Ep 51-Burned By Belief: The Truth About Ear Candling

A candle crackles, a brown residue appears, and someone swears their sinuses feel clear. It looks convincing—until you test the physics, check the anatomy, and tally the injuries. We pull back the curtain on ear candling with an audiologist’s eye: what the cones are made of, how they’re used, the sweeping claims from “wax removal” to “brain detox,” and the simple reason the residue you see isn’t coming from your ear. We trace the marketing myth of ancient origins, the Hopi tribe’s explicit rejection, and why a modern wellness product was dressed up as tradition to make it feel trustworthy.

We also talk about what does work. Ears are self-cleaning, Q-tips push wax deeper, and safe options include softening drops, professional irrigation, and clinician-performed removal. Plus, a powerful listener story about a child’s head injury reminds us how subtle warning signs can mask serious problems—and why trusting your gut and returning for care can be lifesaving.

If you care about ear health, evidence-based wellness, and spotting medical misinformation before it harms, this conversation equips you with clear answers and safer choices. Subscribe, share with a friend who swears by ear candles, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your hearing—and your safety—deserve more than smoke and mirrors.

Resources: 

clinicsinsurgery 

https://www.drugs.com/fda-consumer/don-t-get-burned-stay-away-from-ear-candles-125.html 

globalscience 

https://www.homeopathicpluscentre.com/ear-candling-2/ 

Livescience 

https://quackwatch.org/relate

Transcript

Baby News And Warm Vibes

SPEAKER_02 0:55

Are you really? Uh-huh. You're glowing and your big, big old grin on your face. Have you got something to tell us and listeners?

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Uh yep. So we had the baby. Yay. Yes, a baby boy. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Well, welcome, baby boy. How is motherhood?

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Good. I love it. It's everything I hoped it would be. He's perfect. That's exciting. Yeah, he is. Widow baby.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

I've seen pictures. He is absolutely cute.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

I'm like, I have heard a lot of compliments that he is very cute, but I obviously have parental bias. So when I hear those things, I'm like, okay, confirmed he's cute. It's not just a parent thinking like, oh, just you kid's so cute.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

He's absorbs. You know when some newborns come out all just red and wrinkly and like you struggle and you're like, oh, so tiny. Or look at that hand. Yours are so cute. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Yours is so cute, and he looks just like Alice. She is a mini version of my husband for sure.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

He's just like a tiny peanut of bath. So cute. And so what does Raven think about her?

SPEAKER_00 2:25

She is obsessed, which is what we were hoping would be. She's always really loved kids and babies, and luckily she loves her little brother just as much. So she's always going over to the bassinet to check on him. And I saw she left her ball in the bassinet, the bedside bassinet one one time. So, you know, just in case he's ready to play fetch, the ball was there.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Oh my gosh, I love Lab so much. What a good one. We'll be best friends. She's gonna be. Yeah, I love that so much. Well, congratulations. Everyone's really excited. And wow, good on you for you know, being ready to record an episode. You know, type yours. I feel like I am like I told her I was like, you know, we could take another week or so, you know. She was like, I was ready last week.

Polar Vortex Small Talk

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Okay, ready to go. You know, gotta be ready for the people. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Right. Listen, we need a lot of uh positive, warm vibes for the whole polar vortex winter wasteland that we're living in. Can I just say that it's super fun? I mean, I'm I'm so sorry for the rest of the United States that's like going through this horrible like winter like snow dump. But here we are in Minnesota without that snow dump for once. Yeah, I mean, we're negative 20, 30, 40 degrees. But what's really funny is you you turn the news on and you just hear like these people they just bless their hearts. They don't know, like they're in Georgia, they're like, What, what? How what am I supposed to do? The whole city should just shut down.

What Ear Candling Claims

SPEAKER_00 4:13

I know these poor things. My resources obviously will be in the show notes, and as an audiologist, or both of us, obviously, audiologists, we are asked a lot about handling. So I never really had done like a super deep dive into it. I just knew that it didn't work. But now I'm here to share all that with you guys. No trigger warnings for this episode. It's just uh educational and historical. So shall we get into it? Okay. All right, so there's a moment that happens in a lot of alternative healthcare spaces, like spas, wellness retreats, and sometimes even in living rooms where the lights are dimmed and a person lies on their side, and a long hollow candle is placed into their ear and lit on fire. You can hear it crackle, you can smell the smoke, and when it's over, the practitioner or your friend or whoever shows you what's left inside the candle. And you see a brownish, sticky residue, and you hear the practitioner or whoever lit the candle say, That's what we pulled out of your ear. And it looks convincing. It feels ritualistic, and for many people, it feels like it worked. This practice is called ear candling, sometimes marketed as ear coning, and it's been sold for decades as a natural way to remove earwax, relieve sinus pressure, cure headaches, improve hearing, and detox the body. But today we're going to slow this all the way down because when you look closely at ear candling, what you find is an ancient wisdom or misunderstood medicine. You find a practice that does not work, it does not do what it claims, and in many cases, it actively harms people.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

