Well, being that I didn't know much about ear candling (the technique and theory behind it), I decided to do a little research. Thanks to the internet, I was able to quench that thirst.
Here are some reasons why people do it.
-Afraid to or costs too much to see their friendly neighborhood ENT specialist.
-Makes for a cheap date.
-Let's you start over again after your house burns down.
-Tradition...I've heard about those "vain traditions of their fathers" spoken of in some sort of ancient scripture. Sound familiar?
-A form of warming your ear.
-A good excuse to excite the pyromaniac inside of you.
-You're a homeopathic guru with too many crystals in your house.
-The person lies on one side, the ear candle coated in wax is placed in the ear canal. The idea is that the heat creates a negative pressure to "suck out" the wax. Well, it is an old wives tale and it doesn't work. The remnant dark wax is just burnt paraffin resembling the color of wax. Click on the "why not?" link to see some more details on the matter.
By the way, just to point something out here... the "ear wax" looking stuff is not at the tip of the funnel (where you would expect it to be), it is near the burnt region of the candle. To simplify, the brown wax is the paraffin coating on the paper funnel which has turned brown after exposure to heat.
All slap stick humor aside, use some natural olive oil or hydrogen peroxide twice a day for a week.. That is, unless you are allergic to olives or have bad sebhorreic dermatitis, or any other flaky skin disease like Psoriasis. Then I recommend you call me or leave a comment and we can discuss other options. It's a homeopathic remedy that's proven clinically to soften the wax so it can work it's way out. Remember, don't use Q-tips, that just shoves it back in. Like my father always preaches to his patients..."Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear." By the way, the peroxide will also help dissolve scabs that form after you make your ear canal bleed from poking at it with say a Q tip, or bobby pin, or something.
Ear wax is actually made deep down in your ear and is a clear to white color. When it dries out, it becomes a darker orange color. If it's really dried out, then it's almost black. It's the darker color by the time you see it. In the clinic we can wash it out or take it out with instruments. We usually try washing first since it's more gentle. Don't use a pulsating "water pick". Those have been known to cause holes in your ear drum. We have a special syringe or injector with warm water. If that doesn't get it, we have little tools to gently scrape it out.
Wax is a good thing. It provides barrier against fungus and bacteria. If all the wax is gone... well, just try it.
For more info on Otitis externa, Wikipedia has some good info... just click here
4 comments:
This was a HUGE deal in Chile -- where I served my mission. People kept asking me to try it but I refused. I have no idea if it works but the Chilean people swear by it. But keep in mind that Chileans also think that drinking cold juice while eating pork will make your mouth explode, and that the moon -- yes, the moon in the sky -- belongs to them. That's right, the moon in Chilean!
Well, I've treated many patients with some serious malassezia or bacterial otitis externa. The most common problem I have are patients causing self trauma, usually from their toenails as they scratch their ears incessantly. I have never come across a patient who has used a Q-tip and I have to be very careful that my patients don't bite me while I'm examining their tympanic membranes.
Yeah, I rarely have problems with patients using their toe-nails. I have yet to have someone bite me as well. Though humans are a little slower and their canine teeth aren't as scary as your patient population Kyle. :) Malassezia...new word for me. :)
My Mom did this to us when we were little! Everytime we had an earache and it worked! My husband swears by it too. We haven't done it in a while. But, I have heard that it is all for not.
Thanks for the post! I will have to tell my Mom!
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