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I have no clue how accurate altmedicine.about.com is but when I read the following post on ear candling it freaked me out enough to never do this.
"Proponents of ear candling claim that it can help to remove ear wax and debris from the ear and facial sinuses. However, the external ear canal is not continuous with the middle ear, sinuses, Eustachian tube, and nasal passages when the ear drum (tympanic membrane) is normal and intact. Other manufacturers claim that smoke from the burning candles dries out the ear canal and stimulates the body's natural excretion of wax and dead cells, pollen, mold, parasites, and other debris. There is no evidence supporting these claims. Some people believe the dark, waxy debris that remains after ear candling is waxy candle remains, not ear wax.
Risks
There are some potential risks involved in ear candling:
Burns to the ear, skin, and hair from the hot wax
Obstruction of the ear canal due to wax dripping into the ear
Perforated ear drum
Is Ear Candling Necessary?
Ear wax has a protective role. It cleans and lubricates the ear, and can protect the ear canal from bacteria and fungus. The ear has a self-cleaning system that naturally removes ear wax. Most people do not require additional cleaning. However, a breakdown in this self-cleaning system can cause a condition known as cerumen impaction.
Cerumen impaction affects about 6% of the population and can cause reversible hearing loss, dizziness, and ringing in the ears. It occurs more frequently in individuals with mental retardation and in the older population. Physicians and other health care professionals are required to treat cerumen impaction.
Evidence
One study published in the journal Laryngoscope evaluated the efficacy and safety of ear candles. The researchers concluded that ear candles did not produce a vacuum. Their limited clinical study with eight ears showed that ear candling did not result in removal of ear wax from the ear canal and even caused candle wax to be deposited in some ears.
Regulation
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada classify ear candles as medical devices and consider the product to pose serious risk of fire, burns, and injury to the ear, surrounding skin, and hair.
References
1. Jabor MA, Amadee RG. Cerumen impaction. Journal of the La State Medical Society. 1977:149;358-62.
2. Roeser RJ, Ballachanda BB. Physiology, pathophysiology, and anthropology/epidemiology of human ear canal secretions. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. 1997:8;391-400.
3. Seely DR, Quigley SM, Langman AW. Ear candles - efficacy and safety. Laryngoscope. 1996:106;1226-9
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