Essential Oils and Your Health                     learn, ask, share

Summary of how oils can help

Overview: Millions of people suffer from allergies. Hay fever, asthma, and eczema are the most common reactions associated with allergies.

When antigens or allergens begin to invade the body’s immune system, allergy symptoms like a runny nose, congestion, and sneezing or sinus pressure begin to appear. A virus does not cause these cold-like symptoms. They are caused by an allergic response to substances like tree pollen, grasses, or weeds. Indoor reactions are caused by pet dander or saliva, mold or fungus, and dust mites. Symptoms usually start upon exposure. Oils that help include lavender, lemon, peppermint, melaleuca, lemongrass, and a breathing blend.

 

Application: To help the body fight off airborne allergens, put 1-2 drops each of lavender, lemon, and peppermint in a gelatin capsule then take internally. For those who are bolder, mix the oils in a ¼ cup of juice or water, swish 10-20 seconds and drink. You can place several drops of melaleuca, lemongrass, or a purifying or guarding blend on an air intake filter every time it is changed to fight against allergy causing molds and fungi. Diffusing any of the oils mentioned above helps reduce reactions to allergens, mold, and fungi. This would be especially useful in bathrooms and laundry rooms. Make a 5% water spritz of basil and lemongrass or other oils to use on bedding each time the bed is made to exterminate uninvited dust mites, lice, and fleas.

Oils & Blends most recommended

Oils	Blends	Also consider
basil lavender lemon lemongrass melaleuca peppermint	OnGuard Purify	roman chamomile

Procedures (protocols) other folks recommend

Anon - For allergies; 2 drps lavender, 2 drps peppermint, 2 drps lemon.  Swig in a small cup of water, swish it in mouth for a few second then swallow.

Anon - For eyes only, I would try a small amount of lavender or frankincense or helichrysum carefully around the eyes.  Apply hourly or more. Dot Lavender around the eye bones, you can even add a little Frankincense, being careful to stay away from the eye.

Pat - The best thing you could add to your sinus area is Breathe, this is a wonderful respiratory blend and relieves all kinds of problems breathing related.

Chris - I have allergies -- they include the red burning, itchy eyes.  I had heard about using this formula but didn't know how -- so I went with what I did know.  I was having an allergy attack so I combined the oils.  Rubbed some on the bottom of my feet -- and inhaled it for a little while.  I did this right before bedtime.  My symptoms relaxed and I slept through the night. I did it for three nights.  My allergy symptoms for the most part have not returned.

Pat - I did the same protocol for my husband and he has been wonderful. No shots for him this year. I also dotted lavender on the bones around the eyes and they cleared right up.

Kathy - A couple ideas.  First, with the peppermint, lavender, lemon mix, make sure your frequency is good.  Some people will try a mixture like that and figure its like a clariton.... (wait an hour and see if it works)  With the PLL mix, use it and if the relief is not satisfactory within 20 min, take it again.  Also, attack from different application points. Some gargle and swallow, some just swallow, some cup and inhale, some will actually "snuff/sniff" a drop of the blend.

Experiment a bit and find if there is a method that works better. Finally, for those tpugh cases, like you may have.  You might consider a Nasal Irrigation. There are two formulas I've heard of being successful. Nasal Irrigation, blend 1 12 drops rosemary 4 drops melaleuca 4 drops eucalyptus 8 Tablespoons of very fine quality sea salt (not table salt) 1-2 cups warm water (may start out hot to dissolve the salt) Nasal Irrigation blend 2 5 drops lemon 5 drops peppermint 5 drops lavender 5 drops On Guard 8 v of very fine quality sea salt (not table salt) 1-2 cups warm water (may start out hot to dissolve the salt) Do a nasal irrigation using one of these blends, hourly till the symptoms subside.  This is a bit of a discomfort, but very effective if your allergies are bad. Use the blends at luke-warm temperature.   

John - I got a little tired of making the mix every time I sneezed or my nose ran, so I premixed the peppermint, lavender and lemon and put it in it’s own bottle.  If I ever feel symptoms coming on, I put a drop or two on the area between my thumb and first finger, then I literally snuff the oils.  I do both nostrils if I need.  It can be a little harsh, but I’m used to it, its easy and it works great.

