Archive for March, 2010

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Aromatherapy For Fibromyalgia Pain Relief

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Fibromyalgia affects the muscle and connective tissue of the body. Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic pain in the muscle and connective tissues. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia are fatigue, stiffness in joints, disturbance in sleep, difficulty in swallowing, muscle spasms, weakness in limbs, nerve pain, and bladder and bowel abnormalities.

There are various causes of fibromyalgia, the main ones being genetic causes. Other causes of this condition are stress, abnormal metabolism of serotonin, deficiency in human growth hormone, and psychological factors.

There is no scientifically accepted treatment of fibromyalgia. However, there are remedies for symptom management. Other than prescription medicines, exercise and alternative medication are recommended to relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Essential Oils For Fibromyalgia Cure

One of the ways of symptom management of fibromyalgia is the use of aromatherapy to alleviate the condition. Aromatherapy uses concentrated plant extracts like essential oils, distillates, and hydrates to cure various diseases. The specifics of aromatherapy for the alleviation of the symptoms of fibromyalgia are as follows.

  • Helichrysm essential oil: This essential oil is particularly used to cure sensitiveness in multiple pain points. The oil gets absorbed in the body and heals these tender points, thereby relieving pain.
  • Lavender essential oil: More than physical relief, lavender essential oil serves to cure the emotional imbalance. Lavender essential oil is known for its soothing fragrance and its calming properties. As some of the causes of fibromyalgia are stress and psychological problems, lavender essential oil can be beneficial in treating fibromyalgia.
  • Peppermint essential oil: Peppermint essential oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and as such, it is highly recommended for relief from muscle and nerve pain, the major symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Other than these essential oils, you can also use a blend of different essential oils. You may use these essential oils in various ways. You may add a few drops of these essential oils in your bath water, or you can prepare an infusion of these essential oils to relieve fibromyalgia.

You are also recommended to use these essential oils for massages. However, being a patient of fibromyalgia, you must go for gentle massaging, with minimal pressure on joints. Also, you must keep in mind to dilute the essential oils. This is because essential oils are highly concentrated and may have adverse effects if used in concentrated form. You may dilute these essential oils with olive oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil.

Aromatherapy can do wonders to relieve fibromyalgia. However, you are recommended to consult an aromatherapy specialist before you go for the aromatherapy treatment for fibromyalgia.

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Essential Oils - Natural Cough Remedies

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

A cough often leads to congestion of the respiratory tract with a thick and sticky substance called phlegm. In most cases a cough is the result of an attack of microbial bacteria or virus. There are a number of ways to treat a cough. However, one of the most effective ways to relieve cough is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy uses plant components like essential oils, distillates, and hydrates to treat various conditions and diseases.

Aromatherapy For Cough and Cold Treatment

The following essential oils can be used to treat a cough.

  • Tea tree essential oil: Tea tree essential oil is anti-microbial. You may use tea tree essential oil on a regular basis to enhance the immunity of your body. You may put a few drops of the essential oil in boiling water and inhale the vapors to quickly clear bronchial congestion and cough.
  • Sandalwood essential oil: This essential oil is particularly helpful in relieving cough as it is known for alleviating the infections of the upper respiratory tract.
  • Rosemary essential oil: Rosemary essential oil is known for its property to cure a variety of respiratory tract disorders like cough, sinus, asthma, and bronchitis.
  • Peppermint essential oil: Peppermint essential oil is particularly known to relieve dry cough.
  • Lemon essential oil: Lemon essential oil doesn’t treat a cough directly. However, it is instrumental in relieving throat infection, which is one of the causes of a cough.
  • Cyprus essential oil: Cyprus essential oil is helpful in clearing the accumulation of liquids in the respiratory tract, thereby helping in ameliorating the condition.
  • Eucalyptus essential oil: It helps in clearing the mucus from the lungs, thereby clearing lung congestion and cough.
  • Angelica essential oil: It helps in relieving cough on account of its expectorant properties.

You may use these oils on a regular basis to boast your immune system against cough and cold. You can add a few drops of any of these essential oils to your bath water to increase the resistance of your body against cough. Also, for instant relief from congestion, you can add a few drops of these essential oils in boiling water and inhale the vapors.