I'm just gonna give people a link to this episode. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Yeah. Here you go. Copy paste episode. Yes, so this episode is about why ear candling is not a good idea, how it became popular in the first place, and what this story tells us about the psychology of belief, placebo, and medical misinformation. There have been so many times, like we have said, that people have reached out to us about ear candling. And recently someone asked me again, so that's why I was like, let's cover this topic on the pod. So here we are. PSA. Before we talk about whether ear candling works, we need to discuss what it actually is. Most ear candles sold in the United States are manufactured either here or in Canada and retail for between two to ten dollars. An ear candle is a hollow tube. It's usually made of fabric soaked in wax, which is often beeswax or paraffin wax. One end is tapered and placed into the ear canal, and the other end is lit with a flame. Home varieties include wax-soaked newspaper and cones of pottery into which herbal smoke is blown. Some waxes contain herbs or other substances, including sage, chamomile, rose, rosemary, burdock root, osha root, periwinkle, jojoba, quasia bark, yum.

SPEAKER_02 7:48

I'm sorry, Osha.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Fancy.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

I can't help it. Osha root is that like uh occupational safety and health association.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

Occupational roots.

SPEAKER_03 8:00

Oh my god.

How Ear Candles Are Used

SPEAKER_00 8:02

I thought the same thing, and I was like, I don't know if that's how you pronounce it, but like in our world that's OSHA. So an ironic. I agree. You know, I'd put money on that. Most instructions direct the person receiving the treatment to lie on their side. A collecting plate is placed above the ear, and the candle is inserted through a hole in the plate and into the ear canal. I didn't ask this before, but now I'm wondering as I'm reading. You haven't done this, right? No. Have you ever? Yeah, no, no, I haven't either. Okay. I've never even seen anybody do it in real life. In real life. Okay. So the candle is then lit, and as the wick burns down, it's often trimmed. Apparently. Some suggest using a toothpick to maintain a hole in the top of the hollow candle throughout the procedure. And I'm sorry, toothpicks are just also not something I want near my ear.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

What the hell? Yeah, I didn't even think about that. Why are we putting what's kindling?

SPEAKER_02 9:12

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

Yeah. The candle burns for about 10 to 15 minutes, and after it's blown out and removed, a cotton swab is used to gently remove visible earwax from the ear, and then an ear oil is often applied. Practitioners claim that as the candle burns, it creates a vacuum or a negative pressure that gently pulls earwax toxins and debris out of the ear and into the candle. That is the core claim. However, some proponents even claim that impurities, Jenna is freaking out, are removed from the inner ear. This is gets worse. Listen to this. They claim that impurities are removed from the inner ear.

SPEAKER_02 9:57

Which has nothing to do with the early facial sinuses.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Oh my god, all the way into the sinuses. Oh no, no, I get oh, it gets worse. Or even the brain. Oh my gosh! All of which are somehow connected to the canal.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Of course, of course. The ankle bones connected to the ear canal.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

I mean, what the heck? My next sentence is I'm here to tell you this is not possible.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

Yeah. Listen, science much? Like rudimentary kindergarten level science anatomy. Also, this is much worse than I imagined. Yeah. Carry on. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

I should just um my trigger warning should have been buckle up, Jenna.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

Yeah, I think I should have had a personal warning. Yeah, because I didn't realize these were oh my okay, carry on.

The Long List Of False Claims

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Well, yeah, okay. So other versions go further suggesting that your candling can. And you guys, there are a lot of bullet points, so I'm just gonna go through these very quickly. And Jenna, just buckle up. But these are other claims. Yep, take a deep breath. Everyone, take a deep breath. Because this is not this, these are not things, but these are things that they claim to do, okay? Relieve sinus pressure and pain. Cleanse the ear canal, improve your hearing. I mean, honestly, why do I have a job? Assist lymphatic circulation, regulate pressure, purify the mind, strengthen, strengthen the brain. Relieve pain and fever associated with a ruptured eardrum. Because let's put something burning next to a ruptured eardrum. Okay. Cure swimmers' ear and other ear infections, relieve earaches, act as an alternative to tubes put in your ears.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Yeah, when they burn a hole in your eardrum, baby. Okay. I need to I need to let you go through the list without interjecting, but it's really, really hard. I'm sitting on my hands.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

I know you guys, this uh this episode could end up being three hours because this is a lot. Where were we? Sharpen the senses of smell, taste, and color perception. Like stabilize listen to the next one. Stabilize emotions. Why do we have a therapist?

SPEAKER_02 12:31

We need therapy. Screw that. Just take a candle in your ear. It'll fix it.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Okay, you guys, that was just one column. Here's the next one. Stop tinnitus. Help TMJ pain and stiffness. Relieve vertigo. Fortify the central nervous system. Clear the eyes. What? Purify the blood. Act as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic or antibiotic. Cure menires. You guys, which is horrible. Like if if people could cure their menires simply by using an ear candle, trust they would.

