You may have heard of coning or ear candling as a way of cleaning out your ears. However, ear candling isn’t only for removing the excess wax from your ear, it has a lot of additional benefits. Each candle, or a cone, however you want to call it, is about 20cm long. It is cone-shaped, hence the name, hollow and tapered. The narrow end goes into your ear and the opposite, wider end, gets lit. Usually, these candles are made of some fabric soaked in paraffin or any other wax.
Now that we know what the candle actually is and what it’s made of, let’s talk a little bit more about how and why you should try it.
1. It’s really easy and simple to use
Ear candling is a simple process. All that is required of you is to lay down and the practitioner will do the rest. To perform candling, you need to lie on your side, a candle will be inserted in your ear (the narrow part, like we’ve mentioned) and lit on the opposite side. However, it’s important to mention that it’s important to cover up your ear with a piece of paper or foil so in case the wax drops off of the candle, it doesn’t burn you. The whole process takes about 10 to 20 minutes per ear, so it’s quite fast as well as easy. Contrary to the popular belief, wax does not go into your ear canal. The candle is trimmed down as it burns so the ‘burning’ end is always open.
It is important to mention that should never do this yourself. The reason this is easy and simple is because it is supervised by another individual who has experience with this kind of work.
2. It removes wax and bacteria from your ear canal
The way this works is, by burning wax, the candle generates heat and is thought that the heat can cause enough suction to pull stuff out of your ear. It’s common practice to cut open the remaining part of the candle upon completion to see the results. Although earwax is not harmful, in fact, it’s quite beneficial, the excess build-up can lead to a lot of ear problems like earache, tinnitus, infections and so on.
Ear wax, or cerumen, is not actually a wax, as you might believe. It’s a mixture of sebum, skin cells and a couple of other things. It serves as a cleaning agent and a defence mechanism for the inner parts of your ear. It traps debris and bacteria, which in the case of build-up, can cause trouble. That’s where ear candles come in handy.
3. It can help fight sinus infections
It is said that this therapy can also help you with sinus infections. The ears and the sinuses are connected, which is the reason many people suffer from earaches when they’re sinuses are infected. Many people have reported feeling much better, sort of lighter and un-clogged after the therapy and they claim it has affected their sinuses in a positive way. In what way exactly does this help, it’s not known, nor is it proven to work by science and medicine, however, it seems like it does work.
Because a sinus infection can cause fluid build-up behind the eardrum, it can also cause an infection. Bacteria and viruses tend to grow when not treated, which can cause additional complications.
4. It can help with hearing loss
If you’re suffering from hearing loss because of a wax build-up or any build-up of sorts, ear candling might be able to help. Like we’ve said, it is believed that the burning of the wax creates a suction that can help out extract unwanted wax or any debris from your ear. If that happens to be the case for your hearing impeachment this might be an inexpensive way to solve the problem.
5. It’s inexpensive
Unlike other treatments, ear candles are a very affordable alternative. 10 candles, which will amount to five sessions is about $30 to $40 on healthyenergyamazinglife.com. A lot of alternative remedies tend to be more affordable, but this is certainly one of the most inexpensive ones.
6. It can help with a sore throat
Another side effect of the ear problems can be a sore throat. Although it might seem non-relatable, most of the things in our head are connected to one another. A toothache can affect the ear, sinus infections can affect the throat and so on. So, an underlying cause for a sore throat might be coming from your ear. It’s certainly doesn’t hurt to try.
7. Helps relieve migraines and headaches
Like we’ve said, it’s all connected. A migraine or a headache can cause a lot of pressure behind your ears and in your head. However, a lot of build-up in your ears can cause pressure, and therefore, a headache. Ear candling has been known to relieve pain even in cases of chronic migraines. The suction created by a burning candle can cause a difference in the pressure inside your ears which can make the pain more tolerable. It’s not uncommon to even make it go away if the underlying cause was an ear problem.
8. It can help reduce the stress
A usual setting where you may experience the ear candling therapy is more often than not some form of a spa. So the overall relaxing experience is very beneficial for your overall well-being. Having a pleasant experience and believing in the positive results can actually help you with any problem you might encounter. It’s similar to the placebo effect, which is a well-known phenomenon in traditional medicine.
To sum it all up, a lot of issues can be contributed to ear problems. That’s why ear candling can be beneficial in so many ways. However, it’s important to point out that none of the benefits have been scientifically proven and you should never do it by yourself. It’s a practice that has been around for ages and has reported a lot of positive results. If you want to try it out, feel free.