ear coning and equalizing

[tiggrr]

Ear coning (Or candling) is a method of cleaning your ears with a hollow wax candle. One end in the ear, one end on fire - it draws the wax out of the ear by forming a vaccuum.

Is this something that will help or harm with equalizing??
I'm sure its always good to clean ur ears so, just to be clear I am not trying to be cute......I really am curious if this is helpful or not.

Thanx

 

[Don Burke]

Ear coning (Or candling) is a method of cleaning your ears with a hollow wax candle. One end in the ear, one end on fire - it draws the wax out of the ear by forming a vaccuum.

Is this something that will help or harm with equalizing??
I'm sure its always good to clean ur ears so, just to be clear I am not trying to be cute......I really am curious if this is helpful or not.

Thanx

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html

 

[hex92]

I think Don's link says it all. I can't imagine how it could help someone equalize. I could imagine how it could hurt though.....
Imagine hot wax dripping onto your eardrum the night before a dive vacation.... :flame:

 

[crpntr133]

Done candling MANY times and never had a problem. However, I don't see any way that it would help with equalizing since that is all inner ear and candling cleans the canal.

 

[tiggrr]

Done candling MANY times and never had a problem. However, I don't see any way that it would help with equalizing since that is all inner ear and candling cleans the canal.

Just tried it and definately noticed a difference when I went to a concert last nite. Much louder than past shows and I was all the way in the back.

Guess I am too noob and should read up on what exactly equalizing is. LOL Thanx for the info though.

 

[DennisS]

What does ear candling do that a hot shower and a Q tip can't do.

 

[Kriterian]

What does ear candling do that a hot shower and a Q tip can't do.

Bah! Q-tips are the devil! Never put anything into your ear bigger than your elbow.

I'm not a doctor but I'm speaking from experience when it comes to Q-tips. I used to use them twice daily and while they may seem to clean out wax, what you're really down is pushing it deeper into the air. Moving it off the ear canal walls opens you up to infections. Do like the doctors suggest and just use the drops and inflator bulb.

 

[Scubaroo]

Apparently if you light an ear candle and just hold it mid air, it ends up with the same amount of "crud" in it that is supposedly drawn out of your ear. If they "really" worked by forming a vacuum, don't you think you would get the same sensation as a reverse squeeze while you were using them? Aren't they banned in Canada because they're effectively a quack treatment? Any perceived hearing performance is probably a placebo effect.

Any of the chunks of wax I get out of my ear certainly aren't going to be "sucked out" by a p!ssy little candle-flame and a paper cone

Follow Kriterian's (or your doctor's) advice - use ear wax drops and the inflator bulb (or large syringe). I've had the same ear plugging experience from cotton tips.

 

[crpntr133]

Q-tips are a no-no.

Candling is just like everything else on this board, controversial. Candling cleans the ear canal in turn letting you hear better.

Same sensation as a reverse squeeze?..since candling doesn't do a thing to the inner ear it can't be like a reverse squeeze.

There isn't enough wax on a cone for it to drip so the possibilty of it burning your ear drum are very slim and none, more none.

Actually they aren't to be sold in the US as a ear candle. The FDA says that you are manipulating your body and that should only be done by a MD. Locally we have to ask for fire starters since they also light a camp fire very nicley.

 

[DennisS]

Why do people have problems with Q tips. You gently go in and twirl, you don't push it into your ear drum. The wax is soft after a hot shower.

Q tips after a hot shower about once a week work for me, has for many years.

Does this candle actually warm up and melt the ear wax and suck it up. How close is the flame to your ear to warm up the wax. Does it create a vacuum strong enough to pull the wax out.