"The ear candle is a hollow tapered candle 10 - 12 inches
long. You should have on hand a glass of water to douse the candle, an
aluminum pie plate with a hole in the middle large enough to accommodate the
width of the candle, and matches or a lighter.
‘You have the patient lie down, light the candle at its
largest end, ensure that you have a draw (by seeing smoke in the other end of
the candle), and insert the candle's non-burning end [through the aluminum pie
plate] in the ear (without crushing the candle). Then just watch the candle
work.
‘The heat (very comfortable - that's why so many drift off
while being candled) and the vacuum created within the candle draw out the old
wax, dirt, etc. from the ear and move them into the candle. Don't be alarmed
if you have spurts of more heat in the ear - that's the old wax leaving the
ear - not candle wax dripping in - do not pull out the candle and break the
vacuum! None of this process is painful - so don't be alarmed! Anyway, you
should let the candle burn down to about an inch from the ear - when that
happens, pull the candle out and quickly douse it in the glass of water you
have placed nearby. (You can see clearly all the crud which came out of the
ear! Yuk!)
‘Even though the candling works best for outer ear
infections - I have found that it also is comforting and helpful in inner ear
infections. It seems to help soothe the ear drum (maybe the heat), and seems
to help liquefy and break up the clog which my be pressing on the drum. The
ears seem to feel under less pressure after being candled....
‘To wrap up - it's not difficult to candle ears - but it was
scary the 1st time. Now it's no big deal. Only takes about 7-9 minutes an ear.
The 1st time you candle an ear, it may take about 2-3 candles to get all the
junk out - then you can candle the ear every 3-6 months using 1 candle each
ear. ... I will say that my vet still says that most dogs would not lay still
for the candling - I believe he is now also candling - finds it less prone to
possible injury to the dog's ear - but he is using a light sedative on the
dogs 1st. If your dog is normally attentive and obedient to you (if a terrier
will lay still for me!), I think it's doable. One of my coworkers has done
some of his goats! "
