EAR CANDLING

[blueroses]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:29am

I am sick of recurrent sinus infections, post nasal drips, etc. I was reading up on this holistic treatment and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it (good or bad).
Updated On: 5/22/07 at 11:29 AM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:32am

damn, and there was something on Oprah yesterday that Dr. Oz talked about that you could get in a drugstore, that helps with this. I'll see if Steve remembers.

Ear Candling sounds strange, like candles in the ears....

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:46am

I've always wanted to try ear candling for wax buildup.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:48am

It doesn't fix hernias....

[Actinggbugg474]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:10pm

Dr. Oz was talking about Neti Pots. You place them in one nostril and let the salt water pass through your nasal passage and out the other nostril. It looks REALLY weird .. but I've heard it works!

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:24pm

I have a Neti Pot! It does work. It's a bit uncomfortable to use, but not painful at all.

[2373]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:36pm

The girls on my old tour used to candle all the time, nightly in fact.

But one of the girls developed nasty headaches and dizziness after doing it.

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:42pm

I've done it a few times--it KINDAS works--if done properly, it's totally safe and you will see a small amount of wax--and you'll feel a slight difference. If you have alot of buildup--it may be more helpful. But don't hire someone to do it--the candles are about $5-10 a pair--get a friend

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:52pm

I've used them. They're very easy to do and they work pretty well. Advice: cut a hole in a paper plate, put candle in to paper plate, then into ear...unless you don't care about lighting your hair on fire.

[morosco]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:58pm

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:03pm

I doubt VERY seriously it would help you with any serious problem like an infection though--it just melts the wax and "pulls" it out.

Best advice on any sickness or infection: wash your hands ALOT--every time you touch your face, tissue or not, you're spreading that infection--wash em often and at least for 20 seconds--and really scrub them--even a thorough hand washing only reoves about 30% of the harmful "germs."

(I just finished a food safety certification class btw)

[DG]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:18pm

I've used candles a lot - they really do work, but are really only helpful for 'maintenance'. See a doctor to clear up infections.

Oh, and DON'T try and do it alone!

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:20pm

Ear candling does work but it takes several attempts to work out wax buildup and you really need another person to do it properly. It is expensive. If you want to clean out your ears try irrigating them, let they do in a doctor's office.

Get yourself a irrigation syringe at a medical supply store (2.50-5.00), fill a basin with a solution of luke warm water and hydrogen peroxide, tilt your head over the basin and fill the syringe with the water and flush out your ears. It gets a lot of wax out of your ears and you will immediately feel/hear better. Be sure to dry out your ears thoroughly after.

[blueroses]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:38pm

Thanks for your input, guys. Candling is not something I'd feel comfortable (or knowledgeable) enough to do on my own...I'd see an accredited practitioner if I were to try it.

The Neti pot sounds like something worth looking into!

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:41pm

Blueroses, next time you visit the doc, tell the nurse who weighs you, takes your vitals that you are interested in having your ears irrigated due to the symptoms you have. They will do it and you can see if it has an impact.

[wink]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 2:36pm

There are OTC kits you can buy at a drugstore to clean out your ears, but if your source of irritation is environmental, it probably won't help you.

You might consider seeing an ENT or allergist if you're unsatisfied with your family doctor's suggestions.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 2:43pm

Neti pots are helpful, but I didn't find them to work completely. I've had really bad sinusitis for about a year and nothing has worked. I've tried colloidal silver, staying away from dairy, neti pots, vitamin combinations, garlic juice, saline nasal sprays, medicated nasal spray, staying away from sugar, trying to stay alkaline, washing my hands 20 to 30 times a day, chiropractic treatment, etc. Nothing works. The symptoms will go away for about a week and then return.

Posted: 5/22/07 at 3:41pm

i love ear candles!!!
they feel good & its incredible the amount of goop that gets sucked out!!
you'll be like "i was walkin around with *THAT* in my head?!?!?!!"

[blueroses]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 3:50pm

Norn, did you have it done by a practitioner? Or did you do it yourself?

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 3:57pm

Neti Pots are GREAT!!!

Ear Candling works too.. My mother had an ear ache and I candles her and "poof" it was gone.

Advice: If you candle alone, Get a sheet of tin foil. Punture a hole and slip the candle thought that way the burning ashes don't fall on your face.

And of course, have a bowl of water handy.

[kelzama]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 3:58pm

Pretty comprehensive evaluation.
The Bottom Line
For most people, ear wax moves along the ear canal and eventually makes it to the outside, taking with it any accumulated dirt or other matter. Compacted ear wax should be removed by a physician or other health professional using legitimate instruments. Candling is both ineffective and dangerous.


Quackwatch.org

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 5:19pm

thanks acting, that was it!

[pndmnd]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 5:29pm

I'd say ask your RN or NP about irrigating them. I had to have this done once, and it really is amazing the difference. She showed me all of the goop that came out--it's pretty gross, but then it makes sense why your ears have been feeling plugged! I would let a professional do it, though--you don't want to mess with your ears. It's kind of like a neti pot for your ears. This probably won't help with your sinus problems though, just the symptoms in your ears. I've thought about trying the neti pot for clearing out stuffiness from allergies, but have yet to try it.

[aspen]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 6:25pm

I wouldn't know about ear candling (never had wax buildup problems), but I do recommend using a neti pot. It drastically improves my sinus issues, including the nasal drip.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 9:28pm

i've never done it before but i've always seen the candles at wild oats and wondered what they were for.

when i was in middle school they irrigated my ears. i could hear better right away but it didn't stop me from getting ear infections.