Abu Dhabi // Doctors want a ban on ear candling, a procedure that is said to relieve sinus problems and headaches but can lead to burns or temporary hearing loss.
The spa treatment, touted as an "ancient" therapy, involves inserting a special hollow candle, lit on one end, into the ear canal. Hot air supposedly draws out earwax with a vacuum effect.
But medical experts say not only are those claims implausible, the practice is dangerous.
"You can burn your skin, you can burn your hair, the candle can perforate the eardrum," said Dr Ahmad Alamadi, the head of the ear, nose and throat department at Al Baraha Hospital in Dubai.
One patient needed surgery days after having the treatment last year. Her hearing was reduced to 50 per cent, Dr Alamadi said. "I saw her ears completely blocked, but from the candle wax," he said. "The candle itself melted and went down the canal. It solidified and packed the whole ear. She was lucky it didn't burn the eardrums."
After administering general anaesthesia on the patient, Dr Alamadi took about two hours to scoop out "about three to four cubic centimetres of wax".
"Trying to avoid damaging the skin of the canal was tricky work. It wasn't fun," he said.
Dr Alamadi urged the Ministry of Health to follow the examples of the United States and Canada, which have banned the practice.
Abu Dhabi's Department of Economic Development issues licences to spas and would be responsible for monitoring the activity, health officials said, but the department could not be reached for comment.
Khaleefa al Romaithi, who heads Abu Dhabi Municipality's public health administration, said: "We never hear about this kind of practice in Abu Dhabi."
However, he said he would be interested in sending inspectors to find out more.
In February, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered ear-candle manufacturers to stop production. It found no evidence that the treatment was effective.
A consumer advisory stated: "The FDA has received reports of burns, perforated eardrums and blockage of the ear canal which require outpatient surgery."
Canada banned the sale of ear candles in 2006.
"It should be banned here, too," said Dr Navhin Saaoudi, an ear specialist at Zulekha Hospital in Dubai. "This is a kind of bluffing. I saw people after going through that, and they come to me to clean their ears because it takes nothing from the ear. It only takes people's money."
Hiltonia Beach Club, at the Hilton hotel in Abu Dhabi, charges Dh240 for 45 minutes of ear candling, which may include a massage.
Barbara Toelen, 31, had the treatment there last week.
"I hear lots of sizzling," said the Belgian hotel administrator, as the candle was lit in her first ear.
That was normal, said Tracey Baldock, the spa co-ordinator. She has been performing the treatment for two years, and says she has regular clients who return several times a month.
"We have a client who says, 'I have to come to you every couple months,' because she's a frequent flyer and gets lots of migraines," Ms Baldock said.
Apart from passing a one-day course on the procedure, Ms Baldock said no medical qualifications were needed to practise the therapy.
"It's very safe and very easy," she said. "You've just got to be sensible when you're doing it to think about protecting the ear area, the face."
Clients complete a consultation form listing allergies or potential complications beforehand. The candles, made from beeswax and woven cotton, burn for about 10 minutes each.
Ms Baldock said sceptics were usually convinced once she unfurled the used candle to reveal a heap of what was apparently earwax collected inside.
Ms Toelen did not know what to make of what she saw.
"Oh dear," she said, inspecting a chalky yellow substance inside the candle's filter.
Most of the yellow was just dust from the ear candle itself, Ms Baldock explained. "But can you see that deeper orange colour? That darker orange lump here. That's the earwax," she said.
Detractors claim that anything left over in the candle is just candle wax. Ms Toelen's left ear yielded less orange, more yellow, suggesting less wax build-up, Ms Baldock said.
Doctors say professional intervention - using a syringe or a light vacuum - is the safest way to unclog ears.
Ear wax helps to prevent infection and does not usually need to be removed, said Riza Alathakandy, an audiologist in Dubai.
"It's a protective thing, actually," she said. "It's recommended not to remove earwax unless it's completely blocking the ear canal."
@Email:mkwong@thenational.ae
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.
Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.
The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.
EU Russia
The EU imports 90 per cent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
You may remember …
Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
Ramy%3A%20Season%203%2C%20Episode%201
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Januzaj's club record
Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals
Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals
Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
DUBAI WORLD CUP CARNIVAL CARD
6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.05pm UAE 1000 Guineas Listed $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.40pm Dubai Dash Listed $175,000 (T) 1,000m
8.15pm Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions $100,000 (D) 1.900m
8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections
6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold
7.05pm Final Song
7.40pm Equilateral
8.15pm Dark Of Night
8.50pm Mythical Magic
9.25pm Franz Kafka
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Sunday's fixtures
- Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
- Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