Aromatherapy is one of the best techniques to relieve cough as it is highly effective and poses a minimum risk of side-effects on account of usage of natural plant extracts to relieve the ailments. However, you must ensure that you use these oils in appropriate quantities. Essential oils are highly concentrated and as such, they must be used in minimal amounts.

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Medicinal Uses Of Juniper Essential Oil

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Juniper essential oil is a widely used oil owing to its many therapeutic properties. The oil is derived from the various parts of the juniper plant. The wood, needles, and the fruits of the juniper plant are steam distilled to extract the essential oil. The oil may also be used to add flavor to alcoholic beverages, especially gin. Since juniper is an evergreen bush, the plant is easily accessible, and therefore, its oil is also easily available.

Juniper oil has been used extensively in ancient medicine. It has antiseptic, diuretic, anti rheumatic, astringent, anti-spasmodic, tonic, carminative, depurative, rubefacient, and vulnerary properties. Since it has many healing properties, it makes for an excellent medicine.

Here are some of the health benefits of Juniper oil:

  • Antiseptic: The antiseptic properties of the oil make it excellent for being used on wounds. If you sustain an injury, simply wash it with water and smear juniper oil on it. However, the oil should be used only with another carrier oil. In the ancient times, the oil was also used at the time of labor to protect both mother and child from infections like tetanus.
  • Anti-spasmodic: The essential oil of juniper is very warm and therefore can be applied on the body in order to treat spasms in the muscles. The warmth of the oil allows the blood vessels to expand so that blood circulation can be improved. Juniper oil can be used to get relief from conditions like rheumatism, gout, and arthritis.
  • Diuretic: If you are suffering from water retention, you can use juniper oil. Its properties as a diuretic allow you to pass urine at a greater frequency. This allows excess of water to be removed from the body.
  • Astringent: The astringent properties of the oil make it effective for the treatment of hair fall, diarrhea, and toothaches. The oil can also be applied on the face to keep the skin looking fresh and young.
  • Carminative: Juniper oil helps in removal of waste gases from the gastrointestinal tract. It increases flatulence temporarily so that all the gases in the gastrointestinal tract can be easily eliminated.
  • Depurative: Juniper oil can help remove toxins from the blood, thereby purifying it. By using the depurative regularly, you can keep removing these toxins from the body. This improves the function of the circulation system and also relieves the kidneys and the renal system from detoxification of the blood.

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Aromatherapy For Mononucleosis (Kissing Disease) Treatment

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Infectious mononucleosis is also known as the mono disease. This infection is caused by the Epstein Barr virus. This virus is a very common one and spreads by close personal contact with the infected person. The virus is passed on through the saliva of the infected person, and hence it is popularly known as the kissing disease. Almost all people in their childhood are exposed to this virus at some point or another. Fortunately, not everyone who is exposed to the virus develops the infection.

However, those who do get infected with the virus are never able to completely flush the virus out of their body. Once a person gets infected, the virus remains in the body even if there are no symptoms of the infection.

Symptoms Of Mononucleosis

The first symptoms of mononucleosis infection are fatigue, fever, weakness, and soreness in the throat. If mononucleosis is diagnosed in a person, the doctor advises plenty of rest and a lot of fluids. There is no specific treatment for this infection, and therefore, most people rely on home remedies for recuperation.

Some of the other common symptoms of mononucleosis are a swollen spleen, low levels of energy, and the inability to perform normal day-to-day activities. The normal time for convalescence from this infection is 3 to 4 weeks. During this time, the person may feel extremely tired because of the general malaise caused by the infection. During these weeks, it is recommended that you do not share your utensils or toothbrush or any other personal items that can help in the transfer of saliva.

Essential Oils For Mononucleosis Cure

Aromatherapy has come up as one of the most effective alternative therapies for the treatment of mononucleosis. The use of aromatherapy in the treatment of mononucleosis concentrates on alleviating the symptoms. Essential oils can help reduce fever and malaise. The essential oils of eucalyptus, lavender, and bergamot can be diffused into the air using a vaporizer. These vapors when inhaled can help reduce the malaise, increasing energy levels and reducing tiredness and fatigue.

These oils can also be directly applied to the pulse points so that the aroma can keep diffusing. When applied on the pulse points, you can keep on inhaling the aroma as it diffuses into the air. You can also use tea tree oil, which is a powerful disinfectant. Tea tree oil can be diluted to about one-twentieth of its strength and then ingested. This can help kill off the virus inside the body so that you can recuperate faster.

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