Earwax is a naturally occurring substance which we all have in our ear canals. It is a mixture of skin cells, some natural oils secreted from the skin and dust which has been prevented from entering the sensitive eardrum. For the most part, it does us no harm and serves an important purpose of keeping our delicate inner ears protected. But occasionally, earwax can build up and cause a blockage – causing annoying symptoms such as muffled hearing, discomfort or sometimes a ringing noise known as tinnitus.
Blockages in the ear can be worsened by putting things in to try and clear it such as cotton buds, pushing compacted ear wax further in.
You may have heard of ear candles – often referred to as Hopi candles. A hopi ear candle is a rolled piece of muslin cloth or linen, coated in paraffin or beeswax. The idea of an ear candle such as this is to place one end in the ear and to light the other end like a candle. Supposedly, the warmth of the candle will soften the wax inside the ear and cause it to drip out into the candle, clearing the ears.
The reality is that these candles don’t have any scientific evidence to back them up, and can often cause more harm than good. There’s obviously a risk of burns to the face or ear from having a lit flame so close, and some evidence shows that they actually worsen ear blockages because wax from the candle drips in!
What’s a better option?
Hearing specialists would strongly discourage you from using ear candles. Indeed, the NHS itself agrees that they are ineffective and unsafe according to their website.
For safe ear wax removal Swindon or other locations, seek out a qualified hearing specialist, such as the Earwax website, to find out more about safe, reliable methods to clear your ears, such as microsuction.
That old phrase is true – nothing smaller than your elbow should enter that delicate ear!