SPEAKER_02 13:21

So for listeners, menir's disease is like a situation where your inner your inner ear, which is way encapsulated inside your skull, has nothing to do with it's actually separated by the middle ear. Has nothing to do with your ear canal. And it's a syndrome where the pressure in your inner ear sends things into a frenzy, basically. It has absolutely no connection to your ear canal. No. Oh, this is sad.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

Okay. Alright, just a few more. It can aid sinusitis, release blocked energy, reduce stress and tension, cure marriage, make your coffee, yeah, cure a herpes zoster infection of the ear, open and align chakras, and last but not least, open the spiritual centers and cleanse auric bodies.

SPEAKER_02 14:21

I mean, at least the last part is woo-woo, and you can't prove it wrong. I think cleansing your woo-woo is a lot different than claiming to cure meniras and tinnitus and all of these other real diseases that are so devastating to patients. I hate the false hope that this gives.

“Ancient Practice” Myth Exposed

SPEAKER_00 14:50

Okay, so alarmingly, it is often marked mark marketed as natural, non-invasive, and a part of ancient medical practices. The implication there being that modern medicine has forgotten something our ancestors knew. But we are running into a problem because the human ear is not a chimney and fire does not create suction. Guys. Yeah. Let's address this ancient practice myth. One of the most common marketing claims around ear candling is that it's an ancient or indigenous healing practice, often falsely attributed to the Hopi tribe. This matters because labeling something as ancient gives it credibility. It suggests wisdom passed down through generations. It makes people less likely to question it. But here's the truth: the Hopi Nation has explicitly stated that ear candling is not a traditional practice. It was never a part of their medicine, culture, or healing rituals. The association appears to have been invented by modern marketers.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

Oh, I see.

Why It Feels Like It Works

Physics And Pressure Debunked

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Historically speaking, there is no credible evidence that ear candling was used in ancient Egypt, China, or Greece either, despite frequent claims to the contrary. What does appear in the historical record is that ear candling began showing up in alternative medicine circles in the late 20th century, particularly alongside the rise of wellness culture that framed natural as inherently safer than medical care. This isn't lost knowledge being rediscovered. It's a modern invention wrapped in aesthetic of tradition. But it feels like it works. I have heard this so many times from so many people who undergo ear candling and they genuinely believe that it helped them. They feel relief, they see the residue, and they walk away convinced something was removed. So let's discuss what is actually happening. First, the residue inside the candle. When researchers examined this material, they found that it is simply burned candle wax and fabric residue. It is not earwax, it is not toxins, nor is it debris from the ear. In controlled tests, researchers placed ear candles into ears that had no wax at all, and the same residue appeared. In other words, the candle creates its own evidence. Second, sensory feedback. The warmth of the candle can feel soothing, the crackling sound can feel active, and the ritual itself creates a perception that something is happening. And third, the placebo effect. Placebo isn't fake, it is powerful. Belief can change how we experience symptoms like pressure, discomfort, and pain, but placebo does not mean a treatment is physically doing what it claims. Feeling better does not equal wax removal. There is a central claim of ear candling that it creates a vacuum that pulls out wax from the ear, which is so funny to me. Researchers have tested this claim, they have measured pressure changes inside the ear canal during ear candling, and what they found was shocking. Nothing. Nothing. No measurable negative pressure, no suction strong enough to remove earwax, no mechanism capable of pulling material upward, you guys, against gravity. From a physics standpoint, it does not work. In fact, the flame at the top of the candle breaks any seal that would need to be there to create a section in the first place. So medical professionals, including otolaryngologists, audiologists, and physicians, overwhelmingly agree that ear candling cannot remove earwax. There is no anatomical or physical pathway for it to do so. Debunking. Doctors have had to surgically remove hardened candle wax from a patient's ears, and that just makes you want to rub your ear like a yeah. And that is why regulatory agencies like the FDA and Health Canada have issued warnings against ear candling. The FDA has specifically stated that ear candles are ineffective and dangerous, and that claims made about them are unproven. There is no version of ear candling that has been shown to be safe andor effective.

FDA And Health Canada Warnings

SPEAKER_02 19:47

That's crazy. I mean, I remember looking at my local Aveda salon, and ear candling was one of the luxurious spa treatments that was offered. Really? Yeah. An Aveda salon. What? Yeah. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Oh, I'm surprised to hear that. Mm-hmm. Me too. Interesting. Um, but before we dive more into everything, let's uh hop on into a chart note.

SPEAKER_02 20:21

No, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

Welcome to the chart note segment where we learn about what's happening in medicine and healthcare. Okay. I did this so long ago. This is uh gonna be a surprise again. So let's see what I wrote about. Scientists are developing a groundbreaking medical device called Autonomous Closed Loop Intervention Systems, A-C-I-S, that could transform how patients recover from heart attacks.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Yay.

