Ear Candles may offer multiple benefits

Saturday, March 05, 2011 by: Shona Botes
Tags: ear candles, health, health news

(NewsTarget) Many people are opting for non-invasive therapies these days. One which is extremely popular is ear-candling. This involves inserting a lighted, hollow candle made from fabric coated with beeswax into the ear. It creates a vacuum in the ear canal which draws out excessive earwax and any minor impurities which may be present.

One reason that ear candling is better than ear syringing is because it draws out the wax; whereas, syringing involves shooting water into the ears. This can lodge wax particles further inside the ear canal and cause infection if water stays lodged inside the ear.

Ear candling involves inserting a long, cylindrical candle into the ear and lighting it on the other end. Heat produced from the candle helps to draw out excess ear wax and other debris which may be present in the ear canal. Benefits of ear candling include relieving tinnitus (ringing in the ears), helping to relieve sinus pain and pressure, removing excess wax build up, assisting with relieving Swimmers` ear, assisting with headaches, relieving severely itchy ears (often caused by yeast, mould or dairy allergies) and helping to unplug ears (often due to illness).

Other potential benefits may include improved lymphatic fluid flow through the body, improved colour perception, a more balanced emotional state and clearer thinking.

It has also been reported that those who partake in ear candling experience an improved sense of taste as well as reduced pressure, which may be present in the ears due to a wax build up or infection. Claims have also been made that they are able to assist with purifying the blood. Others have reported experiencing a relaxing and soothing effect on the mind and body after an ear candling session.

Ear candling practitioners believe that all of the openings in the head are connected in a maze-like system, allowing the vacuum created by the ear candle to drain the body by osmosis through the ear membrane. This is believed to create a sense of all-over well-being in the body.

Risks involved with ear candling may involve minor burns, which is why it is extremely important to not attempt to do ear candling alone. Either have someone with you to supervise the candles while they burn, or seek out an ear candling practitioner who is able to carry out the task professionally. Do not attempt ear candling too soon after any form of ear surgery or if you have a ruptured eardrum, cysts in the ears, cochlear implants, mastoiditis (infection of the mastoid bone behind the ear) or tubes (grommets) inserted in the ears.

The FDA claims that ear candling has no benefit whatsoever, and that it is even hazardous to one's health. Due to this, it may not be promoted as being beneficial to one's health or for healing purposes. In fact, the US has even gone so far as to declare ear candling deemed for medical purposes as illegal.

Sources:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5413047_ear-candli...
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-e...
http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Ear-Candling--...

About the author

Shona Botes blogs about green living, budgeting, saving money, natural remedies and humour (which is often combined with the abovementioned topics). Her spare time is spent tending to her organic herb garden, cycling and engaging in photography.
Her blog may be viewed here
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