Some Believe Ear Candling Relieves Congestion
Treatment Uses Heated Fabric Cone To Melt Earwax

(July 30, 2004)

Stuffed up and can't find relief? Some say ear candling provides relief.

The ancient procedure is supposed to remove wax and toxins from the ears and cleanse the sinuses -- and it's all the buzz at many spas and holistic health circles, WBAL-TV 11 Health Alert reporter Donna Hamilton reported.

Griselda Sanza recently had her ears candled by Maria Denmark at the La Clinica Day Spa in Lutherville. Candling is an age-old cleansing technique used to clear the ear canal of impurities.

A long, hollow cone made of a paraffin-coated cotton fabric is inserted into the opening of the ear. The end is lit, creating a vacuum, Denmark explained.

"As the ear canal warms up, the wax starts to come out and melts into the fire," Denmark said.

The paraffin burns, but doesn't drip down into the ear. An aluminum foil-covered plate is used as a safety device that protects Sanza's face from any burning debris.

The cone burns down to about four inches and the fire is snuffed out, completing the treatment in about 20 minutes.

"It feels warm, not hot, and it relaxes you," Sanza said.

Sanza said candling helps relieve pressure and itching in her ears, a treatment for which she used to consult her doctor.

"It's easy, faster, cheaper than going to the doctor," Sanza said. "Maybe there's some value to that if you do it extremely safely."

Dr. Alan O'Shinsky is an ear, nose and throat specialist at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center. He said serious injury can result if candling isn't done safely.

"Sometimes the burning debris or the wax falls down the ear canal and lands on the ear drum and burns a hole in the eardrum," he said.

O'Shinsky also said that there's no proof that a vacuum is created to clean out the ear. A license is not necessary to perform ear candling, but Denmark said she took a special course to make sure she does it properly and safely.

And business is booming -- one treatment costs about $35. And although it's relaxing, Denmark said you shouldn't have it done more than once every 12 weeks.

You can buy at home ear-candling kits, but if you do, Oshinsky recommends reading the instructions carefully and ask someone to help you.

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