Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy has been used since the beginning of civilization to treat a number of conditions. Aromatherapy involves the use of pure aromatic oils extracted from plants. The oils have distinct properties, which act on the body and the brain. The essential oils are believed to possess the plant's "life force", essential to the plant's biological processes, as well as being the substances which give them their scent. Synthetic oils, which may be chemically similar, lack all the natural elements contained in natural oils including the vital "life force". Therefore, synthetic oils are not considered to be accepted for aromatherapy.
There are many ways to use essential oils including inhalation, massage, diffusion, bathing, hot and cold compresses, and perfumes. Some aromatherapists claim that, through massage, the oils can penetrate the skin and enter the blood stream, causing physiological effects on the body. However, scientific evidence has not confirmed that these substances are able to enter the blood at levels of therapeutic value. The majority of doctors believe that the effect of aromatherapy is due to a person's emotional response to the various scents and not due to actual physiological changes in the body. However, the use of certain essential oils has been associated with reduced stress, enhanced relaxation, decreased anxiety, improved well being, relief of psychosomatic symptoms and alleviation of some emotionally-related disorders.
Aromatherapy may have the ability to prevent seizures in some people with epilepsy. Dr. Tim Betts at the University of Birmingham in England performed a study in which people with refractory epilepsy practiced self-hypnosis to promote relaxation while receiving an aromatherapy massage. Later, the people were told to inhale a whiff of a particular scent whenever they felt that a seizure was coming on. It was found that almost all participants became totally seizure free. This may have been due to the development of a conditioned response in which the smell of their oil helped the people attain a state of relaxation similar to that experienced during their massage.
Aromatherapy may help those individuals who experience auras and warn them of an upcoming seizure. Use of essential oils may help to prevent or lessen the severity of an epileptic attack if inhaled before the seizure occurs. It is important to note that people with epilepsy should not sniff aromatherapy oils vigorously. Vigorous sniffing, whether or not an oil is present, can itself trigger a seizure in some people; instead, the scent should be gently inhaled.
The following oils may
prevent seizures:
- Jasmine, Jasminum officinale (consistently found to have anticonvulsant properties).
- Camomile, Chamaemelum nobile
- Lavender, Lavendula spp.
- Ylang-Ylang, Cananga odorata
The following oils should be avoided since they may
trigger seizures:
- Camphor, Cinnamomum cumphorata
- Hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis
- Fennel, Foenicum Vulgare
- Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis
- Sage, Salvia officinalis
- Wormwood, Artemisia spp.
- Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum, C. aromaticum
- Clove, Caryophyllus aromaticus
- Nutmet, Myristica fragrans
- Black pepper, Piper nigrum
NOTE: Aromatherapy treatments should only be sought from a qualified aromatherapists since some oils can trigger seizures and should therefore be avoided. Some oils (camphor oil in cold medications) can be found in common everyday products, including over-the-counter medical products. Be aware that they may trigger seizures, especially in children.
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