Scientists have developed a test that will use earwax to determine a person’s stress level.
This innovative method can be performed at home without medical supervision. It will provide an inexpensive means of measuring the stress hormone cortisol within the body. Cortisol is the hormone that signals the brain whenever a person experiences a stressful situation. This brain signal will then trigger a person’s instinctual response.
Dr. Andres Herane-Vives, of University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, lead researcher of the study, published the findings in the medical journal Heliyon.
“Cortisol sampling is notoriously difficult, as levels of the hormone can fluctuate, so a sample might not be an accurate reflection of a person’s chronic cortisol levels. Moreover, sampling methods themselves can induce stress and influence the results.” He goes on to add “But cortisol levels in earwax 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.”
The study was conducted using 37 participants. Herane-Vives and his team were able to develop a special cotton swab for the study that will not go too far into the ear, ensuring that no damage is done. Hair and blood samples were also taken from the participants to compare sampling methods. The study concluded that earwax samples collected more cortisol than hair samples.
In addition, scientists believe that this test may be able to measure COVID-19 antibodies. However, further testing is still needed to further explore this theory.
