Your eyes may show the look of love and your nose may be able to smell like a bloodhound’s but apparently your ears know a thing or two about your health. We may think our ears are only for allowing us ato hear sounds from the beat of a drum to the whisper of a child, but they do quite a bit more than just let noise in.

Everything about our ears from how they look to the amount of wax they produce can be clues to our overall state of health. Here are several ways our ears may be trying to get your attention loud and clear:

· Earlobe crease

Take a close look at your earlobes – are they smooth and unwrinkled? Good. Or do they have a diagonal crease (also called “Frank’s sign” after the doctor who first noticed it)? If so, point it out to your doctor. It possibly might be a potential indicator of heart disease. Scientists don’t know what causes the crease and not everyone who has the crease will go on to develop heart disease. But a study conducted in 2012 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that individuals with a diagonal crease were more likely to show signs of heart disease than those without them. However, not all doctors are convinced as there is no definitive proof the crease is a direct link to coronary artery disease.

· Hearing loss

We expect hearing loss as we age but it can also be a symptom of various systemic diseases like diabetes. A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that hearing loss is twice as common in diabetes compared to those without it. Individuals with prediabetes have been found to have a 30% higher rate of hearing loss than people with normal blood sugar levels. It is not certain as to why hearing loss is higher in people with diabetes but it could be due to reduced blood supply to the ear. Also metabolic changes that occur in diabetes could harm the inner ear, especially if blood sugar levels are not managed well.

· Ear pain

Next time you have ear pain, it may not necessarily be from an ear infection. The pain may be coming from your jaw with the culprit often being the temporomandibular joint or TMJ. This joint is what connects your jaw to bones that sit in front of each ear. If TMJ is occurring, it can trigger ear pain particularly when chewing food, talking or opening your mouth wide. A dentist or ENT doctor can help diagnosis the situation.

· Ringing in the ears

Tinnitus or ringing in the ears can be due to almost 200 different problems ranging from anxiety and depression to hypertension. If this condition comes on suddenly and it’s not due to attending a particularly loud rock concert, it is advisable to have it checked out. In rare cases, tinnitus could be a benign brain tumor known as an acoustic neuroma which grows on the nerve that affects hearing. Generally, most cases of ringing in the ears are short lived and not serious.

· Itchy ears

If your ears have been itchy lately, it could be a sign of a fungal infection or other ear irritation. Another possible cause is psoriasis, which occurs when the immune system attacks your skin by mistake. When psoriasis occurs in the ears, it can be painful and can lead to a buildup of dead skin making it hard for you to hear. See a doctor who can help to manage the situation.

· A buildup of earwax

No one really likes earwax but pay attention to it as there is a correlation between earwax and its consistency with certain conditions. For instance, normal earwax ranges from light orange to dark brown in color. But if it’s white, yellow, green, or black, that suggests an infection and you need to see a doctor. Also, earwax should never smell but if it does, that could be a sign of an infection too.

Earwax that is flaky and dry could indicate eczema. A persistent feeling of earwax in your ear canal could mean it’s blocked and should be cleaned out by your doctor.