Chart Note: Autonomous Cardiac Care

Real Injuries And Case Reports

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Rather than relying solely on clinicians to make treatment decisions, this self-driving system uses a biodigital twin, which is a personalized mathematical model of a patient's cardiovascular system to monitor how the heart is responding in real time and automatically deliver and adjust drug therapies to support recovery. The goal of ACIS is to help the heart rest and recover after an acute emergency by regulating heart function while minimizing oxygen demand, something that's traditionally a labor-intensive process for medical teams. Instead of trial and error dosing by human providers, the device could standardize and optimize treatment to improve outcomes and reduce strain on healthcare resources. So far, ACIS has shown promise in animal experiments where it autonomously stabilized cardiac function using automated drug delivery and continuous feedback. The researchers expect the same to enter in the first in-human trials. Woohoo! Within three years. That's exciting. Yeah, initially operating under clinician supervision before moving toward greater autonomy. Beyond acute heart attack care, the technology could one day expand to manage chronic heart failure, incorporate wearable biosensors, and address other conditions that commonly co-occur with heart disease. If successful, ACIS could mark a major step forward in personalized cardiac care and represent a new era of autonomous therapeutic devices.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

Wow Zuz. Okay, back to the story. Okay, so I wanted to cover some cases of actual injuries. From ear candling, just in case I don't know, you didn't believe anything I already said, then maybe this will scare you out of trying ear candling. Okay, so number one. This is a surgical case where candle wax was fused to the tympanic membrane or the eardrum. So a 16-year-old male presented to an ENT consultant clinic with a one-week history of reduced hearing of the right ear. There was no report of ear drainage, giddiness, nausea, vomiting, or tinnitus. No history of trauma or upper respiratory infection. On further history, it was learned that the patient was receiving care at an alternative clinic to soothe the head and the ears, specifically for treatment of allergic rhinitis by way of using a candle. After the candling, he developed reduced tearing of the right ear with minimal pain. He continued to present with symptoms suggestive of allergic rhinitis. Shocking, because the candle didn't treat that. Anyway, autoscopic examination showed the presence of a whitish hard waxy material in the right ear canal. The nature and consistency of the foreign body in the right ear was similar to hardened candle wax. Attempted removal of the foreign body was performed with instruments in the clinic. However, it was unable to be completed due to severe pain experienced by the patient. No kidding. You guys, the ear is so sensitive in there. There's so many nerve endings in there. Yeah, especially the last one-third by the eardrum. Oof! Yeah. So the patient was scheduled for an exam under general anesthesia. Interoperative findings showed the candle wax situated deep in the right ear canal and it was adhered to the tympanic membrane, or I'm sorry, the eardrum, and the surrounding ear canal. The removal of the wax was performed meticulously to avoid damage to the membrane, and multiple pieces of the wax were removed. The external auditory canal was inflamed and the eardrum was intact after removal. The patient received ear candling with the misconception that it had the ability to enhance general health as well as treat allergic symptoms. There was no mention in the case study about hearing status post-op, but I feel confident to say it probably returned to what his hearing was normal for him before the injury.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

So he had to go a pain undergo a painful procedure under anesthesia to get the wives out. So that was not that was false advertising right there.

SPEAKER_00 25:24

For sure. Number two, survey of ENT physicians that had witnessed several or multiple injuries. So there's a well-known study that was published in 1996 in the medical journal of Laryngoscope. They reported 13 cases of burns of the ear, seven cases of ear canal blockage due to wax, and one case of a ruptured eardrum. The study also reported that ear candles produced no measurable vacuum pressure or suction on a model of the ear, and that burning ear candles dripped candle wax onto the eardrum of test subjects on the ear model.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Shocking. Can you imagine on this? Holy, like, there's so many nerve-endings, it's so sensitive. Having a basically molten lava land on your eardrum.

SPEAKER_00 26:17

Another case, this is the third thing. Another case was reported by the London Free Press, which is a Canadian newspaper. A woman who experienced stuffiness in the nose and ear pain while scuba diving went to a local health food store and was referred to a qualified candler. Sorry, sorry. Because now we have qualifications, yeah. Qualified back. Okay. During the treatment, she felt an intense burning in her ear, and later she went to the emergency room where they made attempts to remove wax that had dripped from the candle onto her eardrum. And all attempts were failed, unfortunately. So she too had to have surgery, and a hole in her eardrum was then discovered, which presumably was caused by the procedure. She did make a full recovery, and luckily her hearing was not affected. But don't worry, the practitioner apologized, compensated her, and stopped performing ear candling.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

Oh, there you go. Well, at least that's something.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

But just think that one was qualified.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

Yeah. I mean, it's up to that patient to determine if it was worth it.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Yeah. I would say if it results in having to have surgery, not worth it.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

Probably not a fan.

