Our strange and beautiful ears—oh, how we love them! Ears give us the ability to hear and make memories, help us in dangerous situations, and allow us to maintain our balance.
But have you ever wondered how much your ears impact your day-to-day life? We have a list of strange but interesting facts about your ears that will help you appreciate them more.
Your ears clean themselves
The earwax inside your ear is comprised of dead skin cells, sweat, and oil. However, this assortment helps form a barrier between the inside of your war canal to prevent debris or objects from damaging your ear drum. The wax also helps keep your ears clean, acting as a filter. That’s why many ENTs recommend you not to use cotton swabs because the ears will clean themselves. If you must clean your ears, use ENT-approved methods to ensure the safety and health of these organs.
Bonus Fact: Your ear wax production goes up the more stressed you are.
The earlobes are always growing
Depending on your genetics, you have either attached or detached earlobes. Whichever type of earlobe you have, the lobes will continue to grow as you age. Scientists aren’t sure why your earlobes keep growing or why we have them, but most believe they help regulate blood flow since they host so many blood vessels.
Our ears are always working
Your ears never stop working, even when you’re in REM sleep. Your ears never “turn off”—your brain just doesn’t process the sound as it does when you’re alert. Regardless of your state, conscious and unconscious, your ears are always clocked in and ready to work. This ongoing functionality is why noises can wake you up at night.
Ears have the smallest bones in your body
Your ears allow you to hear many sounds, even the smallest ones. That’s because of the tiny bones and tissues that make up the ear canal. You can thank the malleus, incus, and stapes for allowing you to hear sounds big and small. These bones are so minuscule that you could place them all on a penny.
How cool! We hope these strange but interesting facts about your ears allow you to appreciate them a little more. Take care of your ears by laying off the loud music and cotton swabs. Remember, they’re always working hard.
