Ear Wax Candles

I sold the mother load of these candles at work yesterday. They are about a foot long cone, normally made of some fabric wound and then coated in wax. The patient lies down as someone places the tip of the cone in the canal of the ear. (Hopefully someone you trust). Plates are frequently placed around the cone in order to prevent the wax from burning the patient. The candle is meant to wick all the wax out of the ear, as well as other toxins.

I did a little mini investigation at work yesterday, asking people why they were buying the candles that day. A great many said their allergies were bothering them (allergies are particularly bad in Knoxville), and another said it was due to the full moon. Many people believe that toxins in their body are more prevalent and susceptible to irritation or expulsion around the full moon. I wanted to get the full scoop.

Wellnessinteractive.com claims that these candles are an ancient practice used to remove the afore mentioned ear wax and also fungus from the ear canal. (http://www.wellnessinteractive.com/videowellness.html) The previous link also has a video of the procedure.

I did not know a lot about ear fungus, so I did a bit of research. Ear fungus is frequently the cause of what we know as "Swimmer's Ear" or an External Ear Infection. The common way to treat Swimmer's Ear is a pain reliever (like acetaminophen, which is Tylenol) and medicated drops in severe cases. Patients are also advised to keep water from entering the canal(http://www.pediatricdoc.com/newsletter.cfm?nid=698). The treatment can be very uncomfortable because it, like many others, simply requires the patient to wait it out. Could these candles perhaps provide a quicker alternative? What about those suffering from ear aches due to allergies?

The FDA does not think so. In fact, I found several doctors as well as the FDA that are up in arms against ear candling, particularly its usage on children. (Lisa Roazen M.D., Louise Chang MD, FDA). The biggest concerns are wax from the candle entering the canal, as well as fire hazards. Ear candling is very strongly discouraged by the medical community.

Many people claim the candles work due to the amount of residue found inside the cone after the procedure. Several of the links about have accounts of control tests are provided in the link above, in which persons placed the candles in empty, nonhuman sources, such as bottles. The candles placed in ear canals and the candles placed in bottles produced the same residue.

Ear aches due to allergies come from paranasal sinus inflammation. Decongestants are frequently used for less severe cases, as well as rest and fluids. One important note from the Mayo Clinic which I think is important for those looking to treat allergies with ear candling is that patients are recommended to keep their heads elevated to relieve the congestion. Placing your head horizontal for candling could actually make your discomfort worse.

**THE FINAL VERDICT**

BALONEY

The evidence against ear candling is extensive and well documented, consisting of a large number of controls. The fact that FDA has warnings out against it is reason enough for the informed to stay away; however, the spectacle of candling will persuade many to believe they are being treated. This, in many ways, is a powerful treatment for the grogginess associated with sinus inflammation, provided they do not burn the house down.

I won't tell them if you won't. :)

PS: I'll leave the whole "full moon toxins" to someone less skeptical than me.