Fires, Kids, And Added Risks

SPEAKER_00 27:37

No. Numa four. There was a clinical study that I found on burns, perforations, and hearing loss. So this study was a clinical study of 22 patients that was conducted in the Department of ENT and had a neck surgery at a medical college in Bangladesh. This department had used ear candling and found substantial injury and complications. The injuries included scalding of the external auditory canal, so the ear canal, burning of both the ear canal and the eardrum. Ow. I just like these things make me shudder because the ears are so sensitive. Perforated eardrum, candle wax occluding the ear canal or blocking the ear canal. And then patients with sensory neural and conductive hearing loss. The conclusion of the study was that they found nothing beneficial in favor of ear candling. Rather, it caused complications of burn and worsening of tinnitus, vertigo, and hearing loss. Investigators of the study completed the study to do or the ones that completed the study do not recommend ear candling, and they warn people to be aware of the dangers of ear candling. After I was reading this, I did make a note. I don't see also how this could cause sensory neural hearing loss. Because as we mentioned, we don't are not connected to the inner ear friends. But the methods of the study, I like went back and looked at that. It said that they did exclude people that had hearing loss before. I don't know. It also states that they did hear tone testing and impedance measures before and after. So I don't know. But the ear canal with an intact eardrum is not connected to the brain sinuses or eustachium tubes.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

Unless, unless something happened to the pressure differential in the middle ear system and or disrupted that vesicular chain that may have perforated the window to the inner ear system. So if it was so invasive, it could have invaded the middle ear and punctured the window to the inner ear, causing sensory reaction. So I I don't know. I mean, it's true. I'm just like, can a candle do that? It's the same thing where a like a q-tip kid running around thinking he's Shrek with q-tips in his ear canals, and somebody he runs into something and it punctures his eardrum, pushes his ossicular chain into his inner ear. That can cause permanent hearing and balance loss. Not to mention you know, in a better case scenario, just a mild or just a sense of the case. I'm literally holding my ears, you guys. It could be. I know it it could be if it was traumatic enough. Okay. I would say agree.

SPEAKER_00 30:38

Yeah. Agree. So we will avoid a correction section next week. Agree. I just am like, how could this candle be that invasive?

SPEAKER_02 30:48

It would have to be pretty significant. They were shoving that stuff in there pretty far that it shoved the obstacles into the inner ear. Yeah. To perforate the inner ear guns feel.

SPEAKER_00 31:02

So okay. Yeah, great. The fifth story that I found a fire hazard that led to death. So this was in Alaska on January 27th, 2005, which I just looked at the calendar. I'm like, it's January 27th right now. Oh. Oh. That's okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Oh, it's not a no, I know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

But I was just like, oh, that's today.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

So 20 years ago.

SPEAKER_00 31:28

Yeah. How fortuitous that you're talking about. So on this day in 2005, one of the most severe non-medical complications reported was a house fire, you guys, caused by ear candling. Oh no. It gets worse because it resulted in the death of a 59-year-old woman. Oh no. She was using ear candling alone at home. She lit the candle. Or no, that well, yeah, she lit the candle, but the lit candle fell onto her bedding and it just ignited it. And although she did escape the fire, she later died in the hospital from severe asthma attack triggered by the smoke exposure. Oh my god, that's so sad. So her particular case is often cited by fire safety and public health officials as an example of how ear candling can spark life-threatening accidents even without direct contact injury. So sad. That is so sad. Number six, increased risk to children. So concerns that the FDA has. In case that had to be said, now I said it. So obviously, these populations of people are at more at risk of injury because they may move suddenly during procedure. I mean, their little tiny little baby ear canals increase the risk of wax impactions, and they are more susceptible to burn from the flame or hot wax. The FDA has received reports of burns, punctured eardrums, and compactions from the ear candles, and emphasizes that these reports are likely under-reported, which I totally believe, right? Like if you did that, you're not gonna go tell someone you did that to your child. Well, I mean, you should take them in, but I'm I can see why people would not.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

Yeah, and their ear canals are so much shorter.

SPEAKER_00 33:41

Oh baby nuggets.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

Oh god. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:48

This is such a cringy episode. Maybe only because we're ear nerds, but I'm like, this is such a cringy episode of Ken Harvey Renault. And then I think this is my last thing to just of a story, but it's a story of a gal at uh an expo, like a health expo. So candling actually is occasionally offered as a service at health expositions. And Rebecca Long, president of the Georgia Council against health fraud, made the following observations at the 1992 Discovery Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. She shared that one exhibition was doing ear candling for$30. The people selling it said that the suction created by the candle, quote, cleared your mind and your sinuses, end quote. She questioned them enough to establish that they meant this literally and believed the ear was an opening from the brain and the sinuses. The woman running the booth stated, quote, it cleans the whole head, brains and all. They're all connected, you know? End quote.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Oh. Future neurologists.

