Essential Oils & Sinus Problems
To activate healing
To activate the healing you need to give the body an energy boost to help it push the irritants out of the system. Herbs with pungent taste, such as capsicum, horseradish, ginger etc help generate wei qi energy. When you eat spicy food your eyes water, your mucus clear from your throat and lung, your nose runs and you start to perspire. You see, pungent herbs activate the energy that helps the body discharge whatever it is irritating it. So make them your best friends during a cold. As soon as you feel a cold coming on, stop eating, start drinking lots of fluid and start taking some of these pungent herbs.
Other tips
- Check for inhalant or food intolerants.
- Poor bowel function may be the cause.
- Battaglia suggests to increase garlic, onion and ginger.
- Eliminate sugar from your diet.
- Avoid dairy.
- Battaglia also suggests to make a sinus soup: vegetarian minestrone with added horseradish, hot peppers, garlic, and ginger.
- Battaglia also suggests to use vitamin C to increase immunity against infection and to reduce mucus. He also suggests to add vitamin A since it increases the health of the epithelial tissue lining of the sinuses.
My favorites essential oils I've used for sinus problems
I have used different oils over the years, but one of my favorite is a Respiratory blend. I have also used an Antimicrobial oil successfully too. My son cleared his painful sinus congestion with a Pain Relieving blend within a day. I also like to use frankincense, especially if I don't have any of my favorite oil blends at home.
The Respirator blend contains the following oils:
Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, myrtus communis oil, pinus sylvestris (pine) leaf oil, origanum majorana (marjoram) leaf oil, eucalyptus radiata leaf oil, eucalyptus citriodora leaf oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, cupressus sempervirens oil, tsuga canadensis leaf oil, and mentha piperita (peppermint) oil.
The Antimicrobial blend contains the following oils:
Clove† (Syzygium aromaticum), lemon† (Citrus limon), cinnamon† (Cinnamomum verum), Eucalyptus radiata† and rosemary† (Rosmarinus officinalis CT 1,8 cineol).
The Pain Relieving blend contains the following oils:
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum), clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and peppermint (Mentha piperita).
Some single oils I've used in the past
Peppermint, helichrysum, thyme linalol, rosemary, marjoram, pine, eucalyptus, ravensara, myrtle and ginger. These oils have also historically been used for sinus problems.
How I use essential oils for sinus problems
- I like to use steam inhalations for sinus problems and it is really powerful. For steam inhalations I add a few drops of oil to hot but not boiling water and inhale. Most of the times I drape a towel over my head to increase the intensity. I bought an electric facial steamer and it works great for upper respiratory problems.
- I also like to rub the oils on each side of the nose and over the sinus areas. It depends on the oil, some I may apply neat and others I mix with massage oil. I like to mix essential oils with some massage oil and put in a roll-on bottle, I use it frequently on my sinus areas throughout the day. This is great when I have to leave the house.
- I've also put oils on the sinus Vita Flex points on bottom of the feet, this is especially handy when dealing with stronger oils or when using oils on children. Some oils such as peppermint and eucalyptus should not be applied on the facial areas of small children.
- I also diffuse appropriate oils in my diffusers.
- For a quick relief I may inhale straight from the bottle. I plug on side of the nose and inhale deeply and then I switch side.
- I may also apply a couple of drops of oil on the inside of my hands, rub them together, and cup them over my nose and inhale deeply.
- I've also used hot compresses over the sinus areas. (See at the bottom of page for how to make a compress)
Why I prefer to use blends
I prefer to use essential oil blends when possible since it will enhance the synergy between the oils, synergy is based on the fact that the whole is greater than the sum of the part. Essential oils with similar constituents can enhance activity. For example, research has shown a greater antimicrobial activity when oils were combined. Therefore, I like to mix several different oils into on blend for enhanced therapeutic value, and most of the times it is more economical for me to buy already blended oils.
How to make a compress
Place 5-15 drops of essential oils into a basin filled with warm water.
Agitate the water vigorously and let it stand for one minute.
Place a dry cloth on top of the water to soak up the oils that float on the surface. Wring out the cloth and apply on the body.
Before you leave:
I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.
Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.
Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:
Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:
- Topical Application
- Inhaling Essential Oils
- Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?
- How to Dilute Essential Oils
- Vita Flex Technique
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Photo credit
Sources:
Connie and Alan Higley, (Twelfth Edition, revised 2010). Reference Guide for Essential Oils. Abundant Health
Gary Young, ND (2006). Essential Oils, Integrative Medical Guide. Essential Science Publishing
Gary Young, ND (2006). Essential Oils, Integrative Medical Guide. Essential Science Publishing
Salvatore Battaglia (1995). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. The Perfect Potion Pty Ltd
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Coughing- What To Do About It Naturally
Coughing
can really ruin a whole night's sleep, even for the non-coughing
members of the family. I remember when my daughter suffered from
persistent cough when we lived in moist and moldy house in Wales. The
cough didn't stop until I added essential oils to her treatment. I find
essential oils extremely helpful in treating respiratory disorders, many
times I used them in combination with herbal products. It is very easy
and convenient to use essential oils for colds, coughs, bronchitis, sinus problems, or other respiratory problems.
Dry or moist cough
Coughs
can be dry or moist, so when you choose the essential oils you need to
consider the nature of the cough. I use essential oils with expectorant
and mucolytic properties for moist coughs, and when the cough is dry I
use oils with antispasmodic and anti-tussive properties. Anti-tussive
and antispasmodic essential oils are especially useful at night if the
cough prevents sleep. Steam inhalations, chest rubs, and baths are just
some ways that I apply the oils. In my daughter's case I added drops of
cypress oil under her pillow at night.
