Can ear candling damage the inner ear?

Question

I have been wanting to try ear candling for quite some time as I believe it will improve my hearing, but I can't really find any information about possible damage it could cause from something such as over-drying sensitive membranes or anything of that sort. Any advice is appreciated.

Answer 1

Candling poses several dangers, the most serious of which involve burning caused by the hot wax. Candle manufacturers claim that their candles will drip only down the outside of the ear, but shamefully few direct the user to hold the candle horizontally to prevent this. A 1996 survey of 144 ear, nose, and throat physicians, found that 14 had seen patients who had been harmed by ear candling, including at least 13 cases of external burns, 7 cases of ear canal obstruction with candle wax, and 1 perforated eardrum [3].

Another case was reported by The London Free Press, a Canadian newspaper. A woman who experienced stuffiness in the nose and ear pains while scuba diving went to a local health-food store and was referred to a "qualified" candler. During the "treatment," she felt an intense burning in her ear. At the emergency room, attempts to remove wax that had dripped from the candle onto her eardrum failed. Surgery was required, and a hole in her eardrum was discovered, which presumably was caused by the procedure. She recovered fully, and luckily her hearing was not affected. The practitioner apologized, compensated the woman, and stopped performing ear coning [4].

Alaska Fire Marshall Gary L. Powell has reported two instances of significant fires associated with ear candling., one of which led to the user's death. On January 27, 2005 a 59-year-old woman ignited her bedding when she dropped an ear candle that she was attempting to use the ear without any assistance. The candle ignited the bedding and quickly spread to curtains and other combustibles in the room. The woman did escaped but suffered an asthma attack and died in a hospital emergency room [5].

Answer 2

I was introduced to ear candling and found it verrry beneficial. I have heard of people who used one or two candles and claimed no improvement. I used them one after another until I could feel my sinuses clear. Common sense tells you that years of build up may take more than one treatment to clear.

In answer to the people who said candling caused ruptured ear drums is ludicrous. The smoke simply dilates the tympanic membrane. Any pain during the procedure is caused by someone who already has a punctured/ruptured ear drum, as in the diver. I will agree that the design of the candles is imperative to avoid candle wax from going into the ear canal. I tip my candles at a slight angle to avoid this complication.

If you would like more information visit www.lrwhandmadecreations.com and read the testimonials and information there.

Answer 3

I too was anxious to try this procedure. I started by asking certain individuals who perform the procedure what the benefits and side affects were. All listed many benefits and no potential side affects.
Those people who had the procedure done, (4 in total) had mixed reactions. 2 experienced no benefits or side affects, 1 experienced an horrible migraine afterwards and the fourth person said it was pleasant but nothing long lasting.
I decided to have the procedure done. The procedure was painless but I did not notice any improvements in my hearing or otherwise. The practitioner had promised that I would feel more energetic and that my hearing would be improved noticeably.
I would advise that you keep your money in your pocket since I believe this procedure is a scam.

PS. If you go on the internet, you will certainly find many articles against this procedure.

Answer 4

Gloria (BSYA)I am an alternative medicinal therapist and i tell you that ear candling is the safest and the most gentle of all alternative medicine. It is safe and has helped many people with various problems and i have never heard of anyone having any side effect. This form of treatment is hundreds of years oldJust make sure that the therapist is fully qualified

Answer 5

It is safe and feels good. It however does not help the ear much. The inner ear is protected by the ear drum. Don't let anything hot get into the canal. This rarely happens.