Ear candling

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James Mally, N.D., ear candling a patient in an experiment testing the validity of the practice. [1]

Ear candling, also called ear coning, is a folk medicine practice intended to remove earwax (cerumen) and "toxins" from a person's ear by means of a hollow candle placed in the ear. It involves placing one end of a hollow candle in the ear canal and lighting the other end. Proponents maintain the resulting vacuum can clean out the ear, but mainstream medical science discounts this theory due to lack of evidence supporting it.

1 Procedure
2 Theory
3 Controversy
4 Dangers
5 Legal status
6 Origin
7 External links
- 7.1 Support
- 7.2 Opposition

[edit] Procedure

One end of a cylinder or cone of waxed cloth is placed into the subject's ear, and the other end lighted. Usually the subject is lying on one side with the treated ear uppermost and the candle vertical, perhaps stuck through a paper plate or aluminum pie tin to protect against any hot wax or ash falling down the side.

An ear candling session can last up to 45 minutes, during which time a series of 1 or 2 ear candles may be burned for each ear. The experience is generally described as being unusual, but pleasant and relaxing. However, there is also the danger of burns or damage to the ear from hot wax or ash.

The Colon Therapists Network website says "You may hear some crackling and popping" and "you may feel some heat during the ear candling session." It cautions that ear candling should not be done to people who have ear tubes, perforated ear drums, or artificial ear drums, and says ear candlers should use an otoscope to examine their client's ears before and after the session.

[edit] Theory

Material that appears after ear candling, allegedly earwax and "toxins", is actually residue from the candle itself.

The hot air is claimed to melt earwax and create a vacuum that pulls out toxins from the inner ear and the sinuses. At the end of the treatment the subject is often shown the accumulated ash and melted wax inside the candle, which are presented as wax and even fungus drawn out of the ear.

No scientific studies have been done to document the health benefits of ear candling.

[edit] Controversy

Ear candling is generally classified as pseudoscience or quackery by mainstream medicine, as no scientific evidence supports it. Sceptics point out that there is no mechanism by which the candle could conceivably draw out anything from the ear, and that a sufficient vacuum to do so could not possibly be generated.[2] Nor could the candle create a sufficiently high temperature to "melt" the earwax as is sometimes claimed. Researchers at the Spokane Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic have concluded that ear candling is ineffective at creating a vacuum and removing impurities from the ear, and may result in injuries [3].

Some practitioners of ear candling show accumulations of "wax" inside used candles as evidence that they are effective. However, one European manufacturer, Biosun, points out that these are in fact products of combustion of the candle, which form inside the candle even when it is not placed inside the ear.

A list of claims, from cleansing the ear canal and curing infections to clearing the eyes and purifying the blood, can be found on the Quackwatch website[4].

[edit] Dangers

Placing a candle inside the ear can potentially lead to burns, infection, obstruction of the ear canal and perforation of the eardrum. One particular concern is wax dripping into the ear, which can cause internal burning and blockage. [5] Some ear candles are designed with a plug inside to help prevent this, and others are designed to be self-extinguishing. However, most ear candles are not designed this way, leaving sensitive membranes in the ears exposed to hot wax and ash that can do permanent damage. Health Canada cites the same article, which reported 21 cases of damage done from ear candling in survey of 122 ear specialists. Thirteen people were burned by ear candles, and another seven had their ears blocked with wax from ear candles. One person received a punctured ear drum. [6] Ear candles can be dangerous even when used properly.

[edit] Legal status

In Europe, some ear candles are regulated as medical devices, tested for safety and bear the CE mark (93/42/EEC). [7] The CE mark is mostly self-issued by the manufacturer, supposedly assuring conformance to a standard. ^{[citation needed]}

Selling or importing ear candles with medical claims is illegal in the U.S. and Canada. [8] However, they remain widely available.

[edit] Origin

Manufacturers of ear candles often refer to them as Hopi ear candles, referring to the Hopi Native American nation. There is, however, little objective evidence that ear candling is in fact an established treatment within Hopi folk medicine.