Is Diffusing Essential Oils Safe For Your Lungs
Many individuals have raised the question Is Diffusing Essential Oils Safe for Your Lungs? Many scientist and doctors around the world have established different experiments and research to address this concern; however, there are not enough data to completely answer this question.
Dr Russell Buhr, MD, from David Geffen School of medicines division of pulmonary and critical care UCLA in California claims that these plant extracts do not have any negative or positive health benefits for someone with healthy lungs.
But for those with existing lung issues such as asthma, you need to be very careful.
Inhaling the particles produced by these extracts can potentially trigger the symptoms of asthma.
Volatile organic compounds can be found in the strong odors emitted by the oils. These are chemical substances that make the condition of asthma worse since it can aggravate the lungs.
So, in conclusion, those that have healthy lungs dont have anything to worry about, but those that do must take some precaution.
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Studies Showing Essential Oils Help Asthma
Its true, there are limited studies carried out on essential oils and their effect on asthma. But this does not mean they dont work.
Study One: One such study showed that essential oils of thyme and eucalyptus play an important role in the treatment of respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma.
Study Two: Yet another study showed that inhalation of lavender essential oil suppresses allergic airway inflammation and asthma.
Essential oils have been used for thousands of years, they are completely natural and there are so many testimonials available to read on the internet, about how essential oils have helped real life people like you and me.
Yes, its true that like all things, essential oils also have risks associated with them. For example, you should not use them if you are allergic to them. You must dilute them appropriately before using them. You must not ingest them. By exercising common sense, safety and caution while using essential oils, you can avoid any risk that comes with using them.
Many people seem to believe that he is discouraging the use of essential oils for asthma all together, but that is not the case. He says that essential oils should not be a replacement for asthma medication prescribed by the doctor.
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Are Essential Oils Safe
Many people believe that natural products are always safe for use. While some plant extracts can be safe, you shouldn’t assume that all of them are. In fact, many plants have varying effects on your body. For example:
- Cumin oil: safe in food, but can cause blistering if left on your skin.
- Citrus oil: safe in food, but has varying degrees of safety. Citrus oil is particularly harmful in cosmetics if you are in direct sunlight.
- Peppermint: a mint that is used safely to treat upset stomachs, however, the pennyroyal variety of mint is toxic to your liver.
- Wintergreen: a common flavor used in gum, food, and pain relief products. While used safely in small amounts, consumption of a large amount induces symptoms like an aspirin overdose.
- Sage, Eucalyptus, and Camphor: while sage can be used in small amounts in food, large amounts of sage or any ingestion of eucalyptus or camphor can cause seizures.
As you can see, natural occurring plant oils can be dangerous if not followed in a recommended manner. This is why many clinicians will discourage use of essential oils for treating illnesses, as there is very little scientific evidence to the benefits and risks associated with aromatherapy as a medical treatment.
Aafa Explains: Can Essential Oils Help Asthma
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease that inflames the airways and makes it hard to breathe. There is no cure. The best way to manage asthma is:
- Avoid your asthma triggers.
- Take medicines to prevent symptoms.
- Prepare to treat asthma episodes if they occur.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils, like herbal remedies, come from plants. Examples include lavender, peppermint, tea tree oil and eucalyptus.
Practitioners of traditional and folk medicine have used essential oils for thousands of years, much like herbal remedies.
Today, they are often sold as aromatherapy with claims that they are natural.People use the oils by massaging them onto the skin or inhaling the aromas.
Is there any evidence to back up claims that essential oils can help my asthma?
There is no evidence that essential oils can help asthma. In fact, breathing in the particles released by the oils may trigger an asthma attack.
The strong odors emitted by essential oils contain volatile organic compounds . VOCs affect indoor air quality, just like incense, air fresheners and scented candles. Poor indoor air quality can make you sick with asthma, allergies and other illnesses.
Some essential oils may irritate the skin.
Oils may also be poisonous to young children if swallowed.
The bottom line:
There is no evidence that essential oils can help asthma. Essential oils may be harmful to people with asthma.
References:
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Can Essential Oils Help Asthma
Although essential oils may sound like an appealing natural treatment for asthma, experts warn they come with risks, and for people with asthma, they may actually make symptoms worse.
Asthma is a chronic breathing condition that affects millions of Americans. More than 25 million people in the United States have asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The respiratory disease causes sporadic inflammation and narrowing of the airways in the lungs, leading to spells of wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
Depending on the severity of the condition, people with asthma may experience mild symptoms or a flare-up of symptoms, an asthma attack.” In individuals with milder cases of asthma, symptoms may occur rarely and be easy to manage with treatment but for others with whats considered severe asthma, symptoms occur daily or more frequently and are difficult to manage with treatment, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
People with asthma typically control their condition with daily medicine to lower airway inflammation, and often carry inhalers with medicine for short-term relief during an asthma attack. And when it comes to asthma treatment, its important to note that for some people home remedies and lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking, avoiding asthma triggers, and maintaining a healthy diet and weight can help with symptom management.
