i got curious about it so i decided to check what it was on the internet... and this is what i found..
QUOTE
THE HISTORY
Historically, the Native American Indians used ear candling. Glazed clay or stone pottery cones were used with a double helix carved inside to create a spiral energy flow carrying herbs and smoke into the ear canal (the ear canal itself is a spiral). This then creates a counter clockwise spiral energy by which the vacuum action of the candle is created and draws the excess wax up and out of the ear.
Candles used in North America are made of strips of unbleached 100% cotton or linen dipped into a mixture of paraffin, and/or beeswax and herbs. The strips are rolled spirally and left to harden. When candling, the candle is gently placed in the outer ear canal. The candle can only be inserted into the outer canal a couple of centimeters due to width of the canal and the width of candle. There is minute chance of the candle contacting the tympanic membrane (eardrum) due to the dimensions of the both the ear canal and candle. The opposite end is lighted and burns to create smoke containing spiral energy into the ear.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The smoke and warmth of the candle goes into the ear and softens the earwax, which is osmotically drawn through the tympanic membrane (eardrum). This process is very soothing, relaxing and non-invasive. At no point does the tip of the candle or the ear become hot to the touch. The candles are not burned below 4 inches from the ear.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING AND AFTER THE CANDLING
During the ear candling process you will feel a candle being lightly inserted into the ear and after it is lit you may feel a warm sensation in the ear. You should hear some crackling sounds coming from the candle as it burns down. Just relax and enjoy the soothing process being done.
If you have a hearing loss or a candida infection in your ears, you may feel a little heat toward the end of the candle that may be quite soothing to you. If at any time you feel frightened or uncomfortable in any way, the candling process will end and continue when you feel it is appropriate. You could find that your hearing is much more acute and has improved if a blockage of wax has been removed. Your ear could feel airy and opened to sounds, tones and an overall since of freshness.
After being candled you may feel a sense of warmth or itching in the ear. The candler can relieve this by putting some ear oil in the ear or a special ear cream applied to the outer part of the ear. The ear oil contains garlic, eucalyptus, tea tree, olive and mullein oils.
You may find your sinuses are draining or the drainage has increased afterward, which may relieve pressure and help clean out any materials in your sinus area.
information from http://www.drstandley.com/nativeamerican_ear_candling.shtml
Historically, the Native American Indians used ear candling. Glazed clay or stone pottery cones were used with a double helix carved inside to create a spiral energy flow carrying herbs and smoke into the ear canal (the ear canal itself is a spiral). This then creates a counter clockwise spiral energy by which the vacuum action of the candle is created and draws the excess wax up and out of the ear.
Candles used in North America are made of strips of unbleached 100% cotton or linen dipped into a mixture of paraffin, and/or beeswax and herbs. The strips are rolled spirally and left to harden. When candling, the candle is gently placed in the outer ear canal. The candle can only be inserted into the outer canal a couple of centimeters due to width of the canal and the width of candle. There is minute chance of the candle contacting the tympanic membrane (eardrum) due to the dimensions of the both the ear canal and candle. The opposite end is lighted and burns to create smoke containing spiral energy into the ear.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The smoke and warmth of the candle goes into the ear and softens the earwax, which is osmotically drawn through the tympanic membrane (eardrum). This process is very soothing, relaxing and non-invasive. At no point does the tip of the candle or the ear become hot to the touch. The candles are not burned below 4 inches from the ear.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING AND AFTER THE CANDLING
During the ear candling process you will feel a candle being lightly inserted into the ear and after it is lit you may feel a warm sensation in the ear. You should hear some crackling sounds coming from the candle as it burns down. Just relax and enjoy the soothing process being done.
If you have a hearing loss or a candida infection in your ears, you may feel a little heat toward the end of the candle that may be quite soothing to you. If at any time you feel frightened or uncomfortable in any way, the candling process will end and continue when you feel it is appropriate. You could find that your hearing is much more acute and has improved if a blockage of wax has been removed. Your ear could feel airy and opened to sounds, tones and an overall since of freshness.
After being candled you may feel a sense of warmth or itching in the ear. The candler can relieve this by putting some ear oil in the ear or a special ear cream applied to the outer part of the ear. The ear oil contains garlic, eucalyptus, tea tree, olive and mullein oils.
You may find your sinuses are draining or the drainage has increased afterward, which may relieve pressure and help clean out any materials in your sinus area.
information from http://www.drstandley.com/nativeamerican_ear_candling.shtml
but on the other hand
QUOTE
Why Candling Can't Work
Since wax is sticky, the negative pressure needed to pull wax from the canal would have to be so powerful that it would rupture the eardrum in the process. However, candling produces no vacuum. Researchers who measured the pressure during candling of ear models found that no negative pressure was created. The same investigators candled eight ears and found that no ear wax was removed and candle wax was actually deposited in some of them!
The notion that the ear canal is connected to structures beyond the eardrum is false. A review of a good anatomy book should dispel this notion. The external ear canal, with an intact eardrum, is not connected to the brain, the sinuses targeted by the procedure (those above your eyes), or the Eustacean tubes (the passageways between the internal ear and the back of the throat). While some claim that the eardrum is porous and quickly allows impurities to pass through, this is untrue. The "impurities" that appear in the collected wax (usually on a paper plate or other collecting device) are nothing more than the ashes from the burnt wick and wax of the cone itself.
Dangers Reported
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.
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 .
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 .
Lisa M.L. Dryer, M.D.
Since wax is sticky, the negative pressure needed to pull wax from the canal would have to be so powerful that it would rupture the eardrum in the process. However, candling produces no vacuum. Researchers who measured the pressure during candling of ear models found that no negative pressure was created. The same investigators candled eight ears and found that no ear wax was removed and candle wax was actually deposited in some of them!
The notion that the ear canal is connected to structures beyond the eardrum is false. A review of a good anatomy book should dispel this notion. The external ear canal, with an intact eardrum, is not connected to the brain, the sinuses targeted by the procedure (those above your eyes), or the Eustacean tubes (the passageways between the internal ear and the back of the throat). While some claim that the eardrum is porous and quickly allows impurities to pass through, this is untrue. The "impurities" that appear in the collected wax (usually on a paper plate or other collecting device) are nothing more than the ashes from the burnt wick and wax of the cone itself.
Dangers Reported
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.
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 .
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 .
Lisa M.L. Dryer, M.D.
you can see how its done on youtube...
its kinda gross but i guess its another way to remove ear wax..
has anyone tried??
if anyone has any more info please feel free to add..
credit to yahoo.com for the images
p.s if this topic has been posted already plz remove. thanks
. I'll just stick with the old fashion way (that little stick with a scoop at the end).
