February 19, 2010

WSJ: Ear Candles Are Hazardous To Your Ears!


The Wall Street Journal published a story on 2/18/2010 and the hazards of using ear candles to remove earwax. In the story titled "FDA: That Wax in Your Ear Shouldn’t Be a Burning Candle," the FDA states that:

"Consumers should steer clear of ear candles — hollow cones that are about 10 inches long and made from a fabric tube soaked in beeswax, paraffin, or a mixture of the two.”

In fact, the FDA has seized some ear candles and sent warning letters to three big manufacturers saying that such products weren’t approved in the U.S. Read the FDA info here.

In our office, we see about one patient a month where ear candles were used with disastrous results including:

1) Burns to the ear canal skin
2) Burns to the eardrum
3) Eardrum ruptures
4) Hearing loss due to wax from the candle

It is worth repeating... do NOT use ear candles.

Also, ear candling seems to do the opposite of removing wax. It tends to add to the ear canal debris. And the debris seen within the candle after use is actually debris from the ear candle itself. Watch this video demonstrating this.

Read the WSJ story here.

Read more about earwax and its treatment here.

If earwax is a big problem, try a liquid earwax removal substance like debrox.



Fauquier blog
Fauquier ENT

Dr. Christopher Chang is a private practice otolaryngology, head & neck surgeon specializing in the treatment of problems related to the ear, nose, and throat. Located in Warrenton, VA about 45 minutes west of Washington DC, he also provides inhalant allergy testing/treatment, hearing tests, and dispenses hearing aids.

1 comment:

asealioni@ymail.com said...

Alright lets be real… There are risks to everything you do. Lets take sunbathing for example.. Yes, to much of it can be bad for you. Although, the sun is also good in the fact that it helps the body.. Sunshine is a significant source of vitamin D because the UV rays from sunlight trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. So, in essence.. sun is naturally good for you. My question is, when will the FDA put a regulation on how much sun we are allowed to get? Where does the regulations stop?
On another note... I really enjoy the process of ear coning or ear candling. It is very relaxing and soothing. I really just wish people could understand the true facts about it. Most of the info people get is all common miss conception and untrue facts. I have done a fair amount of research and found a couple of great places that provide excellent information.

http://www.earcandleblog.com

http://www.wallysnatural.com


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