Rex - I have been using peppermint, lavender and lemon for my allergies and have great results for runny nose, sneezing and all those problems. But... recently I have had to go into some areas with very tall grass with lots and lots of pollen for a number of hours.  The peppermint/lemon/lavender formula works great for the nasal problems but my eyes almost swell shut and it takes a couple of days with Visine for the redness and swelling to go down.  Are there any suggestions?  I am not too eager to get any oils too close to my eyes for obvious reasons.

Kathy - A couple ideas.  First, with the peppermint/lemon/lavender mix, make sure your frequency is good. With the PLL mix, use it and if the relief is not satisfactory within 20 minutes, take it again.  Also, attack from different application points.  Some gargle and swallow, some just swallow, some cup and inhale, some will actually "snuff/sniff" a drop of the blend. Experiment a bit and find if there is a method that works better.

Finally, for those tough cases, like you may have.  You might consider a Nasal Irrigation. There are two formulas I've heard of being successful.

Nasal Irrigation - Blend 1

·  12 drops Rosemary

·  4 drops Melaleuca

·  4 drops Eucalyptus

·  8 Tablespoons of very fine quality sea salt (not table salt)

·  1-2 cups warm water (may start out hot to dissolve the salt)

 

Nasal Irrigation = Blend 2

·  5 drops Lemon

·  5 drops Peppermint

·  5 drops Lavender

·  5 drops On Guard

·  8 Tablespoons of very fine quality sea salt (not table salt)

·  1-2 cups warm water (may start out hot to dissolve the salt)

Do a nasal irrigation using one of these blends, hourly till the symptoms subside.  This is a bit of a pain, but very effective if your allergies are bad. Use the blends at lukewarm temperature.

Especially for Kids protocols folks recommend for children

Janella - Add a drop of lemon and peppermint and lavender to a teaspoon of locally made honey if it is available.  Or juice is an alternative, if a child is sensitive to the taste.  Take the mixture as needed, hourly would not hurt.  If the child is old enough he could drink drops of lemon, peppermint and lavender (allergy protocol) as needed.  During day’s that pollen levels are high, have the child add the oils to his water every time he drinks.

For children, also consider applying the same oils to his feet morning and night. And use the aroma touch treatment at least once per week.  This treatment can be very cleansing. Also consider diffusing cleansing oils before and at bedtime in the bedroom.  This will reduce pollens, and allergens in the room. (purify, lemon, grapefruit, peppermint, lemongrass, lavender) 

Everyday Example by Robert James

Stacy does not look forward to Allergy season.  It has never been a fun time for her family.  Herself, her husband(Jim), her youngest daughter and oldest son all seem to suffer through boxes of Kleenex, and misery.

This year she has decided to put some serious effort into using her essential oils to try and reduce the discomfort in her home.  She first made sure that as spring started to come on, that she had plenty of new filters for her HVAC system.  She would change filters often, and even between changes she would mix 2 tblsps of coconut oil with several drops (15-20) of on-guard blend and drip the drops on the filter to protect against allergens, pollens and molds in the air-duct system.  The coconut oil would keep the essential oil from volatizing too quickly.  She once was out of on guard, so she instead used melaleuca and breath blend. 

She would also diffuse essential oils daily in the main living area’s also with on guard or the peppermint, lavender, lemon mix.  At night she would move the diffuser to the children’s rooms.

At night as she went in to tuck in her small girl, she rubbed her feet with Peppermint, lavender and lemon.  Her daughter loved the time she had with mom, she loved foot massages, and it would almost always end with a prayer or story.

He oldest boy usually got dad to rub his feet with the blend at night.  It was a good chance for the two to catch up on how the day was.

Occasionally, if the kids had been outdoors playing, they came in with itchy eyes and a runny nose.  Stacy would pull out her jar of local honey and the peppermint, lavender and lemon oils.  She would mix a drop of each with a teaspoon of honey.  If the honey is local it will likely contain pollens from the local region. The theory goes that by ingesting small amounts of pollen from the surrounding area your body will build up a immunity to pollens so they will produce fewer allergy symptoms.

The synergetic combination of local honey and the Peppermint, lavender, lemon mix make a palatable and powerful combination to ease the discomfort of allergies.