Safe Ear Care That Actually Works

Sponsor Break: Activewear

Medical Mishap: Pediatric Head Injury

SPEAKER_00 35:00

What are you doing at a candling station, babe? Oh wow. Rudimentary understanding the best. The candling was performed on a table at the front desk of the booth, so the curious sight of a person lying there with a candle burning out of their ear drew many spectators. During the procedure, a gray mixture of soot and wax drippings collected on a pie plate under the candle. It did not look like the melted candle wax, but it was quite disturbing in appearance. Customers were told that these were the impurities of which they had been cleansed, and many went around proudly showing them off, comparing their debris to that of others. Look at how much my brain matter was taken out. Oh my God. After the show, Rebecca had bought a package of ear candles at a local health food store and with help from her friend carefully followed the package directions. She found that the candling produced a hissing sound similar to that of a conch shell when you hold it against your ear, but that it was much louder. However, the air inside her ear became so hot that she had to stop the experiment. So if the evidence is this clear, why does it still persist? Why do people want to do it? Because belief does not run on evidence alone, people. That is why. It runs on distrust of mess medical systems, desire for control, fear of invasive procedures, and the appear and the appeal of natural solutions and personal anecdotes over statistics. When someone says, it worked for me, that story carries emotional weight, even when it conflicts with data. Ear candling sits at the intersection of wellness culture and pseudoscience where feeling better becomes proof enough. Questioning it can feel like questioning someone's intelligence, autonomy, or lived experience, which is why these conversations can become so charged. But there have been regulatory actions, you guys, so there is hope. Candling marketed with healthcare claims are classified by the FDA as medical devices. As such, they are illegal to market without FDA approval, which none of them have. Throughout the years, agencies have banned the importation of ear candles marketed by at least four Canadian companies. In 1993, the FDA seized about$6,000 worth of candles, components, and brochures from Quality Health Products of Fayette, Ohio. The FDA summary stated, Adulterated, this article is a class 3 medical device for which no approved pre-market approval application is in effect, and the methods used in and the facilities and controls used for its manufacturer, packaging, and storage are not in conformity with current good manufacturing practice. That they are misbranded. The article's labeling represents and suggests that it is adequate and effective for reducing earwax, fever, and infections associated with a ruptured eardrum, and that it may be used as replacement for surgical tubes inserted in the ear, which representations and suggestions are contrary to the fact. The article's labeling fails to bear adequate directions for use for the purposes for which it is intended. They are dangerous, do not follow suggestions on a label, etc., etc. etc. In early 1998, the FDA took formal action against a California company called Earthcare, ordering its president to stop marketing ear candles after the products were advertised as treatments for earaches, sinus headaches, swimmers' ear allergies, and hearing problems. The company claimed that the candles worked by creating a vacuum that could draw the wax, yeast, and fungus and bacteria out of the ear, sinuses, and even the lymph glands. Claims the FDA found to be shocking, unsupported. Later that same year, in September 1998, the FDA issued an import alert declaring that ear candles are medical devices under federal law, not wellness products or cosmetics. The agency stated that there was no valid scientific evidence showing ear candles were effective for any of their advertised uses. It also concluded that the labeling was misleading and dangerous. They are not safe and could not be written for a product that requires a lit candle near a person's face. Yeah. Shocking. The FDA further warned that using ear candles as directed poses a high risk of serious injuries, including burns to the skin, the hair, and damage to the middle ear. Which, andor, I guess, inner ear. And external. Oh, the whole thing, guys, just don't do it. Compounding those concerns, the products have never gone through the required FDA pre-market review process, and many appeared to be made by manufacturers that were not properly registered with the agency. In short, the FDA determined that ear candles were unproven, improperly marketed, and inherently unsafe, leading to federal enforcement action and import restrictions. Canada has taken an even firmer stance. Under Canada's Food and Drug Acts, ear candles are classified as medical devices and would require approval from Health Canada before being sold. No such approvals have ever been granted. While some sellers attempted to skirt regulations by labeling ear candles as for entertainment only, Health Canada rejected that argument, stating there is no plausible non-medical use for the product. As a result, Canada issued directives banning their importation altogether.

SPEAKER_02 41:06

Good for Canada. Go Canada! Yeah, come on, you guys. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 41:12

Yeah, regulators also began holding individuals accountable. In 2010, the Minnesota Board of Nursing revoked the license of registered nurse Shirley J. St. Germain after determining she had continued to practice ear candling under an alias despite explicit orders to stop, and after previously being suspended for mental health concerns. The case underscored how her ear candling had moved beyond fringe retail and into the realm of unsafe medical impersonation. That same year, the FDA sent warning letters to 15 different companies selling ear candles, several of which had promoted the practice for use in children. The agency reiterated that the products were unapproved, unproven, and potentially dangerous. Potentially very dangerous. Yet despite more than a decade of enforcement actions, warnings, bans, and license revocations, ear candles have not disappeared, unfortunately. They remain widely available online and in health food stores. For years, groups even offered mail order certifications in ear candling, lending an illusion of legitimacy to a practice that regulators on both sides of the border have been repeatedly declaring unsafe and ineffective. So let's get into safe ear care and what actually works. This often surprises people, but your ears actually clean themselves, you guys. Most people do not need to remove earwax at all. When wax does become impacted, because some people are just high producers or other situations where it's highly produced. The safest options are, and I repeat, the safest options are seeing a medical professional, using clinically recommended eardrops and or professional irrigation or manual removal. And no, q-tips are not safe either. They often just push the earwax deeper into the canal. I would have patients all the time say, Well, you should see how much comes out on my Q-tip.

