Health Risks And Side Effects Of Ear Candling

Puncturing The Eardrum

If an ear candle is placed too deeply inside the ear canal and comes into direct contact with the eardrum, this could result in puncturing the eardrum. Also known as an eardrum perforation or an eardrum rupture, puncturing the eardrum causes symptoms such as severe ear pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and fluid drainage from the ears. The discharge from the ear may contain pus or blood, and patients often experience hearing loss too. To diagnose a ruptured eardrum, a primary care doctor or ear specialist will begin by looking into the patient's ear with an otoscope. Patients might also need to have audiology testing and a tympanometry study.

An eardrum puncture may close on its own within a few weeks, and patients will need to return to the doctor for follow-up appointments to check their progress. If the puncture does not heal, an eardrum patch may be placed during an office procedure. First, the doctor will apply a chemical to the edges of the hole to stimulate new cell growth, and they will then cover the existing hole with a patch. If the hole does not heal after the patch is applied, a surgical procedure known as a tympanoplasty might be necessary. During this procedure, the surgeon uses a small piece of the patient's tissue to make a graft that closes the eardrum puncture.

Read more about the potential side effects of ear candling now.