I decided to try ear candling as an alternative fix for my earwax blockage issues.
About a year ago, I had completely lost my hearing in my left ear. I tried numerous over-the-counter methods for removing the wax, but each one only made the condition worse. I finally gave in and paid to see a specialist (which my health insurance thankfully covered).
The ear, nose, and throat specialist was astonished by how much wax was compacted in my ear. The doctor used a small vacuum to suck out the wax. My ear had never felt so good in my life. My hearing came back instantly.
She did however warn me that some people's ears are just more susceptible to blockage than others. Somehow, I knew this wouldn't be the end of my earwax saga.
A year later, that very same ear was showing all the warning signs of some serious blockage. Instead of trying to fix the problem on my own, I decided to do things a bit differently this time. I swapped the ENT for something more holistic: ear candling.
According to the NCBI journal, "Ear candling involves placing a hollow candle in the external auditory canal… After the procedure is finished, a brown waxy substance, believed by ear candling practitioners to be a mixture of earwax, debris, and bacteria, is left in the candle stub."
With that in mind, here's my ear candling journey…
What Is Earwax?
According to Smithsonian Magazine, earwax, or cerumen, is composed of secretions from the sebaceous and sweat glands combined with sloughed-off cells from the ear canal. Cerumen is the body's way of keeping the ear canal hygienic and lubricated.
What Is Earwax Blockage?
Earwax blockage is a common problem. It occurs when wax hardens and is unable to naturally be expelled from the ear.
Typically, this occurs when we meddle with our ears — with Q-tips or even a pinky finger.
Using Earplugs Caused My Earwax Blockage
My ear blockage first occurred about a year ago. Due to some very noisy neighbors, I needed to invest in earplugs.
They certainly worked in blocking out the loud noise at night, but funnily enough, when I removed the plugs one day, I couldn't hear in my left ear at all.
Dealing With Earwax Blockage
Naturally, I did the one thing that you're not supposed to do. I did the thing that the Q-tips box clearly stated not to do: I put the Q-tip in my ear to try to get the wax out. Of course, I only made things worse.
Using An Earwax Removal Kit
I ran to the pharmacy to grab an earwax removal kit. You put a few drops of a liquid into your ear that supposedly softens the wax. Then, you fill a tiny blue squirter with water. Next, you squirt that water into your ear canal and hope it somehow blasts the wax out.
Not only did this absolutely not work, it actually just made my ear hurt. My last-ditch effort was to go to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Upon looking in my left ear, she remarked, "Oh my god! There's so much wax!"
Then, she used a tiny vacuum to suck it out. I could hear again.
My Ear Candling Journey
So here we are a year later. My left ear wasn't as horrifically clogged as it was last time, but I knew I needed some outside intervention. I decided on the more holistic approach of ear candling.
I found a very nice woman named Karen who provided the service through her therapeutic bodywork and self-care company Wellbody.
How Does Ear Candling Work?
Karen explained that she used beeswax ear candles. After placing the candle in the ear, you simply light it and let the smoke cascade downward.
The smoke is supposed to create a vacuum that sort of loosens up the wax. Karen did say that the procedure may not be a one-size-fits-all solution for anyone with a blockage.
The Essential Oil Face Massage
First she began with an essential oil face massage. The procedure was worth it just for this alone. As you can see in this photo of me, I am so relaxed — I literally look like a dead body that's ready for embalming.
There's A Flaming Candle In My Ear
Here we go. While you can clearly see that there is a candle on fire inside my ear — I couldn't really tell what was happening at all.
The Pressure Release
After a few minutes, I felt the cascading smoke. I could hear the sizzle of the dwindling candle. I could feel a bit of a pressure release.
An Expensive Nap Worth Every Penny
Needless to say, I fell asleep several times during the procedure. Karen spent 30 minutes or so on each ear. I'm not going to lie — it was quite the intoxicating nap for me.
What Did The Candle Manage To Remove?
Here are the results. You can open up the end of the candle to see if there are any wax bits inside. Karen did provide the disclosure that what you're seeing is a mixture of candle and earwax.
The Aftermath
Here's the beautiful aftermath of the holistic procedure.
So, Did It Work?
Not only did I feel light as a feather immediately after the procedure, I could also hear better in my left ear.
I definitely think that it helped to loosen up much of the blockage. I would do the procedure again — because I think it helped with my congested ears, but it was also quite relaxing.
Please SHARE this story if you're a little more curious about ear candling now!
