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GP Info
Ear Candling - Demystified
What does candling do? Is it detrimental?
Since I haven't witnessed candling of the ears, I can only describe what I've been told by patients. Apparently, a hollow candle is inserted into the ear and lit on the opposite end. It's supposed to clean the ear of cerumen and get rid of ear infection. I've been told the mechanism of cleaning the ear is by suction as the candle is pulled out -- but I don't know how it's supposed to get rid of infection. Although in most cases it's a harmless procedure, there's been a number of cases described, even in the newspapers, where people have been burned and injured with this technique. Personally, I think the suctioning effect when the candle is pulled out is insignificant -- no better at removing the cerumen than a cotton swab, which I also don't recommend. The heat to the ear canal and eardrum is probably soothing, but I think it can be easily applied using safer means. No study has shown that candling has any bearing on ear infection. Remember that, since the ear is self-cleaning when it comes to removing cerumen, the vast majority of ears require no cleaning whatsoever. For the few that do, it's best to use direct suctioning or other more effective cleaning methods.
Sudden Loss of Taste or Smell
Many people who complain of olfactory loss also feel their sense of taste is either gone or distorted. Most of these people, when tested, actually have normal thresholds for taste, and the distortion they experience is related to the loss of the sense of smell. Of paramount importance is to determine whether the problem is neural (involving some loss of the olfactory pathways), or mechanical (a blockage in the sensory cells in the roof of the nose). Since the leading causes of olfactory problems are head trauma and viral infections, the history may provide the answer. The second step is a physical examination of the upper respiratory tract, head and neck, with special emphasis on the nose. This exam should include endoscopic evaluation of the nasal cavity to rule out polyps or pathology at this site. X-rays may be necessary. The clinical exam should also include olfactory threshold testing by such tests as scratch and sniff paradigm to distinguish between partial and complete loss of smell (anosmia). Although medications, hypothyroidism, and diabetes can contribute to a loss of the sense of smell, they rarely cause it suddenly. Unfortunately, there is no effective therapy for olfactory loss caused by neural disorders. If the problem is in the transport system, treatment is directed at the cause, which could be rhinitis, polyps, or possible neoplasms.
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