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What can your ears tell you about your physical health, and indeed your physiology? Besides enabling us to hear sounds, our ears serve as first responders to a whole host of ailments and medical conditions. But what are the signs to look out for?
Click through this gallery and learn how to listen to your ears.
Sudden ear numbness is a possible sign of a stroke, especially if other symptoms including sudden paralysis of a leg, arm, or one side of the face occur at the same time.
If the numbness is accompanied by vertigo, hearing loss or tinnitus, you might be suffering from Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear.
While an earlobe crease is often associated with aging, a diagonal earlobe crease (pictured) can also be indicative of heart disease.
The telltale crease has been dubbed Frank's sign and occurs when tissue that surrounds the blood vessels breaks down around the ears and heart.
Attached earlobes, also known as adherent earlobes, are those directly connected to, or blended in with, the side of the head.
Attached earlobes are said to be an indication of recessive genes.
Free earlobes, or unattached earlobes, are those that hang down beyond the point of attachment.
Free earlobes are considered a dominant trait.
It's suggested that pale colored ears are a sign that your body has a low level of vitamins.
Pale colored ears can also be indicative of calcium deficiency.
A person can develop red ears for a number of reasons. Red ear syndrome, for example, involves the reddening and burning on the outside of the ear and can affect one or both ears.
Red ears are also a characteristic of adrenal fatigue. An adrenal insufficiency could result in extremely low blood pressure (hypotension), weight loss, and kidney failure, among other health ailments.
Johns Hopkins University researchers have found that mild hearing loss can double dementia risk.
The same study also concluded that moderate loss tripled the risk, and people with a severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to develop dementia.
Single-sided deafness (SSD), or unilateral hearing loss, is a condition when you have reduced or no hearing in one ear. The condition may be the result of trauma, infection, or fluid buildup.
SSD can also occur as a result of an acoustic neuroma, a rare noncancerous tumor that can press on the hearing and balance nerves in the inner ear.
Semi-moist, sticky earwax is beneficial and provides a natural barrier that prevents dirt and bacteria from entering the innermost parts of your ears. However, wet ears typically mean disease, most likely infection.
Ear infections create pus, so that might be why your ear feels wet. Excess earwax can also interfere with hearing.
Itchy ears can sometimes be an early sign of an ear infection. You may also suffer chronically itchy ears simply because they're highly sensitive.
However, try not to scratch your ears; this only increases your odds of infection. The skin inside your ears can also itch because of an allergic reaction. A beauty product like hair spray or shampoo could be the culprit.
Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. In other words, hearing noises that are not caused by sounds coming from the outside world.
It's a common complaint and not usually a sign of anything serious. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds is the most common cause of tinnitus. More worryingly is the fact that the condition can also be the result of broken or damaged hairs on auditory cells, turbulence in a carotid artery or jugular vein, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues, and problems in the auditory processing pathways of the brain.
Earaches usually occur in children, but adults are also prone to this often painful and debilitating condition. It's the way your ear tells you that something is amiss.
An earache may affect one or both ears, but the majority of the time it's in one ear. Common causes of the condition include infection and, more rarely, labyrinthitis, an inner ear disorder that's sometimes caused by viral or bacterial infections from respiratory illnesses.
They may look cute and attractive, but having small ears may make you more prone to kidney disease. Small ears (specifically the outer, visible ear called the auricle) are linked with underdeveloped kidneys.
Another condition associated with small ears is a kind of eczema called otitis externa, which is very common.
Ears grow as we get older. That's because while bones stop growing after puberty and muscle and fat cells also stop dividing, cartilage continues to grow until the day you die. Ears and noses are full of cartilage, so the older you get the bigger they get.
Despite being an indicator of longevity, are there any other medical advantages or disadvantages to having large ears? Not really. The Chinese believe that having big ears is a sign of vitality, courage, and independence. But remember, having a diagonal crease on a large earlobe can be indicative of cardiovascular problems.
Sources: (Stanford Medicine) (UCSF) (Medical News Today) (John Hopkins Medicine) (Hear-It) (Healthy Hearing) (NHS) (Daily Mail)
Why we should listen to our ears
What signs should you watch for?
HEALTH Human body
What can your ears tell you about your physical health, and indeed your physiology? Besides enabling us to hear sounds, our ears serve as first responders to a whole host of ailments and medical conditions. But what are the signs to look out for?
Click through this gallery and learn how to listen to your ears.