The FDA warns against using ear candles due to their ineffectiveness and potential serious risks of injury posed by them, including burns, blockage of the ear canal by wax from the candle and perforation of an eardrum.
Ear candling does not work due to the eardrum separating the middle and inner ears from the external ear canal, and research has demonstrated that material left on burned candle stubs after candle flame is no evidence of actual earwax accumulation as claimed.
Ear Infections
Ear candling has long been recognized in massage therapy circles as a method to soothe tension associated with an ear infection, but isn’t meant as an actual cure for its cause. Furthermore, it poses serious harm to ear canals, eardrums and surrounding skin due to potential burns from both candle flames as well as any melting wax which drips during the process.
Ear candling involves inserting a hollow candle made of fabric soaked in wax (paraffin and/or beeswax) into your outer ears, usually held in place with paper, tin foil, or plastic squares to avoid hot wax dripping down onto your face, neck or hair. Once lit and burning for several minutes, its stub should then be trimmed off.
Ear candling works on the theory that candle heat creates a suction effect within an ear canal, sucking out wax and debris into its hollow candle. Unfortunately, your ear canal is very delicate, as is your eardrum; too strong of suction could rupture it easily. Furthermore, scientific measurements before and after candling have shown no difference in earwax levels in either group of canals.
Regarding the black matter found inside a candle after a session, this isn’t actually earwax; rather it’s residue from burning the candle itself.
Earwax is your body’s natural way of protecting the inner ear from bacteria, dead skin cells, loose hairs, inflammation and more. As such, its production shouldn’t be disturbed with at-home cleaning methods like cotton swabs. Removing too much earwax could actually cause more harm; so before making any drastic decisions to treat your infection yourself it is advisable to speak to either your family doctor or an ENT. There are safe, effective solutions available that could reduce earwax issues or treat common issues like excess production – please seek medical advice first before acting upon them alone!
Burns
Ear candling is usually only performed by non-medical professionals or DIY kits; doctors do not advise it due to its potential health risks. According to FDA warnings, ear candling may result in burns, perforated eardrums and worsened impacted earwax issues – not to mention infection and vertigo problems!
A practitioner inserts and lights a hollow candle into your external ear canal before lighting it, supposedly creating light suction to pull away earwax from your ears and onto discarded candles – but scientific measurements of ear canals before and after candling show no significant reduction of earwax or other debris accumulations.
At best, the contents of a discarded candle consist of wax and burned candle material; at worst it may even include pieces of earwax that have melted under heat conditions. Burning candles also pose the danger of fire: should one become unstable and fall, it could strike and ignite itself, potentially setting fires nearby.
Ear candling can be dangerous, with no scientific studies to support its efficacy or safety. You could put yourself at risk of injuries such as infection, perforated eardrums and more serious health complications; the hot wax could even set fire to your hair or burn through to your eardrum.
If your ears have become blocked with wax buildup, there are safe methods available to you to help get rid of it. Warm water or drops may do the trick; otherwise it would be wiser to consult an audiologist. If your symptoms include pain or hearing loss, schedule an appointment immediately with one of these professionals; they’ll help identify appropriate treatments while avoiding unnecessary ones that could compromise hearing further. High quality hearing aids offer protection and come with free trials as well as 100 day money back guarantees – visit our site now to discover more – free trials available with 100 day money back guarantee!
Damage to the Ear Canal
Ear candling should never be performed as it can present many risks for the ear canal and cause severe injuries such as burns to face, head or neck areas; blockage of earwax; perforated eardrum ruptures; or buildup in the canal leading to diminished hearing that requires surgery to remedy.
No scientific evidence supports ear candles as a reliable method for clearing away earwax from the ear canal, according to studies. As evidenced by these tests, no reduction of earwax in the canal is evident after candling and levels may even increase due to increased wax deposition by an ear candle.
Candles should never be used as a replacement for medical treatments; rather, they should only ever be used as complementary measures. Ear candles have no bearing on middle ear space or Eustachian tubes which are integral parts of hearing, nor on conditions causing dizziness, balance issues or tinnitus symptoms and should never be used as such as treatments.
Ear candling involves placing a candle-like device, complete with its burning wick, into the ear canal and sealing it off using cloth, then lighting it. According to medical science, ear candling’s burning wick has an suction effect that draws in wax along with debris and bacteria into it from within the canal itself, providing relief.
However, this theory is severely flawed: Earwax naturally excretes from the ear canal through natural mechanisms like chewing and swallowing, with any manipulation to the canal such as cotton swabs pushing this natural earwax deeper into it where it will eventually dry up and flake off on its own.
Ear wax removal can also be easily and safely accomplished with a visit to a hearing care professional, who will perform an ear flush procedure that’s quick, safe, and effective – something they will likely do in-office themselves.
If your ears appear to be blocked with wax, seek professional advice from an audiologist before trying any unproven methods of removal. They will provide a full hearing evaluation and offer expert prognosis rather than risking your hearing by choosing untried methods of extraction.
Damage to the Eardrum
Ear candling works on the principle that hollow candles crafted of beeswax or other materials create a light suction which pulls earwax out of your ear canal through heat from flame. Some have even claimed that melting the wax with heat caused more freedom of movement within your canal; but these claims have since been disproved as being false; instead ear wax serves to protect from bacteria and other threats to health; safe removal methods include cotton swabs or consulting an audiologist to remove excess earwax from within an ear canal.
An ear candling session involves placing the pointed end of a candle into their ear canal and having another person light its other end, usually for several minutes each ear. Although this may sound relaxing, serious burns have been reported due to open flames being so close to faces; burnt candle wax and ash that falls onto them may cause burns and may even perforate ears and lead to infections or permanent hearing loss.
Proponents of this practice claim a vacuum effect; however, this cannot occur within the ear canal because the eardrum blocks smoke from entering the middle ear space and Eustachian tube – this separation also protects outer ears from middle/inner ears. Furthermore, debris produced by providers or DIY kits referred to by practitioners or DIY kits does not represent actual removal of earwax but instead represents candle wax remnants and residue from within hollow candles themselves.
Ear candling poses several serious dangers. One such risk is perforation of the eardrum, leading to significant hearing loss that requires surgery for repair. Furthermore, candle wax may leak into ear canal and Eustachian tube spaces and cause pain or lead to permanent hearing loss – thus making ear candling an extremely risky practice and making it clear why no one should attempt ear candling themselves.
