Health food stores and alternative medical practitioners around the country sell ear candles for therapeutic use.They remove wax and impurities from the ear canal.
Description
The wax-dipped muslin strips form a tall, hollow candle with a small hole in the taper to permit the smoky air to enter the ear. (
Special Use
Some believe ancient cultures used the candles in ritualistic ceremonies to signify cleansing . Today, you can purchase beeswax or paraffin candles scented with lavender, sage and other therapeutic herbs and oils.
Technique
The practitioner performs the procedure by lighting the end of the candle and placing the taper into the ear. The candle drips wax into a bowl of water or a paper plate while the warm air loosens the wax in the ear canal.
Oral Tradition
Advocates claim that the health benefits of using ear candles range from improved hearing, relief of sinus pressure, healing of infection and even improvement of glaucoma, although no medical studies have supported these assertions.
Cautions
The FDA classifies ear candles as a medical device which is subject to regulation. In 1998 they found the product labeling false and misleading and issued a warning that it poses a danger of burns and damage to the ear canal when used according to the directions. Agents will detain commercial shipments of ear candles during their normal inspections.
Tags: