In our 'Know Your Body' (a little more) series, we aim to provide answers to the many questions you may have about the human body. So, after telling you about why we get a headache (despite the brain having no brain receptors), whether earwax is a type of sweat, if we appear to be (slightly) taller in the morning, and why a song or tune gets stuck in your head, we are here to answer a commonly-asked question: whether our ears never stop growing?! In fact, as you get older, you might even notice that your nose looks bigger or your earlobes look longer compared to when you were younger. So, is there any truth to this widely believed notion? According to a WebMD analysis, one's ears indeed change as you get older, but it isn’t that they’re growing. "Instead, what you’re seeing is the effects of skin changes and gravity. Other parts of your body change in the same ways, but your ears are more visible and more noticeable," it reads. Dr Ankush Sayal, ENT Specialist, Primus Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi told indianexpress.com that the belief is false since the cartilage, a flexible tissue (which is harder than the skin but softer than the bones), in our ears does not keep growing. In fact, it "loses its elasticity and firmness with age, leading to the appearance of longer or droopier ears," he added. "This change may vary among individuals depending on genetic and lifestyle factors, and certain medical conditions may also affect the appearance of the ears. Nevertheless, the notion that our ears never stop growing is false. It is vital to keep in mind that our bodies continue to undergo changes throughout our lives, and ear appearance may be one of many factors that can alter over time," Dr Sayal said. Scientifically, the ear grows till the age of 17 years, Dr Anish Gupta, Lead Consultant - ENT- CK Birla hospital, Gurugram said. "So, the actual phenotypically growth, mature size and pinnacle size is usually developed and achieved around 15- 17 years. After that, there is no such growth seen as such, and the pinna (outer part of the ear) remains the same inside throughout life. And as far as hearing is concerned, it remains same as at birth," Dr Gupta described. Additionally, as we grow older, the tissues get softer. "Even the pinna gets loose. Sometimes the cartilage may loosen, which may close the ear canal and result in some kind of hearing issue," said Dr Gupta. But the size of the pinna, size of the ear, and external ear remains same throughout the life once it's achieved the mature size, added Dr Gupta. 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
