Ear Candling !!

slinkeecat · Aug 30, 2005

I went to the health food store which is ran by the local town gypsy/ hippie...

She told me about it and I thought well I will try it on the whole family and it was amazing.... My husband talked very loudly prior to this and now he speaks in a normal tone of voice and says his hearing has immensly improved.... my daughters said that afterward they felt their hearing is better....When you do it and then look into the candle and see all the ear funk that is vaccumed out it will totally gross you out . So worth it

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Aug 30, 2005

Is this something people should be doing at all? I thought sticking anything inside of ears is a big no-no.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2005

Is this something people should be doing at all? I thought sticking anything inside of ears is a big no-no.

You don't stick it inside the ear, I think it just is placed against it. I've heard it's very very good, and safer than using q-tips or oils to clean the ears. It's also supposed to be very soothing, like meditation almost.

HealthyRN · Aug 30, 2005

I've tried ear candling. It's great! Yo,u place the end of the funnel shaped candle in your ear, but it does not go all the way down the ear canal. If you do it correctly, it's perfectly safe. However, another person to assist is essential. I bought the candles at a health food store, but I can't remember the name brand. If you read the product information carefully, it does say that the waxy material seen around the inside of the candle is not actually ear wax but is wax from the candle itself. The heat and smoke from the candle loosen ear wax and it then falls out gradually over the next day or so, mostly while sleeping. It is very relaxing and it does help remove ear wax.

Katnip, RN · Aug 30, 2005

I've heard of this, too. I've never tried it, but I know several people who have and they had positive results. Me, I'd catch my hair on fire or something. (I'm pretty sure the candle isn't lit when it's in your ear, but I'd find a way to do damage.)

babynursewannab · Aug 30, 2005

My husband has the most amazing wax capacity in his ears of any human out there, I'm sure....even his doctors are stunned. Candling is the ONLY way his ears get clear. It's not harmful - nothing actually goes into the ear canal and it is absolutely painless. We LOVE it!

ljds · Aug 30, 2005

According to The Straight Dope, there is no difference between the wax in your ears before and after candling. I have done this before, and then burned the candle without putting it in my ear, and got the same amount of "wax" on the bottom of the ear candle -- even though it wasn't in my ear!

>shrug

My mom swears by it, and I have heard that others have had great experiences as well. I guess I think that it feels good to have the warmth in the ear; but I'm skeptical that there is actually enough of a vacuum to clean out the ears.

There is the risk of pushing/impacting the wax in your ear when you do it, and also hot wax can drip down into your ear and cause internal burns.

I think that if you want to do it, fine, and if it seems to make a difference, great. I wouldn't do it alone, though. Get someone to help you out.

Lori

HealthyRN · Aug 30, 2005

According to The Straight Dope, there is no difference between the wax in your ears before and after candling. I have done this before, and then burned the candle without putting it in my ear, and got the same amount of "wax" on the bottom of the ear candle -- even though it wasn't in my ear!
>shrug
My mom swears by it, and I have heard that others have had great experiences as well. I guess I think that it feels good to have the warmth in the ear; but I'm skeptical that there is actually enough of a vacuum to clean out the ears.
There is the risk of pushing/impacting the wax in your ear when you do it, and also hot wax can drip down into your ear and cause internal burns.
I think that if you want to do it, fine, and if it seems to make a difference, great. I wouldn't do it alone, though. Get someone to help you out.
Lori

The candle does not create a vacuum to get out the wax! The wax seen on the inside of the candle is not wax from the ear, but from the candle itself. The ear wax is softened from the heat and comes out naturally over the next day or so.

It is necessary to have someone assist with ear candling because of the risk of burning or catching your hair on fire. The wax from the candle does not really run down the candle though, so I wouldn't be worried about getting wax on the inside of the ear.

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 30, 2005

Hi all
I have been researching the use of EAR CANDLING for wax removal etc. Has anyone out there used this method or received this therapy themselves, and if so with what results. ? Also which candles are best to use and do you know any that are reasonable to buy ? :)

Ear candling or coning has been around for centuries. The ancient Egyptians and Orient used beeswax and linen made from flax to fashion the "candle". The correct term now is auricular candling/coning.

The typical candle should be made from beeswax and unbleached cotton cloths. They are approximately 12 inches long (9 - 12) and burn about ten minutes.

Before starting the procedure, verification of the absence of a perforated eardrum should be done. The large end of the candle is lit and the smaller end is placed snuggly in the ear canal. This ensures no escape of smoke and makes a gentle vacuum. Drapes are used to keep wax from dripping on clothes/skin.

As the candle burns the softer wax oxidizes and turns into vapor during the procedure, ....you can see the remainder of the debris in the cone after completion, too. The warmth from the coning softens the wax and allows for natural expulsion later.

Now, that being said........there are numerous dangers with the procedure....burns, obstruction by dripping wax, perforated eardrums, fires started with the procedure resulting in the death of the user.

Ear candling is done with a medical device that is NOT approved by the FDA. Many companies selling these devices have been cited by the FDA>>>> :balloons:

ljds · Aug 30, 2005

The candle does not create a vacuum to get out the wax! The wax seen on the inside of the candle is not wax from the ear, but from the candle itself. The ear wax is softened from the heat and comes out naturally over the next day or so.

My bad. I've only ever read that it is a gentle vacuum that draws the wax out of the ear. If you goggle ear candling, you get the majority of websites that offer candles or candling claiming that it is a gentle vacuum that draws wax out of the ears:

http://www.dakara.com/faqear.html

http://www.earsalive.com/Intro--tables.htm

http://www.freewebs.com/heatherlmt/faqsbenefits.htm

http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2001/12/ear-candeling.htm

These seem closer to what you describe:

http://www.usanest.org/faq.htm#1

http://www.globalherbalsupplies.com/earcandles/

Like I said, I don't know. I'm just going by what I can read; I have yet to read a scientific study that shows improvement in hearing, sinuses, or ear wax accumulation after candling. Doesn't mean it's not out there, or that there isn't a benefit that isn't readily measured.

I'm kind of a "if it works, who cares why it works" sort of person. My mom hasn't had an ear infection in two years, since she has started candling. She has also changed her diet, started to exercise, and lost 30 pounds. I don't really care why she hasn't had an ear infection -- I'm just happy she's not popping antibiotics like candy anymore.

Anyhow, there are my thoughts, worth perhaps 2 cents.... :rolleyes:

Lori

Katnip, RN · Aug 30, 2005

Ahhh. I was under the impression that you didn't actually have the candle lit. Learn something new every day.

My husband can use this. He has to see a doc every couple of months to get the wax out. They use a water pik. He won't let me flush it myself. I don't know how he would feel about candles though.