★★★★★
Your question led me to the original post, which I have never read.
I have always had trouble with ear wax but noticed in recent months that it hasn't been much of an issue. I didn't think anything of it until I read the above post.
Interestingly, I have been consuming dried cranberries ("craisins" from Costco) for months. I put them in my steel cut oats, which I eat 5 days a week. I don't really know how many I am eating a day - maybe a little over 2 tablespoons?
Here is my recipe for Steel Cut Oats, by the way. It is my very favorite breakfast. I started making it when I got an Instant Pot.
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup Craisins
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 t salt
I put all of this in the Instant Pot before I go to bed. I use the "multigrain setting" and set the timer for 6 hours. In the morning it takes it a little over an hour to cook. (time to heat the water, 40 minutes at high pressure, 10 minutes natural pressure release.)
This recipe makes 3 servings. I add a little bit of plant butter and maple syrup right before serving.
If no one joins me for any, I save the leftovers in the fridge and reheat some for a snack or breakfast another time. :)
Dried Cranberries
Dried Cranberries
★★★★★
Every 5-6 years I get so much earwax build-up in one ear that I think I've gone deaf. The cranberries (well, actually Craisins, which are dried cranberries) virtually eliminated my earwax altogether, and fixed my 'deafness' after 4-5 months of no hearing out the left ear!
★★★★★
Ear Candles - What is the Truth?
I hope by now that you have heard about those crazy, wacky things called Ear Candles … and, boy have they caused quite the commotion! In this blog, I am going to review and examine the debate surrounding ear candles, prove what the legal status of ear candles are in the USA, clarify exactly what ear candles do and do not do and I am going to share with you why and how to use ear candles. Of course, in the end it is up to you to decide for yourself about ear candles.
I am Doc Harmony and for the last 26 years, I have dedicated my professional, and a lot of my personal life, to Ear Candles. Why? In 1992, my son was very ill with ear infections for about 1 year. After being prescribed another batch of antibiotics, he began vomiting up the medicine. I had had enough. At this time, I went to Dr. Berryhill (our family Naturopath since I was 16) and he introduced me to ear candles. Of course, I thought this was a hoax but at this point in life, I had no other options. I wanted my son to be healthy! So I used 4 ear candles on my son and he has not had another ear infection to this day. Simultaneously, Dr. Berryhill called on me numerous times to encourage me to make and sell ear candles. I took his advice and thus began Harmony Cone Ear Candles.
Life was good, handcrafting and selling ear candles, raising my family, working and living together sustainably upon the land. I birthed 2 babies at home, became vigilant about natural health, and was homeschooling all three children. I went back to school and obtained my Masters in the Science of Natural Health. The company was successfully expanding and this allowed me to have the opportunity to help single mothers and other homeschooling families create their own microeconomic communities by handcrafting ear candles at home with our special technique and, of course, love.
In 2006, I began writing my Dissertation on Ear Candles, expecting this to be an easy paper to write (since I thought I knew everything about ear candles!). But I discovered that I had a lot more to learn about ear candles when when I came across Dr. Seely, a renowned doctor at Spokane Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, who orchestrated the now famous survey of 122 otolaryngologists in the USA and their observations about ear candles. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8849790 Needless to say, I was dumbfounded because I was like everyone else when he discovered that there was “no removal of cerumen from the external auditory canal" … What! Ear candles do NOT pull wax out of the ear?
I was confused as I had witnessed many people use my ear candles for years with great success for a variety of reasons. So I became committed to discover what ear candles were actually doing by writing my dissertation on ear candles. Thus began a very lonely campaign with my team to educate the retailers and consumers about ear candles.
During the last 26 years, my team and I, have exhibited our ear candles at hundreds of natural health, massage, chiropractic, natural professional tradeshows with tens of thousands of visitors attending. We have worked tirelessly to educate and share the truth about ear candles with retailers and consumers across the world. We have exhibited as far north as Sweden and as far south as Argentina, Brazil and Australia.
I have probably candled more ears than anyone in the world, considering that at every tradeshow, I candled one ear every 15 minutes. (I wish I had documented all of them for the Guinness Book of World Records!) I know I have exhibited in at least 120 tradeshows. Each tradeshow is at least 22 hours long. 22 hours x 4 ears is 88 ears and ear candles. That equals at least 10,560 ears candled by me personally. I am confident that the number is higher considering family, friends, and store demonstrations. I believe that the number is closer to 15,000 plus. There were NEVER any injuries and 99% enjoyed the experience.
This is why, when the FDA sent 16 warning letters about ear candles to vendor, manufacturers and retailers and it included us, I was shocked! We were not claiming to pull wax out of the ear. We were confused and scared. However, everyone at Harmony Cone Ear Candles decided to lead the way with research, funds and a commitment to Personal Freedom and sue the FDA for Constitutional Violations. We asked other manufacturers that had also received warning letters from the FDA to participate but we were the ONLY manufacturer to stand up against the FDA and eventually, stop them from outlawing the sale of ear candles. (Note: We did have a bit of financial support from Regal Labs and Becks Natural.)
