Ear candling is a homeopathic treatment for removing earwax from inside the ear. Ear candles are made from beeswax or paraffin and are usually 10 inches long. Ear candle manufacturers claim that when inserted into the ear, the ear candle can diminish sinus infections, earwax or even cancer. The claims from manufacturers are not scientifically proven to work, according to Eric Mann, M.D., Ph.D., clinical deputy director of the FDA's Division of Ophthalmic, Neurological, and Ear, Nose, and Throat Devices, and ear candles may actually pose some dangers.
Burns
During the process of ear candling, the top of the ear candle is lit on fire. Ash and wax can fall from the ear candle onto the face of the person, causing burns, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although some people may cut a hole into a paper plate and insert the ear candle to provide a barrier from burns, if the person is performing the ear candle procedure alone, it is impossible to see how far down the ear candle has burned to avoid burning the face or ear. It is possible for the paper plate to catch fire if the candle burns down to the level where the ear candle meets the paper plate, causing burns to the hair, face and outer portion of the ear. Hot wax from the ear candle can slide down the inside of the ear candle, out of the tip and into the ear canal, causing burns to the inside of the ear, according to Advance for Audiologists. An additional person should always be present to supervise and help avoid the risk of burns, although an additional person may not prevent burns to the inside of the ear.
Ear Drum Puncture
Ear candles are cone shaped, and the smaller, tapered end inserts into the ear canal. Ear candle manufacturers claim that ear candles work by performing a suction action to draw wax out of the ear canal. The combination of the small tip of the ear candle inserting into the ear to seal off air and the lighting of the top of the ear candle is how the suction is created, even though no scientific evidence supports this, according to Amy Scholten from the NYU Langone Medical Center. An eardrum puncture is possible during ear candling if the person performing the ear candling pushes the ear candle too far into the ear canal while attempting to seal off air. Similar to the pain felt when a cotton swab is pushed too far into the ear, it is possible to use too much pressure and and push the ear candle too deep, resulting in a punctured eardrum. Bleeding from the ear during the ear candling process or after, sometimes coupled with hearing loss, may indicate a punctured eardrum.
Plugged Ear Canal
A plugged ear canal can occur after undergoing an ear candling procedure. The risk of a plugged ear canal is higher for infants and children because of the smaller size of the ear canal as opposed to the size of an adult's ear canal, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The wax from inside the ear candle can create an obstruction in the ear canal and plug the ear as the wax hardens. Hearing loss or a muffled ear is a symptom that the wax from the ear candle has plugged the ear canal. An outpatient surgery or scraping of the ear canal by a physician is necessary if the ear canal is plugged.
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