If you have tested positive for allergies, you are more prone to sinusitis, a condition that causes pressure around your eyes and nose, a stuffy nose, nasal drainage and head congestion. When you bend down or lean over, the pain is worse. Allergies can cause your sinuses to swell, which keeps them from draining, causing sinusitis. Treating sinusitis involves a variety of methods. Medicines including antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays or mucus thinning medicine can treat sinusitis. Non-medicine treatments help, too, including washing out the nasal cavities with salt water or using eucalyptus oil.
Eucalyptus Helps Sinusitis
According to NYU Langone Medical Center, eucalyptus has a long history of use as an inhalation therapy for various respiratory conditions. A 2008 study reported by the medical center found that cineol, an antiseptic that is the active ingredient in eucalyptus, taken at a dose of 200 mg three times a day helped viral sinusitis. Few side effects were reported, but the eucalyptus used in the study was pharmacy grade, which could be different from eucalyptus oil sold in supplement form and may not be as safe.
Side Effects
NYU Langone Medical Center warns that children should not take eucalyptus oil internally because it could be fatal and that the correct dosage for adults is 200 mg three times a day. Some side effects for adults are vomiting, nausea, heartburn, skin rash and diarrhea. Excessive dosages could be fatal. Pregnant women, women who are nursing and people with kidney or liver disease should avoid eucalyptus oil. If you are taking any sort of oral or injected medicine, avoid eucalyptus oil. If you have asthma, use eucalyptus oil with caution because it can trigger an asthma attack.
Other Options
Another way to take eucalyptus for sinus problems is by taking lozenges and cough syrups or by using rubs that contain it. Use eucalyptus leaves to brew tea or to make a gargle to treat sinusitis. Apply eucalyptus ointment to your nose and chest to help clear your sinuses. Children 6 and older may take cough drops that contain eucalyptus and may be able to use eucalyptus as a chest rub, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Try Eucalyptus First
Janis Burke, a certified aromatherapy practitioner and a registered nurse in Washington State encourages allergy sufferers to try non-medicine approaches first to relieve symptoms. She suggests putting one or two drops of eucalyptus and peppermint on a tissue or in warm water and inhaling it. Or combine the drops with olive oil and massage this onto your chest or rub it under your nose. Avoid peppermint if you have heart trouble or if you have high blood pressure.
