Water in the ear, but which part?

Question

I understand how water gets in the ear. The question is, when you hear water in your ear, what part of the ear is it actually in? Is it in the canal, or next to the ear drum? If it's on the outside of the ear drum, why can't it just roll out with a good head shake?

Answer 1

The water is always in your ear canal -- it never burrows farther into your head. But since your ear canal is narrow, and there's a thing called "water tension," the water doesn't always easily flow out -- even when you shake your head.

BTW - Your ear canal (a.k.a. "outer ear") ends at your ear drum. Once water is in your ear, it can be in contact with your ear drum.