Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also to share more professional health knowledge with you, so as to escort your health, thank you for your support.
"Oh, how long can this heart last?" Li Wei touched his chest and told his family about his worries. That day, the family of three was strolling through the bustling streets of the city center, and they happened to hear a table of guests next to them discussing the problem of heart disease, which undoubtedly touched Li Wei's sensitive nerves.
Li Wei, an ordinary middle school history teacher, although his work on weekdays is not too tiring, his sense of responsibility for teaching and educating people and working overtime from time to time always make him feel pressured.
On this day, after being touched by the topic of others, he suddenly felt a burst of panic and couldn't help but worry about his heart health. He suddenly remembered that a distant relative of his had died suddenly of a heart attack not long ago, which made him even more uneasy.
When Li Wei filled out the questionnaire, he once again mentioned his concerns about heart health. After completing the necessary registration, they first performed a blood pressure and electrocardiogram check, and everything was normal, which gave him a temporary sigh of relief. He began to notice that many of the people around him seemed to have similar concerns.
This resonance made him involuntarily chat with a middle-aged man next to him, who also came for a check because of heart discomfort. Entering the consultation room, Li Wei saw a young and professional cardiologist, Dr. Zhang.
Li Wei told the doctor about his concerns, and specifically mentioned his doubts about the relationship between the ear and the heart, because he had seen on the Internet that "the ear is the 'prompter' of heart disease". After hearing this, Dr. Zhang first calmed Li Wei's emotions in a gentle tone, and then began to explain the topic in detail.
He started with the basics of heart disease and then explained in detail why some people see the ear as a warning sign of heart problems. Dr. Zhang mentioned that while this claim is not completely unfounded in medicine, it should not be relied upon too much.
He explained that there are subtle connections between the ear and the heart, such as the fact that certain features of the earlobe can indirectly reflect certain problems with blood circulation.
The ear is not only an organ of hearing, but its vascular network is closely connected to the body's circulatory system. In some specific cases, changes in the surface of the ear, such as the crease of the earlobe, can actually reflect problems with blood circulation.
Next, let's delve into this connection between the ear and the heart. The ear's blood supply comes mainly from the carotid artery, which is one of the areas where the heart exports blood to supply directly.
If plaque forms or blood flow is blocked in the carotid artery, the blood supply to the ear may be affected, showing certain outward physical changes. These changes may include changes in the color of the earlobe, a drop in temperature or changes in the sensation of touch, which can be external signs of early heart disease.
The structures inside the ear, especially the cochlea, are extremely sensitive to the health of the heart. The cochlea needs an abundant blood supply to maintain its function, and once there is a problem with the heart's pumping function, the blood supply to the cochlea is reduced, which can lead to hearing loss.
This is not only a common problem for older people, but young people should also be alert if there is an unexplained hearing loss that is related to heart health.
Microvascular disease is a precursor to many heart diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension, which are often accompanied by microvascular complications, which can also manifest in the microvasculature of the ear. Therefore, through careful observation of the ear, doctors can sometimes indirectly grasp the overall condition of the microvessels, and then have a preliminary assessment of heart health.
Not only that, but the relationship between the ear and the heart also involves the nervous system. Some nerve reflexes in the ear, such as the vestibular reflex, may change when heart function is impaired.
This alteration may be detected indirectly by, for example, a balance test, providing another possible clue to the diagnosis of heart disease. Some people with acute cardiac events have a sudden onset of tinnitus or hearing loss shortly before the onset of the disease.
Although this phenomenon is not universal, it has been documented in isolated cases, suggesting that we should not limit our efforts to ENT diagnosis when confronted with unexplained ear symptoms.
Combined with the above perspectives, the ear can indeed be used as a non-traditional but potentially valuable monitoring tool for heart health. While the ear is unlikely to completely replace traditional heart health screening methods such as electrocardiogram or blood pressure measurement, it provides a unique perspective on monitoring heart health from the side.
In our daily lives, we can get a more complete picture of our heart health by observing small changes in our ears.
When discussing heart health and predicting its future condition, we often focus on various clinical examinations and medical tests, but few people think that the ear can also provide important clues about heart health. In this part, we'll delve into three characteristics of the ear, how they can tell us about the health of the heart, and the risks it may face.
The first thing to talk about is the color change of the ear. Normally, the earlobes should have a healthy pink color, which indicates good circulation. If your earlobes are dark or purple, it could be a sign of poor circulation.
In weakened heart function, the heart is unable to efficiently pump blood to the far parts of the body, including the ears, resulting in an insufficient blood supply to the ears, which in turn affects the color of the ears. Secondly, edema of the earlobe is also a sign that cannot be ignored. Edema of the earlobe may be due to a change in fluid balance in the body, which is often associated with decreased heart function.
Due to the peculiarity of the location of the earlobe, this edema phenomenon can be more obvious, which is a side indicator to assess the health of the heart.
Let's look at the shape of the earlobe, especially the folds that appear in the earlobe. As mentioned earlier, there is a certain correlation between the longitudinal folds of the earlobe and the risk of heart disease. Such folds are not just a natural manifestation of aging, but may be the result of long-term poor circulation. These folds may silently tell us that the heart may be under additional stress.
While these ear features may not be a complete replacement for standard medical tests such as electrocardiogram or blood pressure testing, they provide a simple, non-invasive window into our daily life to gain a basic understanding of our heart health.
In life, we should pay more attention to these subtle changes. For example, regular observation of the color and shape of the earlobe, especially for people with a family history of heart disease, should pay enough attention to these seemingly trivial changes. Mentioning these observations in communication with your doctor can help you assess your patient's heart condition more thoroughly.
Overall, while the ear and heart appear to be two organs far apart, the connection between them is close and deep. Through our ears, we can hear not only the voices of the outside world, but also the warnings from within.
What do you think about heart failure? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
Resources
[1] Xie Yanshu. Case analysis of chronic heart failure exacerbation caused by chronic inflammatory iron deficiency anemia. Fushun County People's Hospital, Liaoning Province, 2019-02-25