This is the first in a series concerning the war on our health--a war waged by entities who have an interest in keeping our health choices confined to a narrow range of expensive and often harmful options. This "interest" is often economic--drug companies and other medical companies are in it for the money--but it is just as often ideological. The Medical Establishment has a vested interest in promoting and maintaining its own view of health and healing. This Established point of view is positivistic and materialistic. Skeptics of all stripes naturally attack all forms of natural or "alternative" medicine, since alternative treatments are often based on models not recognized by Respectable Materialist Science.
I will be the first to state that I have great respect for science as a legitimate, even lofty, human endeavour--when placed in the proper context. But when scientists begin to overstep their bounds, make dogmatic claims which are ultimately self-referential, and offer us unprovable assertions to attack the noble parents of science--philosophy and metaphysics--it is high time for us to put them in their place.
In this age of people practicing foolishness and blaming others for it, I must offer a disclaimer: Nothing in this blog--ever-- is intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any medical condition whatsoever. If you have needs of a medical nature, seek the advice of a qualified physician.
I was twenty-seven years old when I experienced my first earache. I drove to Walgreen's at one in the morning to find relief--I had to work the next day.
To my amazement, they didn't sell a single OTC drug which treated the earache--they only treated the symptoms. If I wanted something to treat the earache itself, I needed a prescription. I found several chemical concoctions for earache relief; there was also one homeopathic remedy. I took the homeopathic remedy and one of the chemical nostrums to the pharmacist and asked his opinion.
He said that he recognized only two ingredients in the homeopathic remedy, so he recommended the chemicals.
Well, Hell.
I don't even have a degree and I recognized three elements of the natural remedy (sulfur, belladonna, and chamomile). It was more expensive, but I went with it, figuring that at worst I would be ten dollars wiser.
It worked; I was able to sleep, and I made it through work without suffering.
I still had to address the cause, so after work I went to the natural food co-op across the street from my weekend employer and purchased two ear candles.
I can hear you now:
"Ear Candles?!"
I had seen them around, though no-one I knew had tried them. I had third hand reports from people: "Oh, so-and-so swears by these!"
At worst, I would be out four bucks and have an interesting story about how I had tried some quack remedy which involved sticking candles in my ear. Then I would have to go to the doctor like other humans and wait several hours to pay a hundred bucks for him to tell me what I already knew--that I had an ear infection--and write me a permission slip so that I could go to the pharmacist and pay further money to purchase a drug.
I felt silly lying on the floor of my apartment with a candle sticking out of my ear.
I did experience relief, though the candle had filled my ear with (soft) wax which I had to scrape out.
It is a myth that the wax which appears in your ear after candling is "drawn out" by it--it's put there, and if your ear canals are narrow, you should avoid ear candles.
Four hours later I repeated the treatment.
I'm happy to report that it worked; for fourteen dollars I treated my earache without the use of drugs.
There is, however, a rather vocal part of the population hell-bent on telling me that the treatment was entirely ineffectual.
It doesn't help that there are loons who make all sorts of extravagant claims about ear candles; they're handing over a dozen straw men on a platter to any skeptic, who has only to disprove one of these crazy claims in order to "prove" that ear candles don't work and that it's all a giant hoax.
Others are skeptical for all of the reasons the Medical Establishment wants them to be skeptical: ear candles don't have a fancy-sounding scientific name; anyone with common sense can administer them; and the principle by which they work is, as far as I am aware, unknown. One good friend of mine insisted that ear candles can't possibly work because she, personally, could not explain how. That same friend doesn't demand to know the pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen before using it; but ibuprofen has the blessing of the Medical Establishment.
How often have you seen this kind of "logic" at work?
So let me clarify some things: ear candles don't "create a vacuum" to draw out impurities. That is idiotic. If there were a vacuum inside, it would suck the flame in! Ear candles do not "draw wax" out of the ear; they actually add wax, a buildup from the smoke which pours into your ear during use.
They certainly do not cleanse the ear canal, as some quacks will claim. Nor is it a good idea to use them to relieve symptoms caused by a ruptured eardrum. If your ear is compromised, you need a medical professional; an ear candle is the last thing you need.
That being said, there is no reason why a healthy person can't give it a shot. Many skeptics will object that there are hazards due to dripping wax or fire. This is a distraction from the real issue of whether they work. Ear candles must be held at the proper angle or they will burn you. Follow directions.
As far as fire hazards, well, yes, you are handling fire; use common sense. And avoid the gimmicks: the special oils, plates, etc. Ear candles are supposed to be a natural, inexpensive alternative. If you spend more than ten bucks for two candles (even that's extreme), you've been had.
It's always difficult to navigate between the credulous, wild-eyed simps and the hard-nosed, gimlet-eyed skeptics who would disprove their own existence if they thought it would help the Establishment.
Good luck.
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