Consider, we had made every single ear candle by hand and used them for 26 years regularly with no issues amongst friends, family and associates. We also have a 3-step process to ensure that they are handcrafted properly.
We could not help but wonder, why is the FDA including us?
We are NOT just selling ear candles, we are in the trenches … educating …
Mostly everyone that uses ear candles for the right reasons know that they are relaxing. This is why I am writing this … I want to share our story about Harmony's Ear Candles and how facetiously the FDA has tried to have them removed.
NOTE TO EARTH CLINIC TEAM: I WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU THE REST OF THE INFORMATION BUT IT IS ABOUT 30 SOMETHING PAGES AND I AM NOT SURE IT WOULD FIT HERE. I CAN ALSO MAKE THE INFO NEUTRAL ... BUT I AM HARMONY SO I AM NOT SURE HOW I COULD/WOULD CHANGE THAT BIT OF INFORMATION. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE: www.healthyenergyamazinglife.com ... ONLY BITS AND PIECES OF THIS COMPLETE STORY IS UP YET. IT SHOULD BE GOING UP NEXT WEEK.
EC: Hello Doc Harmony,
Earth Clinic readers would be interested in learning some of the testimonials from ear candles, but probably not 30 pages of it (which should stay copyrighted on your site anyway)! We've had quite a bit of feedback over the years that ear cones do NOT pull out ear wax! We'd love to read what you have learned over 26 years of use. Thank you!
Warmed Oil
Ear Cones
★☆☆☆☆
Warmed Oil
Hydrogen Peroxide, Warmed Oil
★★★★★
Turpentine
★★★★☆
I applied pure "food grade" turpentine to the insides of both ears with cotton swabs and it was very painful, it felt like an ear infection. After a while the pain went away. And maybe a day or so later a white skin of sorts came out of each ear. It looked like dry skin, so it was probably the ear canal shedding the top layer because of the strength of the oil. It did not appreciably affect the itchiness. Alcohol is said to cure athlete's foot, so it may cure the ear problem.
Bobby Pin
Ear Cones
Baking Soda, Oregano Oil
★★★★★
One formula I've tried with success is as follows:
I take my finger (my pinky) and barely wet with water and dab that into baking soda. I insert into each ear. There are other ways to get a bit of baking soda (barely moistened) into ears (q-tips) but the digital way is my favorite. I let that dry completely in each ear for four or five hours. I clean the outside of the ear to get rid of the white residue but don't touch the soda deeper in the outer ear canal. I just let the baking soda work its absorbing action for four or five hours.
Then I get out my Oregano Oil and using the dropper drip one drop into each ear. Yes it stings. Some people might not be able to take the stinging so if too much I'd swish out with an ear syringe of warm water if oregano is too painful. But although it stings, I think it is killing any infection in the outer ear canal that contributes to itching.
Now in a day or two an amazing thing happens (at least in my case).... a film is emitted from each ear. I might have to reapply two or three times in a month, but my ears are free from itching and any crusty buildup.
Hydrogen Peroxide, Warmed Oil
★☆☆☆☆
Bobby Pin
But, seriously, my local health clinic recommends warm olive oil, only (as often as is practical, in the case of compacted cerumen (e.g. from wearing plug-type ear defenders). They also recommend against using commercial ear drops.
Some 'health' websites mention using rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) mixed 50/50 with vinegar! Are they serious? I use isopropyl alcohol to clean electronic equipment.
Other than olive oil, almond oil or glycerine are safe options; but never push any kind of bud or probe into your ears: you cannot see in there, and risk perforating the tympanic membrane.
Ear Cones
Ear Wax Remedies
Ear Cones
One should have some training on their proper use. Personally, I had it done, but don't consider it quackery. I prefer Q-tips, and I have a method of rolling the Q-tip and using 2 Q-tips together, it doesn't go too far down, and one can clean the ridges of the ear as well, and I don't walk around the house with them hanging out of my ears. Also after wax removal, one should not go running around outside, one should have the advantage of one nights worth of wax build up, to protect one from infections and viruses one could be open to, with too much wax removed.
Bobby Pin
Bobby Pin
Bobby Pin
My earwax is getting very dry as I get older and I intuitively thought a drop or two of oil in the ears before bed would help, but wondered what type oil others might have used for maintenance purposes (if you will) vs. occasional earwax removal.
Anyway! I stumbled across a poster who was scolding those who mentioned using Q-tips and/or bobby pins for wax removal saying that they could perforate their eardrums, etc.
