Scientists hail earwax test for checking stress hormone levels

[helvella]

Over the years there has been much discussion about how to measure cortisol. Interesting to read about a new approach.

Certainly has the singular advantage over blood testing of being straightforward to get the sample.

Not sure quite why they seem to emphasise depression so strongly. I'm sure low cortisol isn't the only, or even main, cause of depression.

Scientists hail earwax test for checking stress hormone levels

Researchers say cortisol sampling technique could transform diagnostics for people with depression

A test that uses earwax to measure levels of the stress hormone cortisol could “transform diagnostics and care for millions of people with depression or stress-related conditions”, scientists have said.

The researchers believe the test, which can be done at home without clinical supervision, may also have the potential to measure glucose or Covid-19 antibodies that accumulate in earwax.

Rest of article accessible here:

theguardian.com/science/202...

[humanbean]

Not sure quite why they seem to emphasise depression so strongly. I'm sure low cortisol isn't the only, or even main, cause of depression.

I didn't notice a reference to "low" cortisol specifically. The article didn't mention whether they were looking for low or high cortisol.

I'm dubious about the emphasis on depression as well. What are they going to use the test for? To dish out more addictive anti-depressants to all and sundry?

I seriously doubt they will advise patients on how to raise low cortisol or lower high cortisol, or treat them to achieve a "better" cortisol level.

[helvella Administrator in reply to humanbean]

They do mention Addison's - which triggered my thought. But also Cushing's.

[TSH110]

Well I never! I knew artists used it in the past as an additive to paints.

[Hillwoman in reply to TSH110]

Earwax??? 😲 We artists can use beeswax and other waxes in oil and encaustic painting, but you need rather more than the average ear canal can produce. 🤢

[TSH110 in reply to Hillwoman]

No seriously it was used in the Middle Ages by calligraphers and rubicators to mix with pigments for illuminated manuscripts and even more recently it was added to watercolours I presume to make them more viscous - natural glycerin - pans are a fairly recent invention 🤣🤣🤣 I think guilders may have used it too. Google it and it should come up

[Hillwoman in reply to TSH110]

Blimey! I learn something new here every day!

[JGBH]

Here we go again..... depression! "Let's sedate all those annoying patients".... What is wrong with those scientists wanting to find any excuse to label patients with depression at any possible excuse? Must have shares in Big Pharma. They should be using their time and monetary funds in a better way. What next indeed?

[LindaC]

Not producing much!? Thanks very interessting.

[Polaris]

Thank you for posting this really interesting article helvella !

After attending hospital for suspected Addison's Disease in May, I was surprised to find that almost every test but cortisol had been carried out by the hospital. I've since also been refused a cortisol test by my surgery, even though I have TD, B12def/PA and had just suffered an agonising back injury (which some research says could bring on AD).

It appeared on reading more about hypoadrenalism (AD) that there could be a definite link between cortisol, hypothyroidism and PA/B12 def.:

"Addison spotted a connection between vitamin B12 deficiency (manifested in the form of PA) and glandular damage."

b12d.org/book

Chapter 7 -"Autoimmune glandular disorders with special reference to APS and hypoadrenalism (Addison's)", available to read on the above link.

[Hidden]

I get loads of it sounds squelchy often which then irritates so have to have a dig out!

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Ideal for sample collecting!

[tattybogle]

Sound like an excellent way to sell millions of little plastic gizmos that people can stick in their ears... i can't see how it would be better than a 24 hr saliva test for cortisol, and i don't really see where depression comes into it at all. They don't currently seem to need any test to accuse you of having depression ,or 'treat' it.

Who paid for this vitally important research ?

Do all antibodies collect in earwax ?

Can we perhaps have a home T3 earwax test ?

I'm struggling to get really excited about this wonderful discovery.

[Polaris in reply to tattybogle]

Agree about plastic gismos and feel that depression is a bit of a red herring too.

But, as I understand it, researchers are saying the earwax test could more accurately reflect chronic cortisol levels, as they "appear to be more stable, and with our new device, it’s easy to take a sample and get it tested quickly, cheaply and effectively."

To avoid dealing with any more prevarications with my surgery, (which was only making stress levels even worse), I consulted a herbalist and am already feeling an amazing difference 🤞🤗

[helvella Administrator in reply to tattybogle]

Given the publicity about cotton buds, I'd not be at all surprised if these are based on wood or rolled paper sticks.

The biggest advantage claimed is that they indicate the broad average of cortisol level rather than the instantaneous level as in blood or saliva. Somewhat similar to the way that HbA1c is claimed to indicate average blood glucose. Meaning a test can be done at any time. All too many cortisol blood tests are done as a single random test with the time of day not really considered.

The article did mention the possibility of detecting Covid-19 antibodies. (Though everyone now seems to mention Covid-19 regardless the real utility.)

