Aromatherapy offers a gentle complement to patient care, which may be of interest to nurses. Professional hurdles include adequate training and making qualified referrals, the risk of drug interactions, informed consent of risks and side effects and professional liability coverage. Nonetheless, several research studies have shown promise for the effects of aromatherapy on patient care.
Aromatherapy and Inhalation
According to nurse Paula Hames, more than a million molecules are inhaled with each breath. These molecules create a new chemical message that is brought by the olfactory system to the limbic system, then to the sensory areas of the brain. Hames notes that the effect is similar to intranasal drug delivery. To maximize their effect, aromatherapy sessions must be brief. According to Alan Hirsch, neurologist at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, "People stop responding to scents after a few minutes."
Inahalation Research
The journal "Pain Practice" observed the effects of aromatherapy in 50 patients recuperating from breast biopsy surgery. Patients who inhaled lavender oil (with oxygen) as part of their post-operative care reported more satisfaction with pain management. Home care nurses without access to such equipment can mimic this effect by applying a few drops of lavender oil to aromatherapy diffusers or directly to a handkerchief.
Aromatherapy and Topical Uses
Essential oils can also be applied to the skin, which are then absorbed into the capillaries and circulated throughout the body. According to Hames, this method is similar to medicating via transdermal patches. Oils can also be passively absorbed through the skin by way of adding essential oils to bath water.
Topical Research
A "Journal of Advanced Nursing" study (2005) tracking 635 women for ten days after childbirth found that women using essential lavender oil in the bath had lower pain scores. In a smaller study of 40 people covered in the journal "Phytotherapy Research," researchers found that healthy volunteers undergoing transdermal absorption of ylang ylang oil experienced decreased blood pressure and higher skin temperature, as well as a reported sense of relaxation.
Aromatherapy Research Concerns
Researchers have debated whether aromatherapy is causing a new stimulus or simply jarring a memory or psychological association. Moreover, many studies incorporate aromatherapy with massage, which does not help clarify whether aromatherapy alone can serve a therapeutic function. While aromatherapy seems to have the potential to increase patients' comfort and level of care, further research with a wide array of oils is needed to create specific protocols that can be duplicated.
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