Shortly after arriving in the mission field, I experienced a fairly harsh case of earwax blockage of the external auditory meatus.  I was having a hard enough time trying to decipher the language, let alone through a plugged up eardrum.  My trainer in his wisdom, offered several suggestions of possible remedies including: cotton swabs, hydrogen peroxide, and ear candles.  It is common to hear (unless your ears are blocked) of earwax removal techniques.  The FDA recently published a consumer update on the risks involved with use of ear candles to clean out cerumenous build up.  A widely sold product, the ear candle is a 10 inch hollow cone made of beeswax or similar material.  The person to receive the treatment can lie down or sit upright while the tube is placed in the outer ear through a hole in a circular shield (to prevent ashes and wax from dripping on to the patient).  The end of the cone is then lit, creating a supposed pressure differential sufficient to abstract the excess of dead epidermal cells and cerumen.  The conclusion of the FDA’s research included no indicated benefits of ear candle use (the pressure difference was unsubstantiated) and a hazard as many reports of burns from ashes and beeswax, as well as eardrum punctures were reported.  Cotton swabs are also discouraged by many healthcare professionals, though hydrogen peroxide (my trainer had me do this) is indicated as an effective treatment (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/earwax-blockage/DS00052/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies). 

For more on Ear candle dangers see: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm200277.htm

Article by Tyler Earley