SPEAKER_02 43:19

It's like, yeah, because it you should see how much goes beyond the second bend that doesn't migrate it.

SPEAKER_00 43:28

I used to be like, if you think about a tube, and yes, like so there's a tube with like peanut butter on it, right? Okay. So you're gonna stick the Q-tip into this tube. Yes, of course the Q-tip's gonna come out with peanut butter on it, but think about all of the peanut butter at the end that you've just pushed now from the entrance to the end of the tube. Hello. Uh and also just like your example earlier of a kid running with a Q-tip and then it punctures through. Just don't use them. There are no home remedies involving fire that belong anywhere near your ear or any part of your body. I'm sure. Ear candling isn't just a story about wax, it's a story about how easily belief can override evidence, especially when something feels personal, comforting, or natural. It's a reminder that not everything that looks ancient is wise, and not everything that feels effective actually is. This is a call to ask better questions, not just about ear candling, but about every health claim that promises simple answers to complex problems because your health deserves more than smoke and mirrors.

Next Week And Listener CTAs

SPEAKER_02 44:39

Woo! Amen. Literally. What a classic rap to that whole story. Because your health care deserves more than smoke, your kind of like smoke and mirrors. Oh my gosh. I'm so thrilled that you did this deep dive because obviously inherently we know that there's no suction. Like as audiologists, you know, knowing what we know and like using science, we know that there's not this whole magical science that like suctions. I understand the people that that think that it's suctioning melted wax out because it's causing heat in the ear canal, and therefore that stuff melts into the candle is magically pulled out by this vacuum that doesn't happen. But the fact that it improves your brain health or like your sinuses, and like, you know, people are just so vulnerable to the influence of others who are you know staking false claims, and those fraudsters are to me despicable. But I understand why people think, oh, because I saw some wax and this thing works, I just want to get the wax out. Also, when you have hearing loss and and and you don't want to have hearing loss, the the thing that you want the most in the world is to have a reason, a quick and a cheap fix, this would be for exactly for your hearing loss, which means I just need to get the wax out. So I can't tell you, and Amanda, I'm sure you experienced as well the number of patients over the years that have been like so disappointed that their ears weren't plugged with wax because they wanted a simple solution rather than a hearing loss. I get that, but this isn't the way to do it because it's dangerous, and now I have a better kind of toolbox to say, okay, well, this happened, this happened, this happened. So I mean, you're doing a public service, and I'm very proud of you. Thank you for bringing this up.

SPEAKER_01 46:58

And you're welcome. PSA, no ear candling day or ever.

SPEAKER_02 47:06

Right? It's not a relaxing Go get a massage. But also, I also even even if it was benign, and it's not benign, it can cause problems. But even if it was something that didn't have the potential to cause problems, on what planet is having someone light a candle or shoving it in your ear a replacement experience? I want to go to Aveda for like, you know, a massage or a haircut or literally anything else on the board. Facial or something. What the hell? What is wrong with people that they think, oh, this is so relaxing? We're going to Aveda to get my earlier on fire. I mean, even if it did work, even if that was the way to remove wax, which it isn't, isn't dangerous, and we we know that. How is that relaxing? So I don't know. People need to redefine their happiness.

SPEAKER_03 48:02

Any easy one.

SPEAKER_02 48:04

Thank you for bringing this up. I I'm so delighted to be able to have more tools in my toolbox to educate people on.

SPEAKER_00 48:13

I know I was just thinking, I mean someone asks me again, I'm gonna be like, listen to episode 51 of our podcast.

SPEAKER_02 48:20

Yeah, yeah. You can get it anywhere on wherever you listen to podcasts. There you go. Um connect your hearing needs for you so they can hear it well.

SPEAKER_00 48:31

But if you say that, you're gonna have to trample through the blue phone. Listen, that's what listen, call a phone in. Uh okay, well, we don't need to get into Bluetooth and hearing aids, but we uh can get into sponsor number two. And I wanted to go all the way back to Handful ActiveWare because we are still so fresh into the new year, and I know you guys are all out there crushing your health and wellness goals. It is designed, they are designed by women for women. Handful sports brands and competition leggings are made to move with you no matter how you work out or live your life. From yoga and running to strength training and everything in between, this is gear that adapts, supports, and performs. Each piece is crafted with moisture-working fabric, serious support, and a sleek, flattering fit that looks just as good outside the gym as it does inside. Handful stands out by creating multifunctional activewear that empowers women to feel strong, confident, and comfortable all day long. Once you try Handful, you'll feel the difference. Can confirm I bought three of these bras. They are amazing. Upgrade your activewear and experience the freedom to move, perform, and live without limits. Shop at handfulactiveware now at handful.com and use our code stay suspicious for 30% off. I mean, you guys, that is a Black Friday discount these days. That's a good dip. I'm being discount, yeah. And here to confirm the bras are so nice. And now that I'm not pregnant, I might try some leggings. Hey.

SPEAKER_01 50:25

Um, so happy shopping to you all and me.

