Proponents of ear candling claim that it cleans out excess wax and other impurities to resolve pain, infection and discomfort. Two simple home tests demonstrate the true and false about this popular holistic therapy.
Ear problems of all kinds seem to run rampant during cold/flu season and from spring allergies. My go-to for these issues has always been homemade garlic ear oil.
Other causes for ear discomfort include clogged sinuses from cold weather, dry heat from furnaces, and sensitivity to pet dander or dust.
Ear candles are a common approach for the holistic treatment of earaches and other ear discomforts at home via a simple process known as “candling”.
These inexpensive devices have become a popular natural remedy sold by the dozens at health food stores to combat seasonal and chronic ear issues. It’s now even a common upscale treatment at day spas!
Ear candling is touted as a way to clean out your ear to help prevent future problems. But, do ear candles really work as advertised?
Let’s put common sense and simple observation into play to determine the truth.
How Do Ear Candles Work?
Use of ear candles, called ear candling or ear coning, is usually performed by using an ear candle about 10′ long which is made of cloth rolled in beeswax or paraffin. The ear candle is pushed through the center of a small hole cut in a pie tin or sturdy paper plate.
The person to be candled then ideally lays comfortably on his/her side. The tapered end of the ear candle is gently placed in the ear canal with the paper plate just above the ear.
Hair should be tied back and a damp cloth placed around the shoulders should any ashes get loose and not be caught by the paper plate. The wide end of the ear candle is then lit and the candle allowed to burn for a few minutes until it is no closer than 4″ from the person being candled.
The ear candle is trimmed every couple of inches as it burns down to keep the flame and ashes low. Extinguishing the candle’s flame should be in a bowl of water rather than blown out to minimize smoke. The entire session for a single ear candle lasts about 15 minutes.
What Are the Benefits?
Proponents of ear candling claim that it removes earwax and toxins. This residue is supposedly drawn out of the ear painlessly via a gentle vacuum caused by the flame burning on the end of the hollow tube of the ear candle. The residue is indeed visible after the ear candling session is complete upon examination of the inside of the remaining part of the ear candle.
Do Candles Remove Wax and Dirt from the Ear?
While all of these claims sound very intriguing, the fact is that none of it is true. If you believe any of these claims to be accurate and want to do a quick test at home, simply take an ear candle and put it in a glass vase. Then, burn it down just like you would if it were used to candle someone’s ear.
When the flame is extinguished, you will find the exact same “residue” inside the candle as you would if it were being used therapeutically on an actual subject. The residue thought be earwax and toxins by candling proponents is actually nothing more than bits of paraffin or beeswax from the candle itself!
Another test you can do is light an ear candle over a sink and put the palm of your hand underneath the end that would go inside the ear canal. Notice there is no suction whatsoever! In fact, you can see a very light stream of smoke blowing OUT that end instead! Mmmm. How is the nonexistent suction from an ear candle supposed to remove anything from the ear canal particularly if it is sticky or gunky?
Is Candling Effective?
Before you come to the conclusion that ear candling is just a health scam and doesn’t provide any therapeutic value, consider this use.
Burning an ear candle with the tapered end inside someone’s ear as described above blows warm smoke into the ear which is indeed very relaxing and soothing for many. No wonder day spas have it on offer.
This warm smoke also has the effect of drying out the ear, so it could potentially be of benefit to those suffering from an ear infection. I actually used ear candling to dry out the fluid in my first child’s ears when he had a double ear infection as a toddler many years ago.
It worked like a charm although it was very much a challenge to accomplish on one so young. No meds required and the fluid in the ear dried up quickly and never returned.
Should You Try It?
I switched over to unprocessed dairy not long after that and eliminated pasteurized organic milk from our home. Turns out this was the cause of the ear problems in the first place.
My son never needed another ear candling session again! That was a long time ago as he is 22 years old today!
My second and third children never needed any ear candling sessions at all. Why? They never have consumed any pasteurized dairy and consequently never had ear infection issues.
In sum, ear candling may be a relaxing and somewhat helpful therapy for those with ear pain and other challenges. It is certainly an enjoyable experience.
However, fixing the diet and eliminating the underlying cause of ear problems in the first place is the best way to go for a long-term solution.
Don’t fall for the notion that ear candles somehow clean out your ears and rid them of excess earwax and toxins. If you perform the simple tests described above, you will realize very quickly that candling does nothing of the sort!
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Sorry but I totally disagree. Yes, there is regular residue left from the burnt candle but I have seen MANY chunks of ear wax come out of the candles too. I have pictures. I have bought the same brand of candles every time & there is always a different amount of wax. They do work!
