Ear candling is an alternative medicine practice alleged to enhance general health by putting an end of a hollow candle in the ear canal and lighting up the other end of it. It also is advertised for cerumen and debris (bacteria and fungi) removal. Ear candling is claimed to create negative pressure for drawing cerumen from the ear and to benefit the ears in many ways. It is however not free o...

BACKGROUND Little information is available about the pattern of ear diseases in the elderly population. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the pattern of ear diseases among elderly Nigerians, so as to provide an objective basis for cost-effective health care planning for the emerging geriatric population. METHODS A retrospective study of 320 patients aged 60 years or older present...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the OtoClear Safe Irrigation System for removing cerumen from the external auditory canal in children. METHODS Eligible subjects were 6 months-17 years of age with cerumen obstructing > or = 50% of the tympanic membrane (TM) from view (by otoscopy). Pneumatic otoscopy, tympanometry, and audiometry were performed followed by cleansing of the aff...