How To Avoid Headaches While Using Essential Oils
Theres no one way to make sure that you dont get a headache while using essential oils. In fact, for the most part, if an oil gives you a headache, theres not really any way out of that, or to make sure that it doesnt give you a headache in the future. When using a new oil, theres not really any way to be positive that it wont give you a headache, or to avoid getting a headache while using it.
However, sometimes, people dilute the oil, adding some water to it. It makes it not as strong and powerful, and it lessens the scent to make it not as overwhelming, which is typically the cause of migraines when people use essential oils. So, diluting the oil makes it more tolerable for many people.
But, if you tend to get headaches with essential oils, or in general, there are specific oils that at least one of their uses and purposes is to help with headaches.
That doesnt mean these ones definitely will not cause headaches, but they may help a headache thats already begun, or it might just be something nice to smell, that is at least less likely to cause a headache.
These oils are:
4. Chamomile oil
5. Eucalyptus oil
There may be more oils out there that prevent headaches, or are used as a remedy to help headaches while theyre happening, but these ones are used the most for people who struggle with headaches and/or migraines.
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Roman Chamomile Essential Oil
Roman chamomile is one of the most popular natural interventions against asthma. Since researchers seem not to have studied it, the evidence is still anecdotal, but strong.
Its relaxant effects, which also make it a good sleep aid, may be responsible for relaxing the bronchial muscles that narrow the airways during an asthma attack.
How to use it
If you have a warning that an asthma attack is on its way, put some Roman chamomile oil in your diffuser, lie down, relax, and inhale deeply.
Repairing Your Gut Lining
The first key to healing the gut is repairing the intestinal mucosal lining, the innermost layer of the gastrointestinal tract that serves as a selectively permeable barrier, helping to establish healthy gut flora so nutrients can be absorbed.; It also helps you process, neutralize, and eliminate toxic substances that can activate the immune system and turn on inflammation.
Your intestinal mucosa serves as a physical barrier and the first line of defense between your body and any pathogens you might swallow, such as such as microorganisms, toxins, and antigens, and the epithelial layer of the small intestine.; As such, it helps to prevent large particles from contacting the epithelial cell layer while allowing small molecules to pass. The mucus also facilitates passage of the luminal contents along the length of the intestines.
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What Precautions Should You Take While Using Essential Oils
Here are some precautions that you must take to avoid the risks involved while using essential oils for Asthma:
Using Alternative Therapies To Prevent Asthma Attacks
Yoga or breathing exercises can also help prevent the respiratory distress thats caused by stress or anxiety.
Buteyko breathing is helpful for people with asthma, Stair says. Inhale and exhale normally. At the end of the normal exhalation, hold the breath. This is called the controlled pause. The more you do this exercise, the longer the controlled pause will become.
She adds that repeated practice with the exercise can help a person consciously control their breath in stressful situations.
A healthy diet, exercise, and paying close attention to your overall well-being can also provide benefits.
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Essential Oils To Heal The Intestinal Mucosal Lining
Healing the intestinal mucosal lining as it helps provide the ideal internal environment to balance of flora and feed the cells of the intestinal lining, known as enterocytes. Healthy Intestinal Mucosa helps to re-establish the healthy balance of gut flora necessary to re-colonize and heal the gut!; Think of the intestinal mucosa offers the fertile soil in which the flora can grow, providing raw materials for healthy new enterocytes to grow, replacing compromised leaky gut cells and healing and sealing the gut lining.
Intestinal Mucosa;amplifies your ability to absorb and assimilate nutrient dense whole food and supplements ,so that healing can really begin.; And once the integrity of the intestinal mucosal wall has been re-established, the small intestine can do its job neutralizing toxins and preventing allergies, inflammation and other immune responses.
Intestinal Mucosais designed to gently permeate topically through the skin to regenerate and heal the mucosal lining of the small intestine to increase optimal nutrient absorption and support healthy microbiome and the healing of food intolerances and Leaky Gut conditions.; It is ideal for food intolerances, leaky gut, chronic pain and fatigue, auto-immune conditions or any kind of chronic intestinal issues.
Breathe Respiratory Synergy Blend Essential Oil
Up next is the Breathe Respiratory Synergy Blend from Plant Guru. This one is included in the kit that we just mentioned,;however,;its so good we had to bring it up again here at #4 on our list.
The main objective of this essential oil blend is;to provide protection against airborne bacteria and reduce congestion and stuffiness.
