactivating in a nerve near the ear. It causes a painful rash in and around the ear, often alongside facial weakness or paralysis on one side, hearing changes, and dizziness. This is a distinct condition from herpes simplex, is not sexually transmitted, and needs prompt medical treatment, since early antiviral treatment significantly improves the odds of recovering facial nerve function.