Do you know why some people are born with tiny holes above their ears?

LONDON: A little fragment of people are born with tiny, barely visible holes above their ears… but it has a medical reason that everyone is not aware of.

People born with such trait are not strange fish people, or aliens. Rather, they’re a tiny segment of the population who are born with something called a preauricular sinus.

In the UK, just under one per cent of people have them. In the US, the frequency is lower, and in Asia and parts of Africa, around four to ten per cent of people may be affected.

Preauricular Sinus. A blessing or a curse? I’m afraid I have this. 🙁 pic.twitter.com/00HSr1uE3R

— Kiara Sapinoso (@kiarasapinoso) December 31, 2013

Simply put, the malformations are ‘nodules, dents, or dimples’ that are exposed anywhere around the external ear – specifically, where the ‘face’ and the ear cartilage meet.

The preauricular sinus is, technically, a hereditary birth defect that was first documented by a scientist called Van Heusinger in 1864. Usually they’re found on one side, but up to 50 per cent of people have them on both.

Akhirnya saya tahu apa nama lubang sebesar ujung pensil di antara daun telinga dan wajah yang dimiliki suami saya : Fistula Preaurikular Kongenital . Suami saya memiliki lubang itu pada dua telinganya, sedangkan bayi kami hanya memiliki lubang itu pada telinga sebelah kiri. Saya pikir ini mungkin penyakit menurun. . Semoga penyakit ini tidak membawa dampak apa-apa pada bayi kami. Karena suami saya sampai saat ini tidak mengeluh apa-apa karena lubang tersebut. Hanya mengeluh kalau ada sekret/cairan yang bau bila dipencet. . Ada beberapa kasus yang dioperasi. Tapi kalau tidak terjadi apa-apa, tak apalah dibiarkan saja. . Saya menganggap itu suatu ciptaan Alloh SWT yang luar biasa 😉 . Sudah bersyukur sekali bayi kami memiliki telinga yang lengkap dan berfungsi normal dan baik 🙏😊 . #preauricularsinus #babycenter #allaboutbaby #FistulaPreaurikularKongenital

A photo posted by m r s . B A N D E L L A (@lelylunalie) on Jul 24, 2015 at 8:56pm PDT

According to Business Insider , one evolutionary biologist, Neil Shubin, says the holes could be an “evolutionary remnant of fish gills.”

But if you are part of the one per cent, there’s not usually anything to worry about. They might be linked to other things, but don’t tend to cause problems. The most likely issue is for the holes to become infected, something that can be easily treated with antibiotics. However, occasionally surgery is required to remove the sinus.

Some cultures have created myths around them, including in Ethiopia where they are said to grant wealth.

preauricular sinus = free forward helix piercing

A photo posted by Ask When (@askuswhen) on Feb 28, 2016 at 9:27pm PST

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