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<P>David,</P>
<P>I prefer natropaths also. My DO (doctor of osteopathy) uses almost only holistic approaches. He told me that he had been quite excited when ear candles came out. He thought they made sense. But, he said, he tried them and tried them and they did not actually work. </P>
<P>He said that you see a lot of gunk when you are finished, but he believes that is some of the wax from the ear candle itself. For people who actually had a build-up of earwax, it was still there after ear candling.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Also, since I have been studying audiology, I have learned the following:</P>
<P> 1. Everybody has some earwax. It is a lubricant, an antibacterial agent and a protection against insects, who hate the smell. We need Some. (If your ear canal gets too squeaky clean, it can get irritated and itchy.)</P>
<P> 2. Ear canals naturally clean themselves of old earwax.</P>
<P> 3. As people age, some have earwax build up in their ear canals.</P>
<P> 4. Ear wax buildup in the ear canal causes problems only:</P>
<P> a. If a bit of the wax touches your eardrum, it can be painful</P>
<P> b. If the build-up becomes so severe, that the ear canal becomes <STRONG>completely</STRONG> blocked, then it would interfere with your hearing. If there is any opening for air, then sound will get through.</P>
<P> c. If you wear hearing aids, the wax can plug them up and you won't have the benefit of the hearing aid.</P>
<P> d. If you have a tendency for too much wax to build up, and you wear earplugs that go down into the ear canal, they can push the wax further in. (This goes for q-tips also, they can cause earwax to become impacted.)</P>
<P>So, if you really think you have a problem with earwax, then you should see your doctor, or an audiologist who can check your ears, your hearing, and clean the wax out if that is needed.</P>
<P>I have yet to hear of any doctor who prescribes medication if you have too much earwax; they generally flush it out.</P>
<P>Finally, the ear candling can be dangerous if the practitioner is not careful, you can end up with a punctured eardrum.</P>
<P>Diane Hofstetter</P>
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<P><BR><BR> </P></DIV><BR><BR><BR>Diane Hofstetter
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<DIV></DIV>>From: David Andersen <bigda@gte.net>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
<DIV></DIV>>To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: ear candles?
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 21:29:05 -0800
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> > Hey, Tom Cole---donıt pull that trigger so quick; did you know that Quackwatch
<DIV></DIV>> > is totally funded by 4 or 5 different pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the
<DIV></DIV>> > subtext is that anything remotely naturopathic, alternative, integrative,
<DIV></DIV>> > herbal, or cutting edge is quackery, because: guess what? Those treatments
<DIV></DIV>> > donıt sell drugs, kids. Iım not a ranter or conspiracy geek, but itıs pretty
<DIV></DIV>> > obvious to me that pharma as an industry are lying, dogmatic, judgemental,
<DIV></DIV>> > mechanistic entities who have little vested interest whatsover in
<DIV></DIV>> > healing---sadly, only in symptom suppression.
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Go here: http://quackpotwatch.org/
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > and donıt be so smug, bubba.... :--)
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Go to http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Tom Cole
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > ilex cameron ross wrote:
<DIV></DIV>> >>
<DIV></DIV>> >> hello hello again, list!
<DIV></DIV>> >>
<DIV></DIV>> >> Soooo, I was in some airy fairy gift shop today and saw ear candles and
<DIV></DIV>> >> started wondering what "we" (of the piano tuner persuasion) think of such a
<DIV></DIV>> >> device? Everyone I know who has used ear candles says they're just
<DIV></DIV>> >> incredible, that even if you clean your ears regularly, these things manage
<DIV></DIV>> >> to extract all sorts of gunk out of there, thus vastly improving your
<DIV></DIV>> >> hearing.
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