Does Ear Candeling Really Work?

my mom and sister do this and they love it! My sister (adult) says it feels really good. I have never done it though

Oh, dear.

I am going to try to keep this short and sweet.

No, it does not work. Please think about what it is alleging it does, then think about how much force would be needed to do what it is alleging it does.

Do some research before wasting your money.

The "gunk" you think came out of your ears will be wax. And it is dangerous to put a burning thing in your ear.

These websites that say it works, are they websites that also sell these things?

Oh, dear.

I am usually totally gung ho for all natural things...but this is Not one of them, this will not help and is totally dangerous...please please please let the professionals do what must be done and keep a burning implement away from anyone's ears!

**Why Candling Can't Work** http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candlin...

Since wax is sticky, the negative pressure needed to pull wax from the canal would have to be so powerful that it would rupture the eardrum in the process. However, candling produces no vacuum. Researchers who measured the pressure during candling of ear models found that no negative pressure was created. The same investigators candled eight ears and found that no ear wax was removed and candle wax was actually deposited in some of them! [3]

The notion that the ear canal is connected to structures beyond the eardrum is false. A review of a good anatomy book should dispel this notion. The external ear canal, with an intact eardrum, is not connected to the brain, the sinuses targeted by the procedure (those above your eyes), or the Eustachian tubes (the passageways between the internal ear and the back of the throat). While some claim that the eardrum is porous and quickly allows impurities to pass through, this is untrue. The "impurities" that appear in the collected wax (usually on a paper plate or other collecting device) are nothing more than the ashes from the burnt wick and wax of the cone itself.

Dangers Reported

Candling poses several dangers, the most serious of which involve burning caused by the hot wax. Candle manufacturers claim that their candles will drip only down the outside of the ear, but shamefully few direct the user to hold the candle horizontally to prevent this. A 1996 survey of 144 ear, nose, and throat physicians, found that 14 had seen patients who had been harmed by ear candling, including at least 13 cases of external burns, 7 cases of ear canal obstruction with candle wax, and 1 perforated eardrum [3].

Another case was reported by The London Free Press, a Canadian newspaper. A woman who experienced stuffiness in the nose and ear pains while scuba diving went to a local health-food store and was referred to a "qualified" candler. During the "treatment," she felt an intense burning in her ear. At the emergency room, attempts to remove wax that had dripped from the candle onto her eardrum failed. Surgery was required, and a hole in her eardrum was discovered, which presumably was caused by the procedure. She recovered fully, and luckily her hearing was not affected. The practitioner apologized, compensated the woman, and stopped performing ear coning.

Alaska Fire Marshall Gary L. Powell has reported two instances of significant fires associated with ear candling., one of which led to the user's death. On January 27, 2005 a 59-year-old woman ignited her bedding when she dropped an ear candle that she was attempting to use the ear without any assistance. The candle ignited the bedding and quickly spread to curtains and other combustibles in the room. The woman did escaped but suffered an asthma attack and died in a hospital emergency room [4].

Scary stuff, and that is just One of the many sites that came up when I googled it!

I had my first fluid build up in my ear in march and it hurt so bad I almost cried. My husband did that to me (took bout 4 times) but my ear finally popped and all the grossness that came out was unbelievable! It worked for us.

When my husband was desperate one time (he had a cold that clogged his ears and his hearing was diminished for about 2 weeks--which prohibited him from working) we heard about them and tried it.
1) We've since read that they do nothing, and if you burn one alone, it has the same "stuff" in it at the bottom than if you do it in conjunction with your ear.
2) You can catch the house on fire (or your hair, or your ear)--it REALLY IS a fire hazard.
3) If your daughter is not wanting to be still, you increase your chances of something/someone getting burned.

Let the doctor do whatever needs doing. Ears are delicate, and fires are dangerous. ;)

oh.. and it did absolutely NOTHING for my husband.

Research shows NO, IT DOES NOT WORK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZwkZUrtJmg

From the government: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/Safe...

VIDEO showing it is a SCAM!
Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RLbwGoWaCc&feature=re...
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF3FIwzVgSE&feature=re...

I had it done once. I don't notice much difference.

You can order them on-line and do it yourself.

I'm still on the fence on candling. I try all kinds of stuff and normally have an opinion.

I don't think it would hurt to try.

i like it. you may have trouble with her because you are sticking a flaming stick in her ear, but you might be able to do it while she is sleeping on her side.
some people say it can dry the ear too much. if you notice this problem, ask at you healthfood store about some oil to drop in her ear after.

I do this about once every 6months. I used to have cleaning at the ENT office myself when I was younger. Then I heard about the candles and I swear by them. I can't clean my ears any other way due to draining problems. I use a pie tin or a paper plate covered with foil so if anything drips on plate won't catch fire. I have been doin this for 5 years and never once have I had a problem or catch anything on fire.
I hope this helps

It does work, but you have to make sure you buy quality candles. I buy Wally's brand, and they have a little plastic insert at the opening that goes in your ear (inside the candle, youcan't really see it) that prevents the opening from being too wide. Some candles don't have that, and if the opening is too wide, the earwax can drip back down into the ear, causing problems. I buy mine at GNC.

UPDATE:
I just read Bethany's post and wanted to share how we do it (even our littles). I get a paper plate, pop a little hole in the middle of the plate, and put the candle through it. So, if there were any drips, they would drip on the plate. It isn't at all stressful for the children because they only see the plate, and not the fire or anything from the candle out of the corner of their eye. I have them lay down on the couch with their head on a pillow. Then, make sure the candle is comfy in their ear before lighting it. I light it while in the ear. When it is about 1/2 way done, I pull it out of their ear and THEN blow it out (not while in the ear). Then, I cut off the burned part into a mug of water. I have the roll over to the other side, and repeat the process. Don't let the candle burn closer than about 3" short. We then like to unroll the rest of the candle to see what all was sucked out of the ear. LOL The kids love that part.

i think the websites that say it really works are paid advertisements.

My best Friend and I had a movie night at her house one time...Our Naturopath had recommended her to try it. So, I went over to help(the likely hood of burning you hair off or possibly your ear is very high)...We thought it was working...There was funky stuff collecting. but in the end we tried melting the cones the way it is supposed to be melted, away from her ear..and the same stuff started collecting..

Needless to say she has not asked me to come do it again...I dont know if we were really just doing it wrong...OR...it is just a bunch of bananananananas:)

I tried it and I loved it. For the first time in years I didn't feel clogged.

It may not be a good idea for your daughter because she needs to stay very still during it.

The proceedure should be done by someone who has been professionally trained.

Also, the people who are saying it doesn't work... have they tried it? Mostly I would say NO. They are just reposting information they found on the internet. No one really knows what will work or won't work for them without trying it themself.

While in your daughter's instance, I wouldn't recommend it, I do it every few years and it does work. It is dangerous though. I have to line my head and face with tin foil to keep from getting burned.

I have gone in for ear cleaning and the cost at our doctors is outrageous. I have had such plugged ears that I tried candle waxing and it seemed to remove some but after reading about how dangerous it is if not done right, worry's me. Then my doctor told me a trick that works wonders and doesn't hardly cost a thing. You take Dawn dishwashing liquid, the blue original kind, put a couple drops in the ear canal and lay with it in there for about 5 minutes or so then with a bulb, rinse the ear canal out. It breaks up the wax and cleans the ear really well. She said to make sure it is only orignial Dawn because it is safe and make sure it is rinsed out well.