DIY is all the rage these days and everyone likes a quick easy fix. Got a leaky sink? You can learn to fix that from a YouTube video. A plumber would probably be a bit more efficient but then you wouldn’t get that feeling of self-satisfaction that comes with doing it on your own.
At least, until your sink starts leaking again. Because, as it turns out, sometimes a DIY fix is no replacement for the well-honed skills of a professional.
Sometimes, that’s hard to admit. Ear candling or earwax candling is a perfect example of a DIY fix that individuals keep coming back to. It sounds… sort of gross, right? Let’s dive into just what earwax candling is and its dangers.
Ear candling – what is it?
Have you ever had a plugged-ear kind of feeling? Sometimes, it happens when you’re sick and your ear fills with mucus. In other cases, it may happen because you have a surplus of earwax in your ears (and surplus earwax can have a variety of causes). This can sometimes be very uncomfortable. Your hearing may even temporarily go. It’s not fun!
Some people, as a result, believe that ear candling is just the cheap and novel solution they need. The idea is to place the non-burning end of a special, hollow candle inside of your ear. Somehow, the combination of heat and the hollow style of the candle changes the air pressure within your ear canal, pulling the earwax or mucus out.
It should be immediately mentioned that ear candling isn’t recommended by healthcare professionals. Do ear candles actually draw wax out? No. There’s absolutely no proof that ear candling is effective (particularly not in the way that it’s claimed to work). Nearly every single hearing healthcare professional, as a result, will strongly recommend against using this technique ever. Ear candling also has no effect on sinus pressure.
The FDA also strongly advocates against this approach.
The negative aspects of ear candling
Ear candling might feel safe, initially. It’s not like it’s a huge flame. And the “equipment” is specialized. And there are a lot of people online who maintain that it’s perfectly safe. So, how can ear candling be dangerous?
Unfortunately, there’s no mistaking the fact that ear candling can be absolutely dangerous. What are the negative effects of ear candling? Ear candling can affect your health in the following negative and possibly painful ways:
- You might accidentally pierce your eardrum: Whenever you put something into your ear, you put yourself at risk! Your hearing will suffer substantial damage and discomfort if you end up puncturing your eardrum. Often, this is something that has to be treated by a hearing professional.
- You can leave candle wax behind in your ear: Even if you don’t get burned, surplus ear candle wax can go into your ears. Your hearing can become impacted from this, not to mention the discomfort.
- You could severely burn your face: There’s always a pretty good chance that if you’re holding a flame up by your ear, you might burn your face. Everyone has accidents now and then. Severe burns on the face aren’t the only dangers, you could also catch your hair on fire or trickle hot wax into your eye.
- Your ear can be seriously burned: The fire and the melting ear candle wax are quite hot. Your ear is very sensitive and significant burning can happen if the flame or the hot wax gets somewhere it shouldn’t.
- You can push that earwax even further up into your ear: In much the same way that pushing a Q-tip in your ear can smoosh the earwax into an ever-more-dense blockage, so too can sticking a specialized candle into your ear. In other words, ear candling can make your earwax issue worse! Other complications, from hearing loss to ear infections can also be the consequence.
So, do hearing healthcare professionals endorse ear candling? No… not even a little! Ultimately, earwax candling isn’t just ineffective, it’s utterly dangerous.
So how should you remove earwax?
Earwax is actually a good thing. In normal quantities, it’s good for your ears. It’s only when there’s an excessive amount of earwax (or it isn’t draining correctly) that you start to have difficulty. So… if you can’t utilize a burning candle to get rid of earwax, what should you do?
If you have an earwax blockage, the best thing to do might be speaking with a hearing specialist. Usually, they will suggest that you try some at-home solutions, such as a saline wash, to soften the wax allowing it to drip out by itself. But they might also clean out your ear while you’re in the office.
We can eliminate the wax safely with specialized tools and training.
Generally, you should stay away from techniques such as using cotton swabs and earwax candling. Nothing smaller than your finger should be put into your ears unless directed by your hearing specialist or doctor.
How to help your ears feel better
If accumulated earwax is causing you a little discomfort or misery, you should make an appointment with us. We will be capable of helping you clean any stubborn earwax out of your ears and get you back to feeling normal.
References
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/ear-candling-ineffective-and-risky
