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Ear candles: a triumph of ignorance over science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2006

E. Ernst
E. Ernst
Affiliation:
Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Exeter,UK
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Abstract

Ear candles are hollow tubes coated in wax which are inserted into patients’ ears and then lit at the far end. The procedure is used as a complementary therapy for a wide range of conditions. A critical assessment of the evidence shows that its mode of action is implausible and demonstrably wrong. There are no data to suggest that it is effective for any condition. Furthermore, ear candles havebeen associated with ear injuries. The inescapable conclusion is that ear candles do more harm than good. Their use should be discouraged.

Keywords

CerumenTherapy
Type
Review Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 118 , Issue 1 , January 2004 , pp. 1 - 2
Copyright
© Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited 2004

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