What can earwax tell us about you?

According to a recent article on the BBC website, earwax contains all sorts of interesting data and markers that can let doctors and scientists know about conditions elsewhere in your body. Do read the original article and be amazed at how clever earwax can be!

Although, for example, the data is not conclusive, some scientists have suggested a link between the type of earwax you have and a person’s likelihood of contracting breast cancer. Covid-19 can sometimes be detected in earwax and it can also be an indication of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Early results suggest that certain types of heart-disease can be detected, although it is currently easier to do this using conventional blood tests.

Because earwax has a fairly long life - it moves outwards along the ear canal at around approximately 0.05 mm per day (which means that takes about 508 days to move one inch) - it forms a rich and concentrated mixture of the markers found in blood, urine, saliva and other bodily secretions. A combination of these have been found to contain a fingerprint revealing the presence of cancer within the body, making possible the detection of cancer at an early stage, although more conventional tests will be needed to reach a specific cancer diagnosis. The earlier cancer is detected and treated, the better the success in treatment - earwax may enable detection at Stage 1 when the cure rate for most cancers is as high as 90%. It is possible that Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease may also be detected in the same way.

Isn’t amazing that something like earwax - that many of us would rather not talk about - may turn out to much more useful than we thought. We already know that far from being just a sticky nuisance that blocks up our ears and can impair our hearing, earwax has a vital role in protecting our ears from airborne dust, bacteria and fungi. How much more amazing if it turns out to be a valuable diagnostic tool that might save our lives and maintain our quality of life!