June 25, 2008: Picky Picky

[Karenv]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

If the bottom of the candle has an airtight seal, it produces that residue. A above water, B in the water, E in the ear.



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I have spent some time with ear candles, and while most of the residue can come from the candle itself, there also appears to be something that comes from the ear. The pictures themselves show more residue from the ear than the earless burns. And I know other practitioners who have used them, cleaning out the candle residue with a chopstick so it doesn't go back into the ear, and find that it in fact helps earaches. Frankly I can give people warm olive oil with muellin, garlic and similar herbs and do it much faster, so I don't bother with the candles. You can buy the oil premade at any decent health food store.

And I have talked with EMTs and ER docs who have treated people for ear candle wax blockage, so it doesn't seem all that safe to me, even with the chopstick cleaning which would reduce the danger.

Someone asked about the temperature for olive oil: a drop on your wrist shouldn't burn, but it should be warm enough to penetrate. I do it by feel, like bathwater.

Now we should debunk those bamboo vinegar footpads in a future IOTD.