DIY is all the rage nowadays and everyone likes a quick easy fix. Sink Leaking? 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 to leak again. Because, as it so happens, sometimes a DIY fix is no replacement for the well-honed skills of a professional.
Sometimes, that’s difficult to admit. Ear candling or earwax candling is a perfect example of a DIY fix that people keep coming back to. It doesn’t really sound very pleasing, does it? Let’s dive into exactly what earwax candling is and its dangers.
Ear candling – what is it?
Have you ever had a stuffy-ear sort of feeling? Sometimes, it takes place when you’re sick and your ear fills with mucus. Too much earwax can also cause this feeling and that can occur for various reasons. When this occurs, you may experience a certain amount of discomfort. You may even experience a temporary loss of hearing. It’s no fun!
This means that some individuals believe they have found what seems to be a natural and novel solution: ear candling. The concept is that a special hollow candle is placed into your ear (non-burning end). Somehow, the combination of heat and the hollow style of the candle changes the air pressure within your ear canal, drawing the earwax or mucus out.
It should be immediately noted that ear candling is not recommended by healthcare professionals. If you’re looking for evidence that ear candling actually works and pulls out wax, you won’t find any. Nearly every single hearing healthcare professional, as a result, will emphatically advocate against using this strategy ever. (Does ear candling help with sinus pressure? Also no.)
The FDA also firmly advocates against this practice.
What are the downsides of ear candling?
Ear candling may feel safe, at first. It’s a really small flame. And the “equipment” is specialized. And people on the internet said it was safe! So how could it be possible for ear candling to be dangerous?
Unfortunately, there’s no getting around the fact that ear candling can be absolutely dangerous. What are the side effects of ear candling? Here are just a few of the (potentially painful) ways that ear candling can affect your health:
- Your Eardrum may accidentally get pierced: Whenever you put something into your ear, you put yourself in danger! Your hearing will suffer substantial harm and discomfort if you end up puncturing your eardrum. If this takes place it’s very likely that you will need to get professional assistance.
- You can cause severe burns to your ear: Fire is hot, melting wax is too. Your ear is very sensitive and substantial burning can occur if the flame or the hot wax gets someplace it shouldn’t.
- 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. This Leftover wax can cause serious discomfort and, eventually, affect your hearing.
- You could seriously burn your face: Look, any time you’re holding candles that close to your face, there’s a strong possibility you’ll get a burn. Everybody has accidents now and then. It’s all too easy for candle wax to trickle into your eyes or for your hair to catch on fire or for your face to get severely burned.
- The earwax can be crammed even further 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 problem worse! Other complications, from hearing loss to ear infections can also be the outcome.
So, do hearing healthcare professionals endorse ear candling? No… not even a little! Not only is ear candling not helpful, it’s actually quite dangerous!
A better way to manage earwax
Ear wax is generally pretty healthy. In normal amounts, it’s beneficial for your ears. Issues begin when there’s too much earwax or when it won’t properly drain. So what should you do if making use of a candle is a bad strategy?
If you have an earwax blockage, the most beneficial thing to do may be speaking with a hearing specialist. They might suggest some at-home alternatives (such as using saline or mineral oil to loosen the wax, allowing it to kind of run out on its own). But in some situations, they will do a cleaning for you.
We can clean out the wax safely with specialty tools and training.
It’s best to avoid things like ear candles and cotton swabs. Nothing smaller than your finger should be put into your ears unless advised by your hearing specialist or physician.
How to help your ears feel better
Schedule an appointment with us if you have surplus earwax that’s causing you some distress. We will be capable of helping you remove 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
