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Essential Oils
Natural Relief
for Sinus Pain and Congestion
Essential Oils, often
called the lifeblood of plants, are natural
compounds that can be used effectively for both
acute sinus problems as well as for self care to
help keep you breathing clear and free from pain.
Some of the best essential oils for sinus problems
are peppermint, eucalyptus and rosemary. These oils
are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, mucolytic and
expectorants. They effectively open up the nasal
passages, expel mucous, stop pain and treat the
bacterial infection. Depending on your symptoms they
can be administered in different ways.
In the case of acute
congestion, steam inhalation often provides dramatic
and immediate results. To do this:
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Bring
four cups of water to a gentle boil and pour into
a large ceramic or glass bowl.
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Add
one drop of each oil to the steaming water and
stir to disperse the oils. In the beginning try
starting with one oil, peppermint is a good
choice, and as you get accustomed to the
inhalation add the other oils on subsequent uses.
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Keeping you head at least 8-10 inches above the
water, with your eyes closed use a towel to create
a tent over your head above the bowl.
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Breathe deeply through your nose (if possible) for
8-10 minutes and repeat 2-3 times per day until
the symptoms resolve.
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CAUTION: the water will be hot so be sure to keep
your face far enough from the surface and remove
your head from the tent if your skin gets too hot.
The oils can also sting the eyes, so make sure to
keep them closed throughout the process.
For a quick an easy
inhalation on the run, just place a few drops of
peppermint in your palms and inhale. While this
won’t bring the deep and lasting results of the
steam inhalation, it is a great little tool to have
as the peppermint oil can be carried with you
throughout the day.
For sinus pain and
headaches essential oils can be applied directly to
the areas of pain. The essential oils must be
diluted 50/50 with a good quality vegetable oil or
massage oil and should not be applied to close to
the eyes to limit any stinging. Apply the oils to
the forehead, temples and cheek bones or wherever
the pain is strongest, only a couple of drops are
needed. Peppermint is the best oil to start with and
other oils can be added later as needed.
Essential oils can also
be used along with a nasal irrigation regimen. In
this case you will need to create your own saline
solution that can be prepared as follows:
The essential oils
should be mixed thoroughly in the sea salt and kept
in a sealed container. For each session 1 teaspoon
of the mixture should be dissolved into 1.5 cups of
distilled water and used in the nasal irrigation
device. This solution can be used for both acute and
chronic problems and also as part of a daily regimen
for prevention.
If you are a chronic
sufferer of sinus problems it will be important to
continue the use of essential oils on a daily basis
as part of a self care program. As described above
the nasal irrigation practice can be part of this
regimen. Other ways to use the essential oils are
massage and diffusing in the air.
Essential oils can be
massaged onto the bottoms of the feet quite safely
and effectively. In this case the oils do not need
to be diluted and can be applied neat to the skin.
Once the oils are massaged in, they will travel
throughout the body in less than thirty minutes
providing their health benefits to all of your
tissues as well as the sinuses and nasal
passageways.
Diffusing the essential
oils into the air of your home is one other way to
receive the benefits of essential oils for long term
care. Diffusing will not only help keep the sinuses
clear and free but will also purify the air in your
home while leaving a wonderfully pleasant aroma. It
is important to find a diffuser that is made
especially for essential oils as it will disperse
micro-droplets that will remain suspended in the air
for hours at a time. Rosemary and lavender are great
for using in a diffuser, and here at First Health we
also carry an oil blend called Purification that has
been prepared just for this purpose.
All essential oils are
not created equal. Most of the oils in the world are
created in France for the perfume industry. Many
companies in the U.S. buy these oils and then market
them here in health stores for their therapeutic
properties. When choosing essential oils you should
check that they are “therapeutic grade,” have been
grown organically, and produced with a steam
distillation process with no added chemical
-- Jason Henson, MAOM,
L.Ac.
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