When it comes to a person's lifespan, many people first think of judging it based on the "lifeline" on the palm. In reality, compared to the "lifeline," the ears can more straightforwardly reflect a person's lifespan. There was once a scientific research project that observed hundreds of elderly people aged 60 to over 90 and found that their ears had two common points.
The first common point: Long auricle. The scientific method to calculate auricle length is from the ear tip to the earlobe. Normally, the ear tip should be level with the eyebrows, and the bottom of the ear should be flush with the nasal base. The average length of an adult's ear is 5 to 8 centimeters, and as people age, the auricle tends to become longer. Some scholars believe that a long auricle is one of the important characteristics of long-lived elderly people. Regarding this viewpoint, modern research has found that it may be related to the continuous growth of the ears. After adulthood, almost the entire human body stops developing, but only the ears continue to grow throughout life. Therefore, as people age, the length of their ears also increases. In a sense, it is not that long-lived individuals have large ears because they live longer, but rather that their ears grow larger as they live longer.
The second common point: Large earlobe. The earlobe refers to the part from the tragus to the lowest point of the ear. Generally, the earlobe length of an adult is 1 to 2.5 centimeters, but in this research project, most of the elderly had earlobes larger than 2.5 centimeters. Ancient people believed that the kidneys are related to the ears, so a large earlobe is actually a sign of healthy kidney qi. With sufficient kidney qi, it is naturally easier to live a long life. Nothing is absolute. A large earlobe is one of the characteristics of longevity, and the earlobes of long-lived people are generally larger. However, this does not mean that individuals with large earlobes will definitely live a long life, because longevity must also be analyzed in combination with the color and shape of the ears and various other life signs of other body parts. The ear is a miniature of the human body, and almost all changes in organs can be manifested on the ear. Thick and large ears indicate sufficient kidney qi; thin and small ears imply kidney qi deficiency; fat ears suggest good congenital nutritional status; and skinny ears represent congenital deficiency in personal constitution.
"Ear fold heart sign" may be a sign of coronary heart disease. The "ear fold heart sign" refers to a depression between the tragus and the anti-tragus, extending outward to a diagonal line or wrinkle at the edge of the earlobe. The earlobe, located at the lowest part of the ear, is composed of fat and connective tissue. It has neither cartilage nor ligaments and muscles and is extremely sensitive to ischemia. When arteriosclerosis occurs, blood circulation is affected, reducing blood supply to the earlobe. Ischemia leads to vasoconstriction or even rupture, resulting in wrinkles. Medical researchers have observed numerous patients with coronary heart disease and found that the possibility of ear fold heart sign in coronary heart disease patients is high, while it is generally below 24% in normal people. Once this feature is found in one's ears, it is necessary to visit the hospital for examination as soon as possible to increase the chances of recovery.
