Practice of ear candling during lockdown due to COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Autor: Alanazi SM; Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Albdaya NA; Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Alhosaini LS; Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Alotaibi FZ; Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., AlQabbani AA; Department of Otolaryngology, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAAUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Hajr EA; Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.; Department of Otolaryngology, King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of family medicine and primary care [J Family Med Prim Care] 2022 Nov; Vol. 11 (11), pp. 7263-7266. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Dec 16.
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1310_22
Abstrakt: Objectives: Cerumen production is a protective process for the ear canal. Cerumen impaction causes unpleasant symptoms. There are various cerumen removal practices. These include irrigation, application of softeners/solvents, mechanical removal, and micro-suction. However, during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, some patients opted for some procedures, such as ear candling, which are not evidence-based. This study aimed to explore the awareness of ear candling among otolaryngology doctors and record cases with complications of such practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was developed after an extensive literature search, and distributed to otolaryngology residents, fellows, and consultants of different hospitals across the country. A total of 80 respondents agreed to participate in the study.
Results: A total of 16 doctors reported seeing cases of ear candling, of which 13 patients had different complications, of which ear pain was the most commonly reported. The majority of participants (42.5%) thought the lack of medical access during lockdown enhanced the practice of alternative medicine for ear-related complaints in society compared to 35% of participants who had a neutral response regarding this idea and 22.5% who disagreed.
Conclusions: Although the practice of ear candling is not widely spread in KSA, different types of ear complications were recorded by the otolaryngologist. We would like to encourage the doctors to report such complications, especially after the lockdown period.
Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.
(Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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