Earlobe Crease

Earlobe is made of tough connective tissues and you might have noticed how soft and fleshy that portion of the ear is, that is because the earlobe does not contain cartilage and therefore earlobes have a large blood supply. Although earlobes are found to have no biological functions as such, it helps in warming up the ears and as it contains a number of nerve endings. Earlobes could also be a highly sensitive area for many. Now that we are quite familiar with earlobe and its importance, let us move onto our main topic 'Earlobe Crease' (ELC). How is it that some have; what we might call normal earlobes or smooth earlobes and some have crease in the earlobe? Please note that I am not referring to a lump in the earlobe or an earlobe cyst. It's simply a crease that appears on the earlobe.

Broken blood vessels can be the cause for this deformity of the earlobe. The crease appears on the earlobe when the blood vessels in the area do not get sufficient blood supply. So, it is caused due to lack of blood circulation, but is it that serious a condition? Why is earlobe crease considered to be problem if they don't undertake any important biological functions of the body. It is considered to be a cause of concern as it is often associated with a high risk of coronary heart diseases and also genetic disorders such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Relation Between Earlobe Crease and Heart Disease

Although it's mentioned that creases in the earlobe are associated with genetic disorders, the connection between earlobe crease and heart diseases is something that has caught the attention of many with a diagonal crease running across the earlobe. And that is quite obvious, as heart diseases are life-threatening.

There have been studies correlating earlobe crease and heart diseases such as heart attacks since 1991 when Dr. William Elliott from University of Chicago informed the American Federation for Clinical Research that he has discovered a significant connection between earlobes and heart diseases (There have been other studies before Dr Elliott's research stating this correlation but, this was the most noted and talked about). Although there have been many studies suggesting the same, there is no significant proof ascertaining this correlation between the two.

There is also an argument in the medical world stating that creases on the skin are a sign of aging and as people age they have an increased risk of being affected by heart diseases and therefore a relation between earlobe and heart disease is insignificant. However, numbers such as sixty percent of the 6000 patients suffering from heart diseases have diagonal creases; somehow seems to be enough of a fact for people to believe that those with a creased earlobe are at a higher risk of heart diseases.

There have been studies stating that earlobe crease is found in those who are habitual to sleep on only one side. While that is also a possibility, it could also be a risk factor due to genetics, smoking, hypertension, obesity or a bad lifestyle in general.

As there are no conclusive statements made with regards to the correlation of earlobe crease and heart diseases, it is advisable to those with creases on one or both the earlobes (bilateral earlobe crease) to keep a close eye on their general health and to get regular check ups done if any noticeable symptoms of cardiovascular diseases are being experienced. The wisest thing to do would be to be attentive of any symptoms and not panic just because you have an earlobe crease. As there are no conclusive results of any connection, worrying about it would only be increasing the tension and leading to other ailments. So take care and do not worry, be attentive and visit a doc to clear out your queries.