SPEAKER_02 50:30

Yay! Is the time for our medical mishap? It is dime. I don't know why I don't know why it did that. It did. She says it is dime. Okay, so this one starts. Hi Jenna and Amanda. First of all, thank you for creating a medical true crime podcast. You're welcome. Welcome. I'm a dedicated, I'm a dedicated listener and look forward to the new episode each week. I don't work in healthcare, but I'm writing as a parent, and this is the story of the longest night of my life. Oh dear. My child was brought to the emergency department after falling off a playground structure at school. Not from a huge height, not anything dramatic. I mean, he cried, he was scared, but he walked into the ER holding my hand. And that alone made me feel like everything was gonna be okay. The evaluation was quick. Vitals were normal, neurological exam was reassuring, and a doctor told me that kids are resilient and that concussions can look scary, but usually resolve on their own. We were sent home with instructions to monitor closely and come back if anything changed. Something did change. About three hours later, my child started vomiting. Then he complained that the lights hurt his eyes, and then he became unusually sleepy. Not normal bedtime sleepy, but heavy, hard to wake, sleepy. I called the ERR and was told vomiting can happen after a concussion, but to keep watching. By midnight, anyway past, quote unquote, watching. My child wouldn't answer questions. His speech was slurred. I carried him back into the hospital in pajamas and socks, apologizing as I ran because I didn't want to be that parent who overreacted. And everything changed the moment they saw my child again. A CT scan was ordered immediately. I wasn't allowed in the room. I remember staring at the hallway wall, counting tiles, thinking that, oh, if I could stay calm, everything would be fine. But it wasn't fine. My child had a slow intracranial bleed that hadn't been obvious earlier. It had progressed quietly. By the time it was found, neurosurgery was already on the way. I signed consent forms with shaky hands, trying to read words that felt unreal, like pressure, intervention, and risk. My child survived. This is the part I always rush to say because I know these stories can end sadly. But a child spent days in the ICU, weeks in recovery, months relearning things that had once been automatic. School became harder, noise became overwhelming, and our lives shifted into a new version of normal. I don't blame the clinicians. I truly don't. But I wish someone had said, if your gut tells you this isn't right, come back no matter what. I wish I had trusted myself sooner instead of trying to be agreeable, calm, and reasonable. I mean, parents know their kids. Even when the scans are clean, even when the stats are reassuring, even when everyone says, they'll bounce back. Sometimes they don't bounce, sometimes they bleed quietly. Sometimes timing is everything. So thank you for telling these stories, especially the ones where the warning signs are subtle, but the consequences aren't. Sincerely, Amelia.

SPEAKER_00 54:26

Oh my gosh. My new heart or new mama heart cannot take this story. Oh, Amelia. I know. I can't imagine how scary that was.

SPEAKER_02 54:38

It's just dark. I mean. And Amelia, you didn't do anything wrong. You did everything right. And honestly, I don't think the healthcare providers, this is the hard part, is that they can't react, overreact to everything because honestly, you know, head injuries, kids fall all the time. And it's like, I don't know. But you needed to feel comfortable to be able to say, I don't think this is right. I know my kid, this isn't the right behavior, you know, and and maybe that was where the opportunity to improve revealed itself. But oh, I'm glad that your child is okay, and I'm so sorry that you had to go through.

SPEAKER_00 55:21

Yeah, and like you said, both of you. Yeah. Um, if your gut tells you something isn't right, go back no matter what. Same with the story we just had where the gal said that same thing about her mom.

SPEAKER_03 55:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:36

Trust your gut, you guys.

SPEAKER_02 55:40

Yeah. Trust your gut, people.

SPEAKER_00 55:43

All right, Jenna. What can we expect to hear next week?

SPEAKER_02 55:47

Well, next week we're gonna cover fertility fraud. I mean, if you're hope if you were hoping I was gonna elevate the mood.

SPEAKER_00 56:01

No, I already know you're not. There's nothing lazy about fertility in general. So adding fraud on top of it is going to enrage me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:11

Yeah, I definitely thought of you the whole time. So listen, meanwhile, don't miss a bee. Subscribe or follow Doctor in the Truth wherever you enjoy your podcast for stories that shock, intrigue, and educate. Trust, after all, is a delicate thing. You can text us directly on our website at Doctor in the Truth at Buzzsprout.com or email us your story ideas and comments at Doctoringthe Truth at Gmail. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at Doctoring the Truth Podcast and on Facebook at Doctoring the Truth. TikTok at Doctor in the Truth and Ed Odd Pod E-D-A-U-D-P-O-D. Don't forget to download, rate, and review so we can be sure to bring you more content next week.

SPEAKER_00 56:59

Until then, stay safe and stay stay suspicious, but I forgot I when you were reading that, I feel like I have to say uh you guys, I have I know I'm behind on answering people's messages because I had a baby, but you didn't know that. So this is me here to say I know that you guys have sent messages in, so keep doing that and I will catch up. Okay, thank you. Stay suspicious.

SPEAKER_01 57:26

Goodbye. Bye. Goodbye.