Are There Any Benefits to Ear Candling?

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

Ear candles (also known as ear cones) are promoted as a low cost, effective treatment for earwax. They are hollow tubes of fabric impregnated with paraffin or beeswax. One end is placed in the entrance to the ear canal, and the other end is lit. After 15 minutes or so, the flame is extinguished, and a brownish waxy substance can be seen within the remaining stub. This is claimed to be ear wax drawn out by some sort of vacuum “chimney effect.” But, the same residue (presumably from the burning wax smoke) appears if you burn it alone outside the ear. Researchers actually took the additional step of running used ear candle stubs through a mass spectrometer, and indeed, no evidence of ear wax was found. Not surprising, perhaps, since tympanometric measurements showed no signs of negative “chimney effect” pressure at any point.

Not to be dissuaded, proponents suggest that while no ear wax may be drawn out that day, the candling process at least heats up and melts the ear wax, which then comes out naturally over the next few days. But, Health Canada measured the air temperature at the ear end of the burning candle, and the highest temperature reached was only 72º F, well below body temperature. Though the purported theories were found to be “implausible and demonstrably wrong,” the only way to really tell if it works is to examine the wax buildup in people before and after ear candling.

Photographs inside the ear canal were taken before and after ear candling. Not only was no wax removed, but in some of the ear canals candle wax was deposited. So, they ended up worse than they were before––not to mention the recorded complications, including ear burns, complete candle wax blockage of ear canals, ear drum perforation, infection, and setting the person’s hair on fire. Researchers concluded, “Ear candles have no benefit in the management of earwax and may result in serious injury.” Ear candles appear to be a triumph of ignorance over science.

So, what is effective for getting rid of earwax? I’ll cover that, next…

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• Seely DR, Quigley SM, Langman AW. Ear candles--efficacy and safety. Laryngoscope. 1996;106(10):1226-1229.
• Ernst E. Ear candles: a triumph of ignorance over science. J Laryngol Otol. 2004;118(1):1-2.
• Blakley BW. Coning candles--an alert for otolaryngologists? Ear Nose Throat J. 1996;75(9):585,588.
• Rafferty J, Tsikoudas A, Davis BC. Ear candling: should general practitioners recommend it? Can Fam Physician. 2007;53(12):2121-2122.
• Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al. Clinical practice guideline (Update): earwax(Cerumen impaction). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29.

Motion graphics by Avo Media

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