When the powder was analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry it was found to constitute multiple alkanes that are found in candle wax but not in ear wax. It also found that a powder was deposited on the artificial tympanic membrane as ear candling was carried out. This experiment showed that no negative pressure was created during candling. 5 The other theory claims that at the time of the candling no ear wax is drawn out, but that the wax heats up, melts, and comes out of the ear over the following few days.Ī study 6 tested the first theory by creating an artificial ear canal and measuring the pressure within the ear canal using a tympanometer during candling. One hypothesis is that of the “chimney effect”: the burning candle creates a vacuum that draws wax out of the ear along with debris and bacteria. Proponents of ear candling offer 2 main theories about how it works. One supplier we contacted in the United Kingdom sold 100 to 200 ear candles every month, and there are many suppliers advertising on the Internet.

We were unable to find any reliable information about how many people use ear candling. Our search revealed few references in the scientific literature and no other case reports in peer-reviewed journals. We did a literature search from 1976 to 2006 of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and MEDLINE (using PubMed) for ear candling, ear candles, and using MeSH terms ear and complementary therapy and ear and alternative medicine. In one study, 1 85% of GPs surveyed thought they did not have enough information and knowledge about the effectiveness and safety of different complementary therapies. 1 It is important for GPs to know whether any given alternative therapy will be beneficial. Research shows that 71% of people would like to discuss complementary medicine with their GPs. We present a case of ear candling with a complication and discuss the current literature. It is used mainly to remove ear wax, though it has also been used to try to relieve sinus pain, cure ear infections, help relieve tinnitus and vertigo, and even strengthen the brain! 4 Patients considering such alternative therapies might want to get advice from their GPs first. 3Įar candling can be performed by beauticians, alternative therapists, or by patients using kits at home. 2 After the procedure is finished, a brown waxy substance, believed by ear candling practitioners to be a mixture of ear wax, debris, and bacteria, is left in the candle stub. The candle is then lit and burned for about 15 minutes. With the increasing use of and interest in complementary medicine in the United Kingdom 1 and elsewhere, it is not surprising that ear candling has developed such a following.Įar candling involves placing a hollow candle (made from a fabric tube soaked in beeswax) in the external auditory canal. Ear wax accumulation is one of the most common otologic conditions seen in primary care removing ear wax is the most common ears, nose, and throat procedure carried out in the community.

Beeswax ear candles