Earwax, or cerumen, may seem a bit gross, especially when you suspect there's an excessive amount lurking inside your ear canal, prompting you to clean it out. However, a method known as ear candling is not a safe or effective way to do it, according to otolaryngologist Raj Sindwani, MD. In fact, you likely don’t need to clean your ears at all.
Ear candling, sometimes known as ear coning or thermal-auricular therapy, is a practice that some people believe can get rid of excess earwax. It involves placing the base of a long, hollow candle (called ear cones or Auricle candles) in the opening of the ear canal and lighting the candle’s wick at the other end. These candles are typically made from fabric and beeswax or paraffin.
“The idea behind it, which has not been proven, is that lighting the candle can create a little vacuum of negative pressure that encourages earwax to come up and out of the ear, thereby cleaning the ear,” Dr. Sindwani explains.
Proponents of ear candles claim that these candles can alleviate various ear-related issues, with seemingly miraculous claims that go beyond hygiene. Some of the alleged benefits include:
Despite these claims, ear candling has no proven health benefits. Research continues to debunk claims that this practice can remove earwax - and in fact, it may make earwax blockages worse, among other risks. Measurements conducted during one study showed that ear candling doesn’t actually produce negative pressure within the ear canal. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they haven’t found reliable scientific evidence on the effectiveness of ear candling.
Read also: Safer Alternatives to Ear Wax Candles
Ear candling is both ineffective and unsafe. “In addition to not having any proven benefits, it can be very dangerous,” Dr. Sindwani warns. The FDA reports that ear candles are associated with dangerous side effects.
Some of the risks include:
These accidents can happen even if you use a candle according to the directions.
The residue left behind in the ear candle after use is often mistaken for extracted earwax. However, this residue is primarily composed of candle wax and soot, rather than actual earwax. Tympanometric measurements in an ear canal model demonstrated that ear candles do not produce negative pressure. A limited clinical trial (eight ears) showed no removal of cerumen from the external auditory canal.
Here’s the other thing: Earwax is important!
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“Earwax helps control the pH of the ear canal, and it also helps collect debris, among other functions,” Dr. Sindwani points out. “Your ears are supposed to have wax. It’s there for a reason.”
Earwax is a naturally occurring substance that serves to clean, protect and lubricate the ear canal. In normal quantities, it’s beneficial for your ears. Problems begin when there’s too much earwax or when it won’t drain effectively.
So, you want to clean out your ears. What should you do about it?
“Ear candling is never the answer,” Dr. Sindwani reiterates, “and you also shouldn’t use cotton swabs. But in fact, you typically don’t need to clean out your ears at all. They clean themselves.”
He explains that your ear canal pushes earwax out on its own, usually while you’re asleep. (Yes, it probably falls out onto your pillowcase. Just another reason to regularly wash the bedsheets!) Our ears naturally do a fair amount of cleaning. Cerumen naturally gets extruded out from the ear canal overtime, so putting anything in your ear interferes with this natural process.
Read also: Benefits of Candelilla Wax
In some cases, earwax can build up rather than coming out on its own. That can bring symptoms like soreness and problems with your hearing.
“Those symptoms can be the result of a number of different issues, not just earwax,” Dr. Sindwani notes. “But if you’re sure they’re from earwax, you can soften the wax by using a few drops of mineral oil or over-the-counter ear cleaning drops that contain hydrogen peroxide.” If you have a stubborn earwax obstruction, seek advice from a hearing specialist.
If you want to try to remove the wax at home, you can gently clean the outer ear with a damp washcloth and then pat dry with a towel, but never try to clean your ears by sticking anything in the ear canal.
Here are some home remedies for earwax removal:
Don’t try these remedies if your eardrum is already damaged. The moisture might cause an infection. Instead, visit your doctor.
The safest way to manage excess wax buildup is to have the blockage cleared by an ear, nose and throat specialist. The safest way to remove earwax is to see your doctor for a professional cleaning. Your doctor can clean your ears with:
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