The FDA would like to regulate ear candles as a “medical device.” But, ear candling is an old folk remedy that works well, if it is done properly and to remedy the right situation. Ear candling is helpful for hearing loss due to ear wax or obstructions caused by an air pocket, such as can occur as a result of rhinitis.
Ear candles are nothing mysterious. The ones you buy at health food stores are shaped like long, ice cream cones. They are made of gauze, rolled into the shape of a funnel and dipped in wax. In Mexico, it is common for parents to use a cigarette or rolled newspaper to get the same effect. No one agrees about why it works, only that it does work.
Of course, if you use an ear candle, you will want to take necessary precautions not to burn yourself or someone else. Ear candling should never be done alone. It always requires a second person for safety.
Ear candling sessions can involve a single candle or more. Although, one candle may be sufficient to clear the problem.
When you ear candle, you will want to find a place away from objects that might catch on fire. You will create a plate to catch any candle wax that might drip and to protect the person who is being candled.
Do this by cutting a whole in a piece of 8 1/2″ x 11″ cardboard or a paper plate. The hole should be just big enough to allow the ear candle to poke through.
The person to be candled lies on one side with the affected ear pointing upward.
You will want to keep a bowl of water handy to extinguish the candle in when it has burned sufficiently.
You light the broad end of the candle and place the small end of the candle in the person’s ear. Move the candle around a little in the opening of the ear to seal the ear in place around it. Keep the candle slanted at a slight angle, not straight up and down.
Then carefully watch the flame of the candle. It will burn intensely, taking about five to ten minutes to burn down about six inches from the top. When the flame is still a safe distance away from the person’s ears and head, you will remove it and extinguish it in a bowl of water.
When the first candle is finished, you can repeat the procedure in the same ear if you like or in the opposite ear.
There is nothing special you need to do when your ear candling session is finished. It may be a few hours before you experience complete relief from ear pain or hearing loss due to air or wax obstruction.
Ear candling may not be for everyone and there are many claims that it is not safe. But, it does work for many people and it is a very old folk remedy.
