Ear Candles

[Tcoates@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/5/97 5:53:44 AM, you wrote:

<<Dear Tim (and the list),

Someone once did an experiment to see how much of the wax came from the
ears and how much was burned wax from the ear candles.  He took an ear
candle and used it on a clean glass bottle with a small neck (like the
small glass bottles that flavoring extracts come in).  He got just about as
much "earwax" out of the empty bottle as he had gotten from his ears.

Anyone care to try it and report back?  :-)

Sincerely,
David and Kathleen Vanderhoofven

David A. Vanderhoofven       Associate Member, PTG
Joplin, Missouri, USA        e-mail:  dkvander@clandjop.com

web page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/
#pianotech page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/ircpiano.html>>

I'd be interested to know who this "someone" is.  I hear his name mentioned a
lot.

Seriously, I just tried your experiment.  Yes, there is some wax from the
candle after you've burned it on a clean bottle (as you suggest).  But the
amount I got was about a third of what I consistently get when I put the
candle in my ear and burn it.  The bottle candle was burned down to the same
length as when used in the ear.

Yesterday when my wife did my ears with ear candles, we first tried it
outdoors.  It was a little windy.  The candle burned really fast.  There was
almost no wax in the bottom of the candle.  I suspect that wax came from the
candle.  I felt the candle burned so fast it didn't  create the warmth and
suction necessary to pull the ear wax out.  We moved inside and then the
candle burned at it's proper rate.  I pulled a very large amount of wax from
the same ear.

I suppose one could suspect different amounts of wax in each candle,  but
they are all very uniform.  One doesn't weigh three times as much as another.


At any rate, ear candles are the only device I've found (including
prescription) that clear my ears enough to allow them to equalize pressure
when using a CPAP machine.   Something is being done by the ear candles when
there is a definite before and after performance.  Inner ear pressure versus
 no inner ear pressure when trying to sleep.

My hearing is excellent.  I've had that checked.  But there are other
functions my ears are required to do.  I have my own way of dealing with my
problems.  If my experiences can help someone else, that's fine.  If they
don't, that's fine too.

Tim Coates
University of South Dakota