Here is a chest rub I used several times for moist coughs:
4 drops rosemary
8 drops hyssop
12 drops eucalyptus
2 tbl. cold pressed vegetable oil
Mix
the essential oils with the vegetable oil. Massage the upper chest area
and lower neck, both front and back. Inhale the essences from the hands
before washing them. I use this blend a couple of times a day.
This is a chest rub I've used several times for dry coughs:
3 drops pine
12 drops eucalyptus
6 drops hyssop
2 tbl. cold pressed vegetable oil
2 tbl. cold pressed vegetable oil
Mix and use the same way as the previous rub for moist coughs.
A steam inhalation I used for both moist and dry coughs:
a bowl
4 cups of hot water
1 drop cedarwood
1 drop eucalyptus
1 drop hyssop
Pour
the hot water into the bowl. Add essential oils. Hold the head about 8
inches over the bowl with a towel over the head to form a tent. Inhale
slowly and deeply while keeping the eyes closed. Steam for about 5-10
minutes, two to three times a day. Cover the upper chest and neck with a
towel or blanket immediately following the treatment.
Cypress,
juniper, frankincense, lavender, myrrh, peppermint, and sandalwood are
other oils that historically have been used for coughs.
These
are just some suggestions on what to do using essential oils, if you
suffer from persistent cough for a longer time you should see a
physician.
The
posts Essential Oils and Bronchitis, Essential Oils and the Common Cold, Essential Oils for The Respiratory and Immune System will give you
more information about using essential oils for respiratory concerns.
Simple Home Remedies that have historically been used for coughs.
Syrup
You
can make a simple cough syrup from warm pineapple juice and two
teaspoons of honey. The bromelain in the pineapple is activated by the
honey.
You
can also make a cough syrup by mixing the juice of one lemon with two
tablespoons glycerine, and then add 12 teaspoons honey to the mixture
and stir. Stir before each use. I always use raw honey.
Ayureda
According
to the Ayureda tradition you can take equal part teaspoons of lemon and
honey. If you have a cough with mucus you can add 1/2 teaspoon ginger, a
pinch of clove, and a pinch of cinnamon to one cup of water.
You can also gargle by adding a pinch of salt and two pinches of turmeric to a glass of water.
Onion, pear and cinnamon
Another
remedy which is easy to make at home, is to slice an onion into a deep
bowl and cover with honey and let it sit over night. The next day you
strain the mixture and this will make a simple elixir. Another tasty
remedy is hot pear juice with a cinnamon stick. You can also add
cardamon and cumin to juices.
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The Common Cold
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| Photo credit |
Tips to Activate the healing
First you want to give the body an energy boost to help it push the irritants out of the system. The Chinese have an energy system they call wei qi which protects the body from disease. The energy pushes outward on the surfaces of the mucus membranes lining of lungs, digestive tract and our skin
Herbs with a pungent taste, such as capsicum, horseradish, ginger etc help generate this wei qi energy. When you eat spicy food your eyes water, your mucus clear from your throat and lung, your nose runs and you start to perspire.
Pungent herbs activate the energy that helps the body discharge whatever it is irritating it. Make them your best friends during a cold. As soon as you feel a cold coming on, stop eating, start drinking lots of fluid and start taking some of these pungent herbs.
Use essential oils even when you are not sick
In the beginning of the flu season I make sure that I use antimicrobial oils when I clean the house, and I also diffuse the same oils in my diffuser. I let my children inhale straight from the bottles to boost their immune system and I add oils to the bottom of their feet as well.
Add Powerful oils
Several essential oils have anti-microbial actions and they work directly against the micro-organisms. Most essential oils are antiseptic to a certain degree, but these oils have historically been used for the treatment of respiratory disorders such as flu, colds, tonsillitis, cough, sore throats and other infections:
cajuput, clove bud, lemon eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, pine, rosemary, hyssop var decumbens, tea tree and thyme.
Learn more in my post, Essential Oils for The Respiratory and Immune System
Synergy enhance the therapeutic effect
My favorite blend of oils consists of some of the most anti-microbial oils available such as clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. An easy throat spray can be made by adding a few drops to a small glass spray bottle filled with distilled or purified water. It is best to dilute these oils before using it topically since it is a pretty strong oil.
I would use essential oils liberally if we were sick right now. I would:
- make massage blends for chest and back if my children were congested
- add essential oils to the bottom of the feet
- make steam inhalations
- put essential oils on the bottom of the pillow if any of my children were suffering from a cough
- add essential oils to handkerchiefs to inhale when needed
- activate the healing with pungent herbs
- diffuse anti-microbial oils in the air to ward off germs
Here are some quick facts, tips, and recipes taken from From the Essential oils Integrative Medical Guide.
How Essential oils can benefit the respiratory tract according to the Integrative medical guide:
- Pine dilates and opens bronchial tubes
- Myrrh is very effective for throat problems and hoarseness
- Rose, sage, and sandalwood may help chronic bronchitis
Suffer from bronchitis? Read my post, Essential Oils and Bronchitis for more information.
Colds
According to Gary Young, these oils can be considered:
Peppermint, thyme thymol, Bay laurel, oregano, rosewood, Eucalyptus radiata, tea tree, ravensara, rosemary cineol, mountain savory.
Head cold/sinus congestion
According to Gary Young, these oils can be considered:
Ledum, German chamomile, Eucalyptus radiata, frankincense, pine, peppermint, rosemary cineol, balsam fir, ravensara, lemon
This information is all based on using therapeutic grade essential oils.
As always, this information is for educational purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffer from a medical condition, consult with your health care practitioner prior to using essential oils.
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