Stacy’s husband suffers horribly compared to the children.  He has used many prescription and non prescription antihistamines, and they tend to do the trick. But drugs often come with side effects. In addition to reducing allergies, they also produce dry nasal cavities, drowsiness and other undesirable conditions.  You could often tell when he was using an antihistamine because he had a red or raw area under his nose where the medicine would cause a dry area, and become sensitive to constant wiping.

Stacy purchased a small whisky glass for Jim, and when he would feel an attack coming on, he would put a small amount of water in the bottom and drip 2 drops each of the lemon, lavender and peppermint in the water then swish the mixture around his mouth for a minute before swallowing.

On one occasion, he found the symptoms almost overwhelming.  The drops seemed to ease things but before long his eyes would begin to furiously each and sneezing would return.  Stacy pulled a neti pot out of the hall closet.  She dissolved several tablespoons of fine sea salt in some warm water then put the essential oils in with the water and after mixing well, put the mixture in the neti pot.  Jim was not excited, but use the nasal irrigator and found almost instant relief from the allergies.

The great side effect for Stacy that summer was that she noticed her home smelled wonderful, and the family did not suffer any viruses, colds or flu.  She was sure her efforts had raised the immune system of her family and the diffusion had killed any airborne pathogens before they had a chance to affect the family.

Diet and Nutrition great complements to essential oils

Help from Julia's Natural Kitchen

Cleaning up the diet will help with allergies. The lungs and the colon seem to be related. By eating more fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, seeds and grains, and eliminating mucus forming foods such  as acid forming meats, dairy (especially cheese), and sugary foods, the body will become alkalized and allergies will clear up.

Dr. Mom in the Kitchen

3 Day Juice Cleanse:

Drink plenty of water and fresh juices such as carrot and celery, beet and apple, grape for three days and much as desired in a day. Continue for three days and break cleanse with a leafy green salad.

 

Apple Blaster

3 Apples

½ Lemon

2-3 drops of CPTG Lemon Essential Oil

1 inch of fresh ginger root

¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Juice apples, Lemon, and Ginger. Filter and add Lemon Essential Oil and Cayenne Pepper to taste. The goal is to increase the Cayenne Pepper to ½ teaspoon. Great for allergies or an oncoming cold.

 

Green Smoothies

Green Smoothies are very alkalizing to the system and are delicious as well! Be sure to rotate your greens and not get stuck with just one leafy green. Start the day off with a Green Smoothie!

 

 Cilantro Green Smoothie

1 Pink Grapefruit, peeled

1 peeled Cucumber (if organic leave on peel)

½ bunch of Cilantro

 1 Lime, juiced

¼ Pineapple

2 drops CPTG Lemon Essential Oil

1 drop  CPTG Cassia Essential Oil

Agave Nectar or stevia (opt. To taste)

¼ tsp Cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Blend until smooth and green

 

Berry Greens

1 young coconut (meat and coconut water)

1 cup berrys of choice (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, etc.)

2 cups baby organic spinach

2 Drops CPTG Lemon Essential Oil

Science and Research what the research is saying

From Pub Med:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14971719?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel. Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Characteristics, clinical effect profile and tolerability of a nasal spray preparation of Artemisia abrotanum L. for allergic rhinitis.

Remberg P, Björk L, Hedner T, Sterner O, Department of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

A nasal spray formulation containing an extract of Artemisia abrotanum L. was developed for therapeutic use in patients with allergic rhinitis and other upper airway disorders. The nasal spray preparation used contains a mixture of essential oils (4 mg/ml) and flavonols (2.5 microg/ml), of which some components have been shown to possess antiinflammatory, expectorant, spasmolytic as well as antiseptic and antimicrobial activities. The most important constituents in the essential oil fraction of the preparation are 1,8-cineole (Eucalyptus), linalool (lavender) and davanone (cypress), while the flavonol fraction contains centauredin, casticin and quercetin dimethyl-ethers. No trace of thujon was observed in the essential oil of the Artemisia abrotanum L. genotype "Tycho" used for the manufacture of the nasal spray preparation. In 12 patients with diagnoses of allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis and/or bronchial obstructive disease, the nasal spray was given immediately after the appearance of characteristic allergic nasal symptoms. In 10 of the 12 patients, allergic rhinitis with nasal congestion, sneezing and rhinorrhea was dominant. After administration of the nasal spray, all patients experienced a rapid and significant symptom relief of nasal symptoms, comparable to the effect of antihistamine and chromoglicate preparations which several of the patients had used.