Used by the aboriginal people of Australia for centuries as a treatment for health conditions from cuts and burns to colds, tea tree oil is a liquid extracted from the leaves of the tea tree plant, also known as Melaleuca alternifolia. Like most herbal remedies and conventional medicines, tea tree oil possesses various dangers and potential side effects, usually related to improper usage. Talk to your primary care doctor or a certified alternative care provider to verify whether tea tree oil is an appropriate herb to use in your specific health situation.
The Basics
Tea tree oil has a pale yellow or clear color and possesses a strong odor that resembles the scent of eucalyptus. According to the National Institutes of Health, various traditional uses for tea tree oil include easing the topical irritation caused by insect stings and bites, burns, mouth sores, psoriasis and eczema, notes the National Institutes of Health. Additional uses that have undergone preliminary testing in either humans or animals include athlete's foot, vaginal yeast infections, genital herpes and lice.
Features
According to Deanne Tenney, author of the book "Tea Tree Oil," the oil possesses a minimum of 48 organic compounds, some of which don't occur anywhere else in nature. Although these compounds help account for tea tree oil's antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, they also may be a contributing factor in problems associated with tea tree oil.
According to Dr. Joseph F. Fowler, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville and coauthor of "Fisher's Contact Dermatitis," several of these tea tree oil compounds have been identified as allergens, including terpinolene, ascaridol, alpha-terpinene and trihydroxy menthane.
Effects
The NIH states that topical use of tea tree oil may result in skin irritation, including allergic rashes, redness, blisters and itching.
Simon Singh, coauthor of "Trick or Treat: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine," notes that in isolated instances tea tree oil may mimic the effects of female hormones, which could lead to the inhibition of male hormones. Such side effects could include abnormal breast growth in boys.
Warning
Never take tea tree oil orally to provide treatment for any health problem. The NIH notes that ingesting tea tree oil may result in serious reactions, including rashes, lowered immune system function, diarrhea, drowsiness, confusion and coma.
Due to the dangers associated with the ingestion of tea tree oil, you should exercise extreme caution when using tea tree oil as a mouth wash, gargle solution or gingivitis treatment, as you may accidentally swallow the solution. Avoid using tea tree oil in pregnancy or when breast feeding as its effects on your baby are unknown.
Considerations
If you or a family member has a history of allergies, talk to your doctor before attempting to use tea tree oil. According to the NIH, you are in most danger of suffering an allergic reaction to tea tree oil if you are allergic to the tea tree plant or members of the myrtle plant family, which includes cloves, allspice and eucalyptus.
Even though tea tree oil has historically been used as a treatment for skin conditions like eczema, check with your doctor before using it for this purpose, since the NIH notes that allergic reactions seem to be more severe in individuals suffering from pre-existing skin problems.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Tea Tree Oil
- "Tea Tree Oil"; Deanne Tenney; 1998
- "Fisher's Contact Dermatitis"; Dr. Joseph F. Fowler et al; 2008
- "Trick or Treat: The Undeniable Facts About Alternative Medicine"; Simon Singh et al; 2008
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