She wrote:
The old saying: "DON'T STICK ANYTHING INTO YOUR EARS LARGER THAN YOUR ELBOW!!! "
I think it's safe to assume that she meant anything smaller than your elbow. :D
Happy (and very healthy) New Year all! :)
P.S. Though I didn't find any mention of an oil recommended for daily use here on EC, I found suggestions on another site, from an ENT, who suggested baby oil or olive oil for daily use. I went with the olive oil since baby oil has fragrance added. Besides, babies don't have the fine motor skills or the chemistry knowledge to create oil anyway. (Haha) :)
Ear Cones
Olive Oil
★★★★★
After searching the web I found a site that mentioned the use of olive oil. You place a few drops in your ear each day with an eye dropper while you're laying down with your head turned to the side. Let the olive oil soak in for a while. I waited about 20 or 30 minutes. On the 3rd or 4th day you can try gently spraying warm water into the ear with a syringe, but this may not even be necessary. It worked very well for me. My hearing came back in that ear within about 24 hours.
Mineral Oil
Mineral Oil
Ear Cones
Hydrogen Peroxide, Warmed Oil
★★★★★
I read all of your entries and began with the most intensive - warmed H2O2 for 50minutes, then 30 then 20 throughout one day followed each time by warm water rinsing . While this did dislodge some flaked material it seemed so little and there was no change in symptomology. I guessed that either I had a larger mass and/or it had become stuck near or on the eardrum. I saw that some of you had recommended the use of warmed oil. So I ended the day by proceeding the H2O2 'treatment' with warm oil for five minutes then drained, and a 20min H2O2 session, rinsed, then again applied warm oil 25 min. Overnight I applied oil and a cotton wool 'plug' to keep it in. This morning I repeated the process and when it came to rinsing after the H2O2 a substantial amount of material came out and I could hear. I did apply some more oil and intend to repeat this process again this evening. If all is well then I shall continue with this remedy on a once a week rota as a preventative. My husband, who has had some awful syringe experiences now intends to use this method too. Thank you so much everyone for your contributions.
I put H2O2 a few days ago, just a few drops but only stayed on my side for 3 mins or so & then added warm olive oil after. I think I did this for 2 or 3 days, each time for a few mins only. I didn't do your advice well because I saw this article only now. But here's my problem now.
After a few days of doing that, now I experience pain in my jaw when I open & close it say while eating or yawning. Is this because I did the H2O2 treatment for so short a time that the earwax is stuck & bugging me with pain or is it something else?
Ear Cones
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
BEWARE! Having shared this treatment with many folks before the above incident, I noticed that most people do not follow the directions and they burn away too much of the cone before removing it from the ear, which is also very, very dangerous!
For everyones sake it's much safer to use the Hydrogen peroxide treatment (but not if you have a reptured eardrum or other ear problems! )
Ear Wax Remedies
Ear Cones
★☆☆☆☆
Warmed Oil
★★★★★
Hydrogen Peroxide, Warmed Oil
★★★★★
I woke up the next morning only to suffer the same results--I was not going to give up though. I did some reseach and found that Olive Oil softens the wax and along side that, I figured the bulb that I had was not pressure enough to push the wax out. I went out and got Olive Oil and a new bulb (this was actually a baby mucus cleaner). I put the olive oil in--2-3 drops and waited about five minutes. Then I went on with the hydrogen peroxide. Every 2-3 minutes I would put another drop in of peroxide and did this for about 15 minutes. I then went to the sink, made a bowl of warm water and tilted my head and position the bulb to help push the wax out. I had to do this three times (oil, peroxide, syringe) before the syringe blew the wax out. It was such a relief!!
I did this with my other ear (because now that my right ear was clear, I could offically tell it was clogged) and it blew old wax out that was black!! I was amazed. Therefore, if hydrogen peroxide alone will not work for you, get some olive oil to soften the wax because it is too hard for the hydrogen peroxide to break down.
★☆☆☆☆
Bobby Pins ARE JUST AS DANGEROUS, POSSIBLY WORSE BECAUSE THEY ARE METAL!!! I can see brain injuries from a bobby pin being SLAMMED DEEP INTO THE EAR DRUM and possibly on into the brain.
The old saying: "DON'T STICK ANYTHING INTO YOUR EARS LARGER THAN YOUR ELBOW!!!"
Michele
Ear Cones
★☆☆☆☆
I have had heavy earwax buildup all of my life. I do a monthly peroxide drop treatment that works wonders. I was career army so I also took Murine ear drops to the field with me. Both break up the ear wax and allow it to naturally work its way out of the ear canal to where you can swab it up with a Q-tip. Far better than mining with a bobby pin.
Ear Wax Remedies
Ear Wax Remedies
Ear Cones
I was not to convinced on putting something lit near my ear so I never tried it, but I do the hydrogen peroxide and like the results. I lay on my side and pour in my ear canal, wait 10 min and pour it out on a towel and then clean your ear out, but make sure you dont push the wax back in. My boyfriend was having trouble hearing out his ears, I did it to him and now no problem.
I read, thats what some doctors do to patients when there is infection in the ear!