It would be very interesting to see what else can be measured.

As for depression, I utterly fail to understand why that is regarded as an important issue here. All too many patients have suffered depression due to thyroid (or B12) issues. And many more without having thyroid or B12 issues. And even worse, rarely tested for either.

If organic causes of depression are at last going to be recognised and tested, hopefully before considering anti-depressants, we need a comprehensive set of tests to cover the ground. Not "a random one of cortisol/thyroid/B12" and ignore every other possibility.

[tattybogle in reply to helvella]

Ok, now i've tried harder to take it seriously , i agree with you and Polaris ,that the cortisol bit could be useful.

But i'll hang on to my scepticism about the plastic bit and the depression bit until proved otherwise

[helvella Administrator in reply to tattybogle]

I think we are both sceptical of the depression bit.

I think what is said would only really make sense if high or low cortisol was widely understood and accepted as a cause of depression.

[tattybogle in reply to helvella]

maybe they've skipped that bit , and just made a test kit that says

Low cortisol = depressed = take some antidepressants

Normal cortisol = depressed, but it's all in your head = take some antidepressants

High cortisol= stress has led to your depression= take some antidepressants

[TSH110 in reply to tattybogle]

Lol 🤣🤣🤣 but too near to the truth for comfort

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to tattybogle]

That fits with my three ages of woman.

1. Too young to have anything wrong.

2. Menopausal

3. Too old to bother about.

[TSH110 in reply to tattybogle]

There seem to be a lot of gizmos for getting earwax out - it’s plagued people since at least Roman times. Given I went quite deaf before being treated for hypothyroidism and it massively improved after treatment (also my near monochrome vision was filled with colour again), T3 must be important in the lugs and perhaps it does have an earwax footprint. If they can’t even be bothered to look for levels in the blood, I have little faith in T3 earwax detection being taken up any time soon ☹️

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to TSH110]

Once they discover it might inform them about thyroid levels I expect it will no longer be used.

[nightingale-56 in reply to tattybogle]

A home FT3 test would be even better tattybogle . xx

[Fruitandnutcase]

What is it ear specialists say ‘don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear’.

It won’t half be depressing when people start sticking gizmos in their ear and perforating their eardrums.

[TSH110 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Those gizmos are out there in abundance. I admit I do put a q tip in to winkle out any excess about twice a year . It seems obvious to me where to stop in the ear canal. Foolish maybe, but there’s nothing worse than too much wax in there. I’ve been doing it without event for 45 years. I tried olive oil - very messy. The Romans used little spoon like tools for the same purpose and olive oil.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to TSH110]

My mother used to use a hair-grip to clean our ears when we were little. I don’t think Q-Tips had been invented back then. I found it really horrible and absolutely hated having it done. I can honestly say that after having that done I never poked anything into my children’s ears.

I get my ears vacuumed every now and again and in between I use an Earol almond oil pump thing I get from Boots to squirt a drip or two in each ear - it’s supposed to happen once a week but I tend to forget hence the vacuuming.

I’ve seen pictures of the little tools the Romans use - think some hearing clinics still use something similar as well as the vacuuming.

[TSH110 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

OMG that sounds awful! I am so glad you didn’t perpetuate the hair grip delve and subject your children to it, I’d be terrified of wrecking someone else’s hearing . I don’t know when qtips first appeared at least 45 years ago, the only worry is the end coming off in the lug hole but it’s never happened yet. Mine never clog up so I am pretty lucky. I think the Romans used almond oil as well as olive oil. Most of their medical tools are the same as the modern ones.

[Angel_of_the_North]

I don't make much ear wax - I can tell by how clean my hearing aids are. I wonder what that proves.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Don’t know but I suspect you might be very lucky. I make a lot and fortunately I don’t need hearing aids at the moment but I suspect it might be a problem,

[TSH110 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

The wax part must be working perfectly but it is such a shame you need heating aids.

[Hidden]

Severe depression can actually cause pseudo Cushing's where all the results come back high but is not due to either long term steroid use, or a pituitary or adrenal tumour. People who have been diagnosed with Cushing's where their cortisol levels are really high do suffer from depression as the high cortisol affects our cognitive abilities, cortisol is used in every cell of the body so when it is high it causes a lot of damage. Although testing earwax may show levels of cortisol it won't stop the need to do many other tests to diagnose either Cushing's syndrome or adrenal insufficiency.

[vocalEK]

It will probably take 17 years for that test to come into common use. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[lady_eve]

I really had to check the calendar when I saw the headline. But, no, it's not April 1st. As someone who's had zero success in persuading doctors to take salivary cortisol test results seriously, I can't wait to moot this one.

[helvella Administrator in reply to lady_eve]

😀😀😀

[humanbean in reply to lady_eve]

You could post your saliva cortisol test results on this forum and get some feedback.