Key TakeawaysEarwax can be a biomarker for measuring cortisol, glucose, and possibly other lab values.A novel self-sampled earwax device is being produced to safely and effectively extract an earwax sample.
Key Takeaways
Earwax can be a biomarker for measuring cortisol, glucose, and possibly other lab values.A novel self-sampled earwax device is being produced to safely and effectively extract an earwax sample.
A new study shows that measuring long-termcortisollevels from earwax may be a more accurate and easier diagnostic tool than using a hair sample. The latter is the current gold-standard biomarker used to measure cortisol levels in the body.
Uses, Side Effects, Procedure, Results of a Cortisol Test
The November study, which was published in the journalHeliyone, compared hair cortisol concentration, serum (blood) cortisol concentration, and earwax cortisol concentration in 37 healthy participants. Researchers found that earwax not only had a higher concentration of cortisol–also known as the stress hormone–but was also the fastest and cheapest technique out of the three samples taken.
The Dangers of Using Q-Tips for Earwax
High cortisol levels over a long-term period have been associated with a number of conditions including depression, anxiety, heart disease, and obesity. But chronically high cortisol levels have been difficult for doctors to pinpoint in order to make a proper diagnosis due to a fluctuation in variables like:
“We still need more studies to find out the significance of measuring cortisol levels using earwax,”Andres Herane-Vives, MD,lead study author, and visiting researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, tells Verywell. “This lab test is to provide support, and the ability to make a more accurate diagnosis.”
What This Means For YouIn the future, you may be asked to give an earwax sample as part of an exam to measure critical lab values in your body. In the meantime, you should refrain from putting any objects in your ear—including a cotton swab. It is dangerous and can not only damage the eardrum, but also push earwax further into the ear canal.
What This Means For You
In the future, you may be asked to give an earwax sample as part of an exam to measure critical lab values in your body. In the meantime, you should refrain from putting any objects in your ear—including a cotton swab. It is dangerous and can not only damage the eardrum, but also push earwax further into the ear canal.
Self-Sampling Earwax Device
What Exactly Is Earwax?
“At some point, we would like this device to available to the public to provide an accurate diagnosis and help with treatment,” Herane-Vives, who is also a founder of Trears, says. “That is not part of the first stage, but maybe down the road.”
Earwax Buildup and Blockage
Researchers involved in the study and the creation of the self-sample earwax device believe that earwax can potentially be used as a tool to test many biomarker substances including:
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Herane-Vives A, Ortega L, Sandoval R, Young A, Cleare A, Espinoza S.Measuring earwax cortisol concentration using a non-stressful sampling method.Heliyone.2020;6(11):E05124. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05124Mayo Clinic.Earwax Blockage.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Herane-Vives A, Ortega L, Sandoval R, Young A, Cleare A, Espinoza S.Measuring earwax cortisol concentration using a non-stressful sampling method.Heliyone.2020;6(11):E05124. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05124Mayo Clinic.Earwax Blockage.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Herane-Vives A, Ortega L, Sandoval R, Young A, Cleare A, Espinoza S.Measuring earwax cortisol concentration using a non-stressful sampling method.Heliyone.2020;6(11):E05124. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05124Mayo Clinic.Earwax Blockage.
Herane-Vives A, Ortega L, Sandoval R, Young A, Cleare A, Espinoza S.Measuring earwax cortisol concentration using a non-stressful sampling method.Heliyone.2020;6(11):E05124. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05124
Mayo Clinic.Earwax Blockage.
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