This blend promotes clear breathing and soothes any irritated air passages that may be present. The ingredients used include pine oil, laurel leaf oils, peppermint oil, and tea tree oil. I dont know what it is about this blend. All I can say is that it gets the job done. And that is exactly why it is one of the best essential oils for asthma.;
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Risks To Consider While Using Essential Oils
People often respond differently to certain essential oils. It is best to consult your doctor before trying essential oils for asthma if you are taking any medication and are being treated for asthma, in particular.
Essential oils are also not recommended for asthmatics who are sensitive to smells. Since strong smells can trigger an asthma attack, you will want to dilute essential oils properly and only use them in small amounts. Always dilute essential oils in carrier oils, such as almond oil, jojoba oil, or avocado oil.
You may also be allergic to an essential oil, which in turn can trigger an asthma attack as well. That is why it is a good idea to test a few drops of the essential oil on the skin before using the oil on larger areas of the body.
Essential oils should relieve your asthma symptoms. If they worsen them, discontinue the use of essential oils immediately. Seek medical attention right away if you believe your asthma attacks are due to the essential oils.
Since asthma attacks can be fatal, using caution and heading to the doctor is always the right move. If youre experiencing a severe asthma attack, symptoms will include blue lips, sweating, a pale face, the inability to exhale, and a very rapid heartbeat.
Precautions To Be Taken While Using Essential Oils For Low Blood Pressure
Being organic and essential does not make essential oils free from side effects. There are certain precautions one must take while using essential oils to control low blood pressure:
- Highly Active Ingredients: Essential oils are made up of highly active ingredients, which is the reason they cannot be used directly onto skin or inhaled directly as it can cause severe side effects like asthma, rashes, headache, allergies, etc.,
- Skin Reaction: Many essential oils react with sunlight or natural bacteria present on the skin, which may further cause fatal skin disorders.
- Swallowing Essential Oils: Swallowing essential oils directly is not recommended as they may be toxic for oral use.
- Safety issue for pregnant women: Pregnant or breastfeeding women are advised to take medical consultancy from their doctors before using any specific essential oils to cause serious side effects.
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Are Essential Oils Safe For An Asthma Patient
Asthma is the inflammation of bronchial passages. The Mayo Clinic confirms that while the cause of asthma is unclear, there are many documented triggers which can provoke an asthma attack, including:
-
Allergic reaction
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Irritants such as smoke and pollution
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Stress
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Fragrances
While essential oils have not been shown to be a cause of bronchial asthma, there are instances in which essential oils may have been an asthma trigger.
At the same time, essential oils and their naturally occurring constituents have demonstrated the ability to support a variety of factors related to asthmafrom mitigating airway inflammation to aiding allergy symptoms.;
So how can you safely use essential oils for asthma?;
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Those with bronchial asthma are advised to use oils rich in 1,8-cineole oils with caution, despite its breathing benefits. These include, but are not limited to, Eucalyptus, Saro, Rosemary, Ravintsara and Cajeput.
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Avoid inhaling essential oil vapors directly. Instead, diffuse them in an ultrasonic diffuser according to the manufacturers instructions .
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Use a 1% dilution when using essential oils topically.
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Seek medical counsel from a doctor and aromatherapist prior to aromatherapy use.
The bottom line is that if you have asthma, you should use essential oils with caution.
Start with low dilutions and inhale essential oils in small quantities and short intervals. If you find something doesnt work for you or triggers your asthma, discontinue use immediately and move onto the next thing .;
How To Use Essential Oils For Asthma
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils from plants for the improvement of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
When it comes to how to use eucalyptus oil for asthma, diffusing it in the air is a great option. All of the oils I just mentioned can be used in an diffuser so you can breathe in the essential oil enriched air.
Are oil diffusers safe for asthma? Check with your doctor first, but many experts will agree that oil diffusers can be used with caution. Start off with just a couple of drops of oil to see how you do. You can use a single oil in a diffuser or combine multiple oils to create your own custom blend.
Other ways to use essential oils for asthma through aromatherapy include:
- Inhaling oils through the nostrils directly off of a cloth or from the bottle.
- Soaking in an oil-infused bath.
- Rubbing oils directly onto the skin.
- Receiving massage therapy that includes the use of essentials oils.
Oral Application
Before using essential oils for asthma internally, read labels carefully to make sure an oil is appropriate for internal use. There are many essential oils that can be ingested by the mouth; however, it is critical to make sure that the oils you use 100 percent pure, therapeutic grade and certified USDA organic. Many oils on the market today are diluted or blended with synthetics that are unsafe for ingesting.
Topical Application
Possible Side Effects and Caution;
Final Thoughts
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