Put the ear candle in a vase and burn it … you will see that the residue is exactly the same! There isn’t anything that is “sucked” out of the ear by an ear candle. Smoke is blown INTO the ear .. nothing comes out.
Nice post with Great Content
I find this article to be very inaccurate. I’ve known ear candles to work very well both for myself and many others. As for the ” test” that is supposed to prove it didn’t work, that is a misleading statement. Yes there will be remnants of wax in the candle even if you burn it without actually using it. That doesn’t mean it didn’t work. I’ve known people to continue having wax drain out for hours or even days afterwords. It’s a shame there is so much disinformation spread about safe natural health alternatives.
Why don’t you do the test and see for yourself. Wax is not “pulled out” of the ear by an ear candle. It simply blows warm smoke into the ear drying up any excess moisture. Here’s another test to convince you. Why don’t you put a child’ small wind spinner at the nonburning end of an ear candle that has been lit. See how the smoke blowing OUT of the end of the ear candle makes it spin! There is nothing “pulling” wax out of the ear … it is blowing smoke IN.
I totally disagree with this article. I suffer from Meniere’s disease and this is the only thing that gives me relief. When I feel lightheaded or dizzy or slight vertigo or and very sensitive to light and noise and my ears are full because the fluid is not flowing right I use the candles. It get wax out of my ears every time. I instantly feel better. It even sucks out sinus infections and things like that. I use these candles at least 6 times a month because of the wax buildup in my ear because of many reasons. Sometimes you have to adjust the point that you are putting it in the end of your ear to get a better results it is not good to stick it all the way up to your ear drums but it does need to be in the hole tight enough but yet loose enough so that the air can flow happy candling
Why don’t you do a test for yourself? Ear candles don’t “suck” anything out of your ear! They gently blow warm smoke in there and indeed this can provide relief and a slight drying effect. But, they don’t “clean” or “suck out” anything. It’s beliefs like this that give alternative medicine a bad name.
I also completely disagree with your article. A few years ago I had a terrible ear ache with several small swollen glands below the ear. I candled my ear once, and while I felt some loosening and suction, didn’t fee anything dramatic. Right after that, I candled again, and found a firefly in the candle. Also, I had immediate relief, so I’m informing you, you are putting out incorrect information. The FDA also says they don’t work so people will repeatedly get on antibiotics. Not long after that, my husband had an earache. There was a small fly in his ear. If anyone is wondering why all the bugs, we live on a working ranch in the brush hill country of N. Central TX. The candles do work. We use them all the time. I haven’t been on antibiotics in over 10 years.
None of my three have ever had full blown ear infection but my eldest did begin one twice.
I used hot/cold method : hot handkerchief right on the centre of the ear/ icy cold towel round neck, but child lying on their side under a warm quilt for 20 minutes. Keep changing handerchief and towel to keep as hot and as cold as poss (every 4 mins or so). Follow with a drop of lemon juice in the ear. Nothing the next day (checked by doctor 48 hrs later said ear looked as though nothing had ever been amiss, whereas had found it all red previously) and immediate pain relief. Amazing and much worth it!
I had itchy ears for ages as well as dizzyness and went to a nautropath about it. She said that what had happened was thrush that was living down the back of my tongue and throat had migrated up to my ears! Ear candling dried it all up and that plus some anti candida herb mixes solved the problem. I avoid sugar now to keep it away.
Years ago when I was teaching PK I got an absolutely horrific “now I now why babies scream” earache on a Friday afternoon. My evil HMO dr refused to see me and when I said I was in pain, she told me to go to the ER. Yes, I’m serious. It’s been like 15 years and it still ticks me off.
Since I wasn’t going to go to the ER “What’re you here for?” My wife shot me. You?” “Um. Earache.” and couldn’t afford the co-pay for another dr, I suffered through the weekend. We almost tried the ear candling but instead used warmed up baby oil which worked wonderfully, just not for very long. Now I used the Hylands earache oil on my kids which is also magic.
So yeah I’m just rambling. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane 🙂
Hi Sara,
I’ve always wanted to do this just because it sounds kind of neat. Not much of an incentive so I never tried it. Just wanted to chime in about ear infections. Yes, diet is everything. But if someone does develop an ear infection, silver hydrosol (colloidal silver, etc) works wonders. One drop (maybe two for adults) in the ear for 5 minutes and then flip and let it drain for another 5 minutes. Usually clears it up in minutes or hours. Can be repeated once in the same day if pain persists. Best remedy I know of. – Carrie 🙂
Ear Candling: No Proven Benefits But You Still Might Like It http://t.co/oA6yoSff << Dangerously confusing article.