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…“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.” Matt Kwong, United Arab Emirates press (2nd June 2010)