Essential oils are becoming more popular as natural health practitioners recognize their very powerful therapeutic properties. One of the most lauded effects is their ability to prevent and treat infectious illness. This is the realm in fact, which many top aromatherapists in the world consider essential oils’ most important contribution to our health. Essential oils all have some degree of antimicrobial action, working to eradicate bacteria, fungi and viruses from our bodies and the environment. The antiviral features are especially interesting, as viral illness is particularly hard to treat and prevent.
Firstly, the antiviral activity of essential oils is not just theory, nor the high hopes of individuals dedicated solely to natural treatments — not that this is a bad thing; some people just like additional evidence. And there’s lots of it. Browsing through the peer-reviewed research available online in the database of the National Institute of Health, one can find many studies documenting this activity. While most research in the area has focused on the treatment of infections of herpes simplex virus varieties, there’s a slow but growing body of data noting oils’ efficacy preventing and treating influenza and other viral illnesses as well.
Because infections of the herpes virus are easy to investigate, they’ve been the subject of the majority of the research papers produced thus far. This is due to the high number of the population already infected, and the simple means of observing whether the oils are having an effect. The results have been almost astounding: published research indicates oils speed healing of outbreaks, with some users having a significant reduction in both the frequency and duration of outbreaks as well.
It appears this is the result of two actions of the oils: that they prevent uninfected cells from becoming infected, and directly destroy the viruses. Both are great news. It appears that oils somehow change the electrical potential of our cells in such a way as to make it harder for a viral invader to break into the cell, while eradicating the viruses themselves at the same time.
Several essential oils have been shown effective in treating herpes outbreaks and preventing their re-occurrence. The most thoroughly investigated are melissa, geranium and tea tree, with melissa leading the group with the most enthusiastic praise from a scientist. One German researcher thought it possible to prevent all future outbreaks with the consistent use of the oil when one feels an outbreak to be imminent. Melissa is considered exceptionally potent, and can be diluted to very low concentrations (less than 2%) and still be effective. Users will create a dilution that works for them and apply topically several times daily.
Data on the research of the efficacy of oils treating airborne infectious illnesses is certainly more scant, but still promising. While HSV is especially simple to investigate, one can imagine there’s not a huge lineup of people interested in catching the flu for science. However, tea tree has shown the ability to inactivate influenza-causing viruses, and bay laurel oil was found to be specifically active against the SARS-CoV, the virus causing sever acute respiratory syndrome.
Due their unique chemical nature, professional therapists also highly recommend the oils distilled from evergreen tree needles: pine, spruce, fir and the like. These oils specifically contain “terpenes”, a class of molecules thought particularly effective for the treatment and prevention of viral illnesses. Other highly recommended antiviral essential oils include: hyssop, marjoram, ravensara and narrow-leaf eucalyptus.
Beginning to use the oils for these actions is very simple. One can gain their protection and healing activity through inhalation or topical application. Inhalation is aided by the use of a diffuser specially designed for such therapeutic use. Called a “nebulizing” diffuser, this style makes microscopic droplets of aromatic oils which rapidly evaporate and disperse throughout our environment. One can either inhale the aroma directly from the output of the diffuser in a few concentrated breaths, or passively inhale the oils dispersed in the room’s air. For greatest efficacy, it may be best to blend two or more of the recommended oils together in the reservoir of the diffuser. For example, equal amounts of bay, eucalyptus and marjoram may be more effective than any of these oils by themselves.
The same formula can be diluted to between five and ten percent and applied topically. Apply two or three times per day, massaging the tops and bottoms of the balls of the feet (considered energetic endpoints related to the respiratory system), as well as areas where lymph glands are close to the surface of the skin (the armpits, groin area and neck, for example).
This is a brief look at the possibilities of utilizing the antiviral actions of aromatherapy and essential oils. One really need not get more complicated than this to achieve the desired results (keeping well!), and at the same time, one may be more precise with their oil selection and application techniques through learning more on the subject. You’ll find a host of information on the internet, though the most valuable sources are texts by therapists familiar with the practices of medical aromatherapy (examples are Advanced Aromatherapy by Schnaubelt, and The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy by Battaglia). Good luck and stay well!
The author is a consultant for Ananda Aromatherapy. Find more resources are available on aromatherapy supplies & essential oil formulas through the website.
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