Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils date back thousands of years, but this long-standing alternative medicine has not been made obsolete by modern medical practices. Trained aromatherapists use essential oils to help treat many different physical and mental ailments. Essential oils have powerful affects. You should consult a certified aromatherapist or doctor prior to using any aromatherapy treatments for medicinal or other purposes.
Headache
A headache can be just slightly irritating or potentially debilitating. If you regularly suffer from headaches but don't like to turn to pain medications for relief, aromatherapy may be able to help. Aromatherapists such as Patricia Davis, author of "Aromatherapy: An A-Z," frequently treat headaches with essential oils like peppermint. Some scientific research backs up this use. MedlinePlus, an information service of the National Institutes of Health, reviewed research on peppermint oil and found good scientific evidence supporting aromatherapy treatments with peppermint oil to reduce headache pain. Davis explains that you can increase the effectiveness by blending peppermint and lavender together.
Childbirth
The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that essential oils can help during childbirth in multiple ways. The studies they reviewed showed that women who were treated with aromatherapy during delivery had less anxiety and fear. They also needed less pain medication and had on overall better sense of well-being. Rose, lavender and frankincense essential oils have shown the best results.
Thrush
Thrush is the common name for the fungal infections caused by candida albicans. The infection can occur in the mouth but most often appears as a vaginal infection. Davis suggests using aromatherapy treatments such as baths, massages and local applications of powerful antifungal oils like tea tree, lavender and myrrh. A 2004 report published in Phytotherapy Research and a 2005 paper published in Medical Mycology found that some essential oils do show anti-fungal activity against the candida albicans fungi.
References
- "Aromatherapy: An A-Z"; Patricia Davis; 2000
- Medline Plus: Peppermint
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Aromatherapy
- PubMed.gov: Antifungal Activity of Lavandula Angustifolia Essential Oil Against Candida Albicans Yeast and Mycelial Form
- PubMed.gov: Antifungal Effect of Various Essential Oils Against Candida Albicans. Potentiation of Antifungal Action of Amphotericin B by Essential oil from Thymus Vulgaris
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