Ear Candling

I don't make any secret that I think ear candling is NOT an advisable practice, but I'm making an effort here to stay focused only on the objective, verifiable facts from laboratory testing.
I understand that many people report subjective relief from ear candling, and I understand that this can be persuasive. The claims made about it are demonstrably false, though. We could debate whether or not it works, but we can't debate whether or not it works in the way proponents claim.
As always: Be very wary of taking medical advice from anonymous Internet sources (including me!). If in doubt, your best, most reliable source of medical information is a licensed medical practitioner.
Sources:
1. "Ear candling
Should general practitioners recommend it?"
Can Fam Physician. 2007 Dec; 53(12): 2121-2122.
www.ncbi.nlm.ni...
2. Why Ear Candling Is Not a Good Idea by Lisa Roazen, M.D.
www.quackwatch....
3. "Ear candles--efficacy and safety."
Laryngoscope. 1996 Oct;106(10):1226-9.
www.ncbi.nlm.ni...
4. "Ear candles: a triumph of ignorance over science."
J Laryngol Otol. 2004 Jan;118(1):1-2.
www.ncbi.nlm.ni...