Essential Oils for Cold Care and a Strong Immune System
Getting sick is just no fun, but with our fast-paced lifestyles, sometimes it’s difficult to keep our stress levels low and our immune system strong. Enter Aromatherapy – Essential oils so commonly used as natural perfumes and mood-lifters can have a have a powerfully-supportive effect on the immune system. In fact, the medical aromatherapy literature makes the point that the most promising use of essential oils in terms of natural health care is in cases of infectious illness. Not only will they help combat illness once it sets in, but therapeutic grade oils can also fortify the immune system to make you more resistant to illness in the first place.
Briefly, essential oils are the volatile (easily evaporated) components of plant chemistry – the chemicals made by plants that give them their wonderful scents. While these oils have a variety of uses for the plant, they act primarily as a defense mechanism against microbial and other invaders. Due to the un-ending variety of plant species, environments and possible ‘invaders’, there is an enormous variety in the composition of essential oils from different plants around the world. The aroma of Basil for example, is quite distinct, and can be differentiated from other plant aromas. Each plant’s aromatic oil has a distinct chemical makeup, and as it turns out, some are extremely effective in supporting our own body’s defense against microbial invaders such as viruses and bacteria. Essential oils can protect us from microbes in many ways, from keeping the space around us naturally microbe-free, to fortifying our immune defense, to actually destroying the microbes once they’ve entered our bodies.
Get a little nervous when friends or co-workers have a sneezing or coughing fit? Here’s an excellent defense tactic – diffuse one or more of the powerful yet pleasant smelling antimicrobial oils into your space. ‘Narrow Leaf’ Eucalyptus (or Eucalyptus Radiata) is a very popular variety for this – it has been referred to as an ‘aromatherapists designer oil’ because of its broad range of immune-supportive effects and its pleasant aroma. Other oils used with a little softer scent are Green Myrtle and Ravensara – all these oils may be blended to your ‘taste’. A very pleasing yet powerful blend can be made using three parts clove bud essential oil, five parts lemon essential oil, one and one-half parts Eucalyptus Radiata, one and one-half parts Rosemary Cineol essential oil and two parts Cinnamon Bark essential oil. For immune-supportive purposes, a high-quality cold-air nebulizing diffuser is best, as it will make a fine mist of the oils which will disperse within a space at a relatively high concentration.
The next step is strengthening your body’s own immune defense. Aromatherapy oils have been noted to prevent viruses from actually penetrating our cell walls, keeping bacterial levels in check, and cleansing toxins from our bodies. Two very important immune boosting oils are Niaouli and Bay Laurel leaf. Niaouli is a powerful overall fortifier of the immune system; apply 10-20 drops over the body immediately after a shower for best absorption. This is particularly recommended during the ‘cold and flu season’ to stimulate the body’s natural defense mechanisms. Laurel is of particular support to the lymph system; a few drops can be applied to the nodes at the neck for relief of swollen glands in many cases. Using a few drops on the solar plexus in the same manner as Niaouli described above once or twice a week will also provide general immune system support. These methods in combination may provide significant protection when you’re feeling susceptible to illness, or those around you are getting ill and you’d be more than happy to avoid it!
Once a bacteria or viral infection has set it, treating it with essential oils can be a little more complex. The difficulty lies in finding the proper oil for one’s particular illness, as some oils are excellent against certain microbial strains, though these same oils may not be the right choice in other instances. Prevention with immune stimulant oils as above is best; however, at the very first signs, application of 10-20 drops to the skin of both Eucalyptus Radiata and Bay Laurel essential oils to the skin in the steam of a shower (so that the skin is more porous) is called for. Eucalyptus can be applied to the chest and back, whereas Bay Laurel should be applied directly to the lymph nodes to support the immune response. The vast majority of individuals will have no sensitivity response to such application – if, however, any skin irritation is noted, apply diluted to 5% in a carrier oil such as olive oil hazelnut oils. Green Myrtle can be used in cases of bronchial infection where Eucalyptus may be found to strong an aroma. Ravensara used in the same manner is called for in cases of colds and flu – it can be a stronger antiviral than the above mentioned oils, and has a pleasing aroma.
For general cold and flu care, Eucalyptus Radiata (Narrow Leaf) or Globulus (Blue Gum), Green Myrtle and Ravensara Aromatica can be applied topcally or used with a diffuser or inhaler to loosen mucus and support the body’s cleansing process. In addition, Rosemary of the Verbenone chemotype is indicated for sinus infections and bronchitis; medical aromatherapy texts indicate this may be inhaled, applied topically in small amounts to the chest area, or even dripped into the nose, one drop at a time (caution is noted here for sensitivity). Also, Thyme essential oil is called for in many cases of bacterial infection – inhalation from a nebulizing diffuser can be an effective route of administration.
When selecting natural medicines within your own self-treatment program, do as much research and gather as much professional advice as possible to precisely apply these botanicals. A ’shotgun’ approach will not likely have as dramatic an effect, and can be dangerous with improper use of certain varieties of essential oils. There are several books available for the aromatherapy practitioner with protocols translated from the European aromatherapy literature, and the number of naturopathic doctors with such knowledge is growing. With the right knowledge, using therapeutic grade essential oils to support your immune system and overall health can be very rewarding, and even fun!
–from: http://www.articlegold.com/