31 Days of Cleansing: Day 27 Ear Candling

As you may have noticed, I am a big believer in alternative treatments. I have used many treatments that are homeopathic which are not approved by the medical community. The thing is, they have always worked for me, when I have gotten very mixed results from other western medicinal methods. One such method that we have been very successful with using is Ear Candles. 

One of our kids had perpetual ear infections as a young child. I also have a history of ear problems, which unfortunately our kids seem to have inherited. Even as an adult I often get ear infections, which was always a source of great amusement to doctors when I would go in for treatment. I have since learned to treat ear infections without using antibiotics or traditional medicine. Regular care is the key.

This is how it works. The "candle" is made of rolled fabric and wax. It is a hollow tube that gets inserted into the ear canal and lighted on the other end. The burning heat gently draws wax, toxins and moisture out of the ear canal, and up into the candle. I know it seems weird. But, it works. Who would set their kids ear on fire?Me. Now you know why it's controversial.

After about 8-10 minutes of burning, the candle is removed from the ear and snuffed out in a glass of water. There is no way to make this look pretty. Prepare yourself.

The candles come in pairs and are available online or at health food stores. You will need a plastic plate or container lid to insert the candle through, a glass of water and matches. The plastic is a safety precaution so that none of the falling ashes will burn the patient.

It is helpful to watch TV during this process to avoid any excessive movement.

After the candle has been extinguished, my boys like to unroll it the rest of the way and view the inside. See all that yellow stuff? Gross. They critics of this method feel the residue inside the candle is from the burning of the candle, not from the inside of the ear. You decide. My children consider this a kind of right of passage to manhood. The one with the most yellow crud in their candle is the manliest of them all. What can I say, they are boys.

Each ear is done in a similar manner. You must be aware that I would not recommend this for very young children. First of all, the kids must be old enough to understand the danger of fire, and the importance of holding completely still while the candle is burning. I would never leave a child alone with the candle in their ear. Also, I would not recommend this for anyone who is currently experiencing more than slight pain in their ears. The heat of the candle will only irritate a severely infected ear even more. This method works best for ear maintenance, and preventing ear problems. We have found it helpful for slight swimmers ear as well, the candle seems to draw out moisture from the ear which can provide relief. After using ear candles, abstain from swimming or bathing for 24-48 hours to avoid any additional irritation of the ear canal.

Here is a helpful video on ear candles from You tube:

View helpful video.

What are the pros and cons? First, the cons. I can tell you that doctors will not approve of this method. They would never recommend putting anything in your ear, and would never recommend it for that very reason. Secondly, it is homeopathic and cannot be patented. Therefore, the government and drug companies cannot make money on it, and according to them, it should be banned. Ear candling is considered to be a hoax, dangerous and medically unnecessary. Wax in the ear is natural and protective, they say. Ear candling cannot stop or prevent infections or other illnesses. People who have used ear candles have suffered adverse effects such as severe burns, puncturing their ear own drum and other complications such as setting their hair or house on fire by accident. 

Now the pros. Yes, I agree that ears need to have wax in them. However, extreme excess wax seems to be part of our ear problem. If I did not already have ear issues, I probably would have no reason to even try a method such as this. This method has been around for centuries in Asia and the Middle East, and is widely used in healing. It is used for many illnesses like sinusitis, correcting hearing problems, sharpening the senses such as smell, taste and color perception. It is used for relieving sinus pressure, cleansing the mind, relaxation, reducing stress and tension, releasing blocked energy and even aligning the chakras. Various cultures have used this method for hundreds of years worldwide. I like methods that have this type of track record. That speaks to me. I like to say that six million people in China can't be wrong. 

We have safely used ear candles once or twice a season for a long time with no adverse effects. We have never set our hair on fire, burned down our house or jammed the candle so far into the ear that it punctured the ear drum. If the heat from the candle feels to hot, we remove it and do not continue. Common sense, safety, and a few necessary precautions are all that is needed to ensure success with this method. 

In addition, we see a chiropractor for regular adjustments which helps the ear canals to drain and remain clear. I have heard of other alternative methods, such as cleaning your ears with warm water and hydrogen peroxide which we have also tried found to be effective. I even had a friend who used to use the warm juice from a baked onion in her ears to ward off infections, and she swore by it. 

In my opinion, the negative effects and costs of antibiotics are so extensive, they far out weigh their usefulness regarding ear infections. I know this is radical, but I do not agree with this form of treatment. My son still has negative effects from the antibiotics that he took for so long. If we learn how to do more preventive maintenance, infections would be more infrequent and antibiotics would only be used for severe cases, as they should be.

So how much do the ear candles cost? I have seen them for as much as $9.99 a pair, to $2.00 a pair. I happened to score my pair at a thrift store for $.40. Even if I had to pay ten dollars, it is far less than the $75.00 or more that a visit to the doctor would cost. It is well worth the savings in my opinion. I did find a great website for purchasing Ear Candles, it also gives excellent information on how the candles work, the myths and what to expect from using ear candles.

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