Have you ever hear of ear candling? Proponents of ear candling claim that placing hollow candles in the ear and burning them down removes ear wax and toxins. Moreover, they claim that the practice promotes general health and well-being.
Claims Associated with Ear Candles
People who sell, manufacture, and use ear candles say that ear candling creates a suction effect. Placing one end of the candle in the ear and then lighting the other end — they say — warms up the ear wax and allows the candle to suction it up into the candle’s center. Additionally, they claim that such a practice promotes relaxation and toxin removal. The process of ear candling takes about 15 minutes per ear. People who did this lie first on one side, then the other, allowing the candles to burn down.
Those with persistent wax buildup might feel encouraged and excited to think they might be able to safely and effectively remove ear wax themselves, at home. One doctor of audiology in Arizona, Dr. Cliff Olson, put ear candles to the text in a recent video. He uses a video otoscopy to show what happens in the ear before and after ear candling.
Do Ear Candles Work for Ear Wax Removal?
Dr. Olson proves — definitively — that ear candling does not work to remove wax from patients’ ears. Before and after video of one patient’s ear wax shows conclusively that ear candling made no difference, and even left a soot-like substance in the patient’s ear. Additionally, those interested in using ear candles may also like to know that many other doctors and professionals agree with Dr. Olson’s findings.
Are Ear Candles Dangerous?
If you fall into the hippy camp, you can stop reading right now. You will likely continue on with your practices in spite of what the professionals tell you. However, if you have used ear candles in the past, thinking they are helping remove ear wax, you might be interested in understanding the potentially negative things that can happen to you.
- You could burn yourself, set your clothing on fire, and burn your house down. Well, that might be an exaggeration. BUT, it is a proven fact that candles — any candles — used in the home are dangerous and can cause house fires. So, please don’t use a candle PERCHED PRECARIOUSLY IN YOUR EAR CANAL! You could really hurt yourself, dear reader!
- If you happy to have a punctured ear drum while using an ear candle, wax could fall into your inner ear. This would require surgery — YES, SURGERY — to remove. And, we don’t want you to get surgery because of using some weird, over-priced product you purchased at that tiny, equally weird natural health food store that smells of incense and homemade goat milk soap.
- The soot and smoke from the candle can settle in your ear. This can cause ear infection in those who use ear candles regularly. EW! Don’t become like your snotty-nosed three year old who gets regular ear infections from her germ-infested nursery school interactions.
What to Do for Wax Removal
Do you suspect you might have ear wax build-up? If you want to remove it “naturally,” please visit your friendly neighborhood audiologist. Ear wax may be removed naturally using a specially designed tool created specifically to remove wax. This safe treatment is also relaxing. Moreover, it’s actually effective. Please contact us to schedule a FREE HEARING CONSULTATION to find out if you have wax build-up or hearing loss. We would LOVE to help you discover what’s actually going on with your ears.