Ear candling seems to be kind of relaxing when you see it on the internet: you turn your head to one side (or lie down), insert a small, cone-shaped candle into your ear, light it, and let it flame as little as possible. Such an item has what appears to be all the garbage hiding within your ear as you light up the candle.
Since this phase is so grossly rewarding to see, it ended up on social media, of course. Users strive to go viral by demonstrating the procedure and then opening the "ear wax candle" on camera to expose the gooey, crusty remains of whatever was "extracted" during the candling process. (Here's an example.)
@kylethomas EAR WAX CANDLES so gross ♬ original sound - kyle thomas ️
But are candles for ear wax removal effective? Most specifically, is this a good and secure thing that you can do to keep your ears clean? Here's what you need to hear about ear candling and whether you can do it for yourself or not.
What is Ear Candling?
According to Medical News Today, ear candling is a procedure that may extract earwax from the ear.
Omid Mehdizadeh, MD, an otolaryngologist (ENT) and laryngologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Business Insider that most practitioners use a hollow candle that is around 10 inches tall.
The hollow end is inserted in the ear during ear candling and the tip is illuminated. The heat created is assumed to generate a very slight vacuum effect inside the ear, which removes the wax.
Typically, ear candling is only performed by non-medical practitioners or by DIY packs. You can not see doctors practicing ear candling because it carries several threats to health and safety.
Ear Candling is Not Efficient and Safe
Doctors do not prescribe that ear candles be used. Likewise, the FDA warns against it. Mehdizadeh says it's not safe, and wax removal is not even successful.
Mehdizadeh says research has shown that the induced vacuum effect is not sufficient to remove wax. And if you wind up with what seems like you're scraping ear wax from the torch, it's actually melting candle wax.
In reality, the effectiveness of candling on eight ears was assessed by a 1996 report. The findings revealed that no earwax was removed from either ear. Furthermore, 122 otolaryngologists were examined by the researchers and 21 ear injuries were found arising from ear candling.
Ear candling entails several threats, Mehdizadeh notes. Included are:
- Pierced eardrum;
- Hearing loss as candle wax may clog your ear canal;
- Ear infections; and
- Burns
This is because the ear canal is a region of a paper-thin membrane that is particularly sensitive. Mehdizadeh states, "Irritation such as heat or manipulation of a foreign object in the ear canal such as a candle can trigger possible injury."
Certainly, the dangers overshadow the possible rewards, and alternative approaches can instead be used to extract earwax.
How to Properly Strip Earwax
Mehdizadeh claims it's actually defensive, while many people believe earwax is evil. It is nice, therefore, to have some wax in your ears.
However, you might want to extract any to feel more relaxed if the wax is excessive and clogs your ear. There are a few approaches that can be used that are much better than ear candling.
Here's how to easily and efficiently strip earwax:
Using oil: Place one to three drops of mineral oil or olive oil in your ear. Mehdizadeh says this will soften the wax and allow it to fall out more easily on its own.
Try over-the-counter products: In lieu of gasoline, such as Debrox, there are over-the-counter ear drops that you can use. These will loosen the earwax and make removal simpler.
See a doctor for proper cleaning: Consulting an ENT or primary care doctor who can use specific equipment to clear the earwax properly is the most efficient method to remove the earwax.
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