Is Ear Candling Really Safe?

Examining the Efficacy and Safety of Using Candles to Clean Ears

Oct 23, 2009 Dustin Eves

Standing tall and proud with the ranks of pseudosciences is ear candling. Though numerous people tout its health benefits, doctors say candling is dangerous.

Ear candling is the practice of placing a lit candle above the ear in order to draw out excessive earwax and other things that may be stuck in the ear. It is said to relieve a number of ailments, many involving the head, brain, and nasal passageways. Among the health problems that candling is reported to relieve are dry hacking cough, tinnitus, sinus headaches, poor hearing, and itchy ears. Though many claim to have seen results from ear candling, a number of health professionals say the benefits of it cannot be proven.

How Ear Candling Works

To begin an ear candling session, a special candle is lit and placed on a plate meant to catch melted wax drippings. A hole or cone in the bottom of the plate and underneath the candle is then inserted into the ear. This is said to create a light vacuum effect to draw waste out of ears. A session generally lasts anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes.

Dangers Associated With Ear Candling

Doctors have stated that ear candling is dangerous for a number of reasons. First, a large number of people who practice candling have discovered melted wax inside the ear canal after a session. This can lead to burns, ear blockage, or eardrum damage.

Even if the wax itself doesn't find its way into the ear, candling can also cause the eardrum to become very hot, which is also potentially dangerous, though many practitioners claim there will only be a slightly warm sensation.

Also, a number of home fires have been started because of candling, at least one of which lead to the user's death.

Ear Candling Efficacy

One of the claims of ear candling is that dirtiness found in melted wax is waste that has been removed from the ear. Tests have found this not to be the case; the cloth fibers that can be found within ear candles burns away and contributes to the wax's blackness.

Also, some claim that ear candling sucks impurities from the brain, but there is no connection from the ear canal to the brain, making this claim impossible.

In addition, earwax is a sticky substance that clings to the ear with some force. A very forceful vacuum would be needed to actually "suck" earwax out of an ear, and a vacuum of such power would almost definitely damage the ear.

Still, some find that their symptoms are lessened after an ear candling session. This may be due to the placebo effect, meaning the patients see results only because they expected to. Or, perhaps there is some other process going on during the candling process that has effect for some people, though this has never been proven. Whatever the real reasons, it is best to exercise caution and even skepticism when considering ear candling.

Sources

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html

http://www.earcandling.com/

The copyright of the article Is Ear Candling Really Safe? in Natural Medicine is owned by Dustin Eves. Permission to republish Is Ear Candling Really Safe? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Ear candling is a controvercial pseudoscience.

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Comments

Oct 26, 2009 3:31 PM

maddox916 :

There are a lot of myths about ear candling that need to be cleared up. Many companies try to market ear candles as a miraculous device that sucks wax right out of your ear. This is not true. The smoke from the candle enters your ear, causing the wax to dry and harden and fall out of your ear naturally. The gunk inside is actually wax and suit from the candle itself. I've found that the Wally's <a href="http://www.wallysnatural.com/ear-candling-faq">Ear Candling FAQ</a> page has a lot of good information regarding how ear candles work.

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