Aromatherapy, sometimes called aromatic medicine, is defined as "treatment using scents." According to sources as diverse as Holistic Online and the National Cancer Institute, some essential oils used in aromatherapy have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and calming or energizing effects. Aromatherapy slowly has moved from alternative medicine into the mainstream.
How Does Aromatherapy Work?
Aromatherapy uses about 150 essential oils, also called volatile oils, with different properties for treatment purposes. According to Holistic Online, essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic essences derived from plants, flowers, trees, bark, grasses and seeds.
The essential oils work by stimulating our sense of smell--humans reportedly can detect 10,000 distinct smells. The aromas flow through the nose to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls mood, emotion, memory and learning.
History
Aromatherapy reportedly has been around for some 6,000 years, and was used by the Greeks, Romans and ancient Egyptians. In the modern era, French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse became fascinated with essential oils when he used lavender oil to treat his burned hand, which healed without a scar. Gattefosse named his aromatic treatments "aromatherapie."
In the 1980s and 1990s, aromatherapy made inroads into the alternative medicine community in America. It has proven to be useful in conventional medicine circles as well.
Types of Essential Oils
According to Aroma Web, different essential oils are matched to different physical, mental and emotional conditions. For example, essential oils such as bergamot, cedarwood, geranium, lavender, rose and sandalwood are used for anxiety; cypress is used to treat grief; and lemon and rosemary are used to help with memory.
Research Into Aromatherapy
In Britain, lavender aromatherapy proved as effective as sleeping pills for elderly hospital patients, according to a study cited in the British medical journal "The Lancet."
In the United States, the National Cancer Institute found that aromatherapy, sometimes in conjunction with massage and acupuncture, helped cancer patients cope with symptoms of cancer treatment, including stress, anxiety and pain.
Safety
Aromatherapy is relatively safe, with few side effects reported, but women who are pregnant, and people with allergies, high blood pressure, or epilepsy should be cautious about using aromatherapy, states Holistic Online. Furthermore, many essential oils are toxic, so essential oils, which usually smell inviting, should not be left where children can grab them, since most oils are toxic if ingested. Essential oils also are flammable.
The Future of Aromatherapy
Since mainstream organizations such as the National Cancer Institute have given aromatherapy the thumbs up for treating stress, anxiety, and pain, its increasing use in conventional medicine and additional research into its effects can be expected.
In Japan, some new buildings contain aroma systems. Lavender and rosemary have been used to calm clients and lemon and eucalyptus have been used to help bank tellers remain alert.
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