From creased lobes to itchiness – what your ears can reveal about your health
IT turns out ears do a lot more than help us hear.
From what creased lobes mean for your ticker, to how wax could be a warning sign of deadly cancer – ears are able to reveal a lot about the state of your health.
Here, we delve into the signs and symptoms of six different conditions that can affect your ears, but reveal much more…
1. HEART DISEASE
If your under 60 and have diagonal crease across the earlobe you could be be at greater risk of coronary heart disease (CAD).
The unusual warning, dubbed Frank’s sign, has been seen on the likes of Steven Spielberg and George W Bush.
There is no definitive answer on the association between ear creases and heart attacks.
But some medics think that the underlying process that causes the two are similar.
One theory suggests that ear lobe crease is linked to the loss of elastin and elastic fibers in the skin, the same process that damages blood vessels in CAD.
CAD cannot be cured but treatment can help manage the symptoms and reduce the chances of problems such as heart attacks.
When to worry:
Don’t panic just yet.
More often than not, ear creasing can be the result of sleeping weirdly.
If you are experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath, make an appointment with your doctor.
2. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Suffering from infuriating tinnitus could indicate blood pressure issues – that’s if you haven’t just come back from a music festival.
The common hearing is not usually a sign of anything serious and may get better by itself.
In people with high blood pressure, tinnitus is a commonly reported complaint.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is when the pressure in your blood vessels is unusually high.
It can be serious if not treated.
Research published in the NCBI found that 44 per cent of people with tinnitus also had hypertension.
The connection between the two conditions relates to the delicate network of vessels in your auditory system.
When pressure builds in this system, it can result in symptoms of tinnitus.
The study from Brazil said that tinnitus which sounds like a beating, pulsing or pumping sound, could be related to blood pressure.
When to worry:
You should see your GP if you continually or regularly hear sounds such as buzzing, ringing or humming in your ears, the NHS says.
Hypertension doesn’t usually have many symptoms so it’s worth getting tinnitus checked out just in case.
3. FUNGAL INFECTION
Itchy ears might indicate the presence of a fungal infection.
The fungi (usually Aspergillus and Candida) grow and spread in ear canal.
When Aspergillus causes a fungal ear infection, you may see yellow or black dots and fuzzy white patches in your ear canal.
If Candida is the culprit, you might see a thick and creamy white discharge coming from your ear.
Other symptoms include earache, flaky skin around the ear canal, headaches, tinnitus and hearing loss.
When to worry:
If you develop any of the above symptoms, call a healthcare provider.
Fungal ear infections aren’t likely to go away without treatment.
4. BREAST CANCER
Some earwax is normal and beneficial.
The yellow stuff prevents buys and dirt from entering the ear canals.
But earwax with a wet and sticky texture is not normal.
Some studies suggest wet wax might be sign of a mutation on the ABCC11 gene, which can increase your chances of developing breast cancer.
More common symptoms of breast cancer itself are a lump on the breast, a change in breast shape, an rash or a change in the appearance of the nipple.
When to worry:
It’s important to remember that having wet ear wax does not mean a woman is bound to be diagnosed with breast cancer.
The study suggests it is just one factor that increases breast cancer risk.
But if the ear wax is borthersome, you can try buying some eardrops from a pharmacy.
Never try to remove a build-up of earwax yourself with your fingers, a cotton bud or any other object.
This can damage your ear and push the wax further down.
But if ear drops fail to reduce your ear wax, or make it less sticky, contact your GP for an appointment.
5. RED EARS SYNDROME
Spending too long in the sun and even getting embarrassed can turn the ears red – but so can suffering from red ear syndrome (RES).
RES is a rare condition that causes the the lobes to burn and ache.
But for some people it can the pain can be sharp and severe.
It can also spread from your lobes to your cheeks, jaw, or back of your head.
Attacks of the condition usually last between 30 to 60 minute.
When to worry:
Experts still don’t know what causes RED, but it’s not believed to be serious.
If your symptoms are frequent or painful, however, or if you can’t hear properly in the afflicted ear(s) then you should seek medical advice.
6. KIDNEY DISEASE
Ears that have a few skin tags – small, fleshy growths – may indicate the presence of kidney disease.
A study by the British Medical Journal, suggested this is especially the case for newborn babies.
Scientists have suggested this is the case because the development of the renal tract and ears while in the womb happen at the same time.
So any sort of disturbance, or mishap, during this time can lead to both the kidneys and ears being abnormal in some way.
Kidney disease happens when the kidneys do not work as well as they should.
Other symptoms of kidney disease in babies or children include swelling of the feet, foamy urine and increased urine output.
When to worry:
Take your child to see a GP if they have any signs of kidney disease.