Leg ulcers are lower extremity wounds that most commonly occur over the bony areas around your ankles. Leg ulcers often recur and they are typically slow to heal. In fact, some can persist for years, contributing to a significant decline in your quality of life. An April 2010 "American Family Physician" review estimated the financial burden of leg ulcers in the United States to be around $2 billion annually. In their eagerness to heal leg ulcers, many patients turn to home remedies, such as tea tree oil.
Causes
Leg ulcers stem from a variety of causes, such as diabetic neuropathy, arterial blockage, skin cancer, underlying bone infections, prolonged compression -- the so-called bedsore -- and systemic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Eighty percent of leg ulcers are caused by poor venous circulation, which impairs the return of blood from your legs to your heart. Regardless of the cause, leg ulcers often become colonized or infected by bacteria, which can slow healing. Although it is not generally accepted by the medical community for treating leg ulcers, tea tree oil exhibits activity against bacteria that frequently invade these wounds.
Antibacterial Activity
Tea tree oil is often used externally for dealing with bacterial and fungal infections, and there is some evidence that it could be useful for treating wounds infected by certain organisms, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. For example, a study published in the October 2006 issue of "Journal of Medical Microbiology" showed that tea tree oil inhibits the growth of MRSA, as well as some other types of staph, in test tubes. Tea tree's antibacterial activity against E. coli and Pseudomonas has been demonstrated in other studies, but it is not as effective as conventional antibiotics against most organisms.
Side Effects
Tea tree oil contains substances that are skin irritants and allergens, so topical application can cause contact dermatitis, a condition characterized by redness, rash, itching, blistering and burning. Furthermore, applying tea tree oil to an already damaged area of skin can increase your chances for developing an allergic reaction. Application over a large area of skin could increase systemic absorption of tea tree oil and cause symptoms of toxicity -- drowsiness, disorientation and loss of muscular control. Due to its potential toxicity, tea tree oil should not be used internally with the expectation that it can replace conventional antibiotic therapy.
Considerations
Tea tree oil has traditionally been used as a topical antibacterial and antifungal agent. Research shows that tea tree oil exerts antimicrobial activity against several common organisms that colonize or infect leg ulcers, but bacterial control is only one factor in leg ulcer management. If you are sensitive to its constituents, tea tree oil could make your leg ulcer worse. Tea tree oil has not gained universal acceptance among the medical community as an effective treatment for leg ulcers, so check with your doctor before using this or any other herbal remedy.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Diagnosis and Treatment of Venous Ulcers; L. Collins, S. Seraj; April 2010
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Tea Tree Oil
- "Journal of Medical Microbiology"; In vitro Activity of Tea Tree Oil against Clinical Skin Isolates of Methicillin-Resistant and -Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Growing Planktonically and as Biofilms; A. Brady, et al.; October 2006
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