Essential
oils stimulates the powerful sense of smell. It is known that odors we smell
have a significant impact on how we feel. In dealing with patients who have lost
the sense of smell, doctors have found that a life without fragrance can lead to
high incidence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression. We have
the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells. It is believed that
smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic
system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and
learning.
Studies with brain wave frequency have shown that
smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are
associated with relaxation. Fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the
front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state.
Scientific studies have also shown that essential
oils contain chemical components that can exert specific effects on the mind and
body. Their chemistry is complex, but generally includes alcohols, esters,
ketones, aldehydes, and terpenes. The effect of these chemical components is
summarized in the accompanying table.
Which Problems can Aromatherapy Help?
Aromatherapy is particularly effective for stress,
anxiety, and psychosomatic induced problems, muscular and rheumatic pains,
digestive disorders and women's problems, such as PMS, menopausal complaints and
postnatal depression. Here is a summary of the results from clinical studies:
Behavior
Considerable evidence exists that fragrant compounds
have a profound effect on our mind and behavior. Animal studies have found that
hyper excited mice (as a result of consuming a large quantity of caffeine) was
calmed by the aroma of lavender, sandalwood, and other oils sprayed into their
cages. The same mice were found to become very irritable when exposed to the
aroma of orange terpines, thymol, and some other substances. These oils were all
detected in their bloodstream after about an hour.
Sleep
In a study reported in the British Medical Journal
Lancet, elderly patients slept "like babies" when a lavender aroma was
wafted into their bedrooms at night. These patients had complained of difficulty
falling asleep and had to take sleeping pills to get sleep prior to the
aromatherapy.
Postpartum discomfort
In a double blind study, 635 women applied lavender
oil to their perineal area (part of the body between the vagina and the rectum)
after childbirth. The women reported a distinct improvement between the third
and fifth day. (The discomfort is the worst during this time for patients in the
control group.)
Colds
It has been well established that chicken soup is
good for cold (both historically and scientifically). Studies were conducted to
find out whether the effect was due to the action of the hot steam on the lining
of the nostrils or whether the aroma of the chicken soup has anything to do with
it. The results indicated that chicken soup was more effective than the steam
indicating the effectiveness of the aroma.
Stress
In a study conducted at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Hospital in New York, patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
reported 63 percent less claustrophobic after getting exposed to the aroma of
vanilla. There was no change in their heart rate. Obviously, the aroma reduced
their anxiety probably by the pleasant memories evoked by the vanilla aroma or
by some other physiological response.
In another study, 122 patients who were in an
intensive care unit, reported feeling much better when aromatherapy was
administered with the oil of lavender (compared to when they were simply given a
massage or allowed to rest.) No changes in the patients who were given
aromatherapy was observed in the blood pressure, respiration, or heart rate. As
we mentioned before, Japanese have reported less mistakes by keypunch operators
when exposed to fragrance.
Male Sexual Response
Circulation
to the male sexual organ was found to have improved substantially by treatment
with licorice or lavender with pumpkin pie. Doughnut with black licorice was
also very effective. Men who are considered the most sexually active responded
well to lavender, cola, and oriental spice; older males preferred the fragrance
of vanilla. These studies prove that aromatherapy is an effective therapy for
the treatment of male impotence from the blood vessel disease or from
psychogenic factors.
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