ASTHMA
From Essential Oil Desk Reference
During an asthma attack, the bronchials (air tubes) in the lungs become swollen and clogged with a thick, sticky mucus. The muscles of the air tubes will also begin to constrict or tighten. This results in very difficult or labored breathing. If an attack is severe, it can actually be life-threatening.
Many asthma attacks are triggered by an allergic reaction to pollen, skin particles, dandruff, cat or dog dander, dust mites, and foods such as eggs, milk, flavorings, dyes and preservatives. Asthma can also be triggered by respiratory infection, exercise, stress and psychological factors.
Essential oils should not be inhaled for asthma-related problems. The oils should be applied to the soles of the feet or ingested (if they are GRAS listed – Generally Regarded As Safe).
Single Oils:
• Lavender with Roman chamomile, Eucalyptus, Myrtle, Peppermint, Frankincense, Marjoram or Rose.
• Frankincense with Ravensara, Cypress, Silver Fir, Spruce, Pine, Lemon, Thyme, Rosemary CT cineol, Eucalyptus, Helichrysum, Birch or Myrtle.
• Rosemary CT cineol with Ravensara, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lemon or Juniper.
• Sage with Lavender, Myrrh, Hyssop or Eucalyptus.
Blends:
• Lavender or Roman Chamomile with Cleansing, Digestion Support, Purify, or Plague Defense.
• Frankincense (single oil) with Respiratory Relief, Lung Healing, Insight, or Mountain Top.
• Rosemary (single oil) with Respiratory Relief or Lung Healing.
One simple thing to try is a few pinches of Celtic Sea Salt in water. Salt is a natural antihistamine and can clear the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm, especially those suffering from asthma and cystic fibrosis. (The Grain and Salt Society is one source for this salt: www.celticseasalt.com/) Stay away from foods that are known mucus producers such as: dairy, chocolate and gluten.
Smelling Citrus Oils Prevents Asthma in Rats
By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A key ingredient in the aroma from citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons appears to protect rats from the symptoms of asthma, new research shows.
Study author Dr. Ehud Keinan explained that the citrus ingredient is called limonene, and it likely protects against asthma by "burning" inhaled ozone, which can increase inflammation in the lungs.
Other scents - such as those emitted from pine trees, geraniums and roses - contain similar ingredients to limonene, Keinan said, which may help explain why asthma is much more common in urban areas that lack vegetation.
"In rural populations, people are very much exposed to these compounds," he said.
The researcher, who is based at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Israel, told Reuters Health that squeezing an orange peel releases liquid that contains a high concentration of limonene. He said he has heard stories of people who say they experienced relief from asthma and other lung diseases after spending time around limonene.
He added that he and his colleagues, who report their current findings in the journal Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, are currently investigating how limonene and similar substances may help alleviate asthma in humans.
A growing body of research suggests that ozone, which is a key component of air pollution, can encourage changes in the body that result in persistent inflammation in the airways.
Limonene helps rid the body of ozone because it reacts with ozone, muting its toxic effects, Keinan explained.
To investigate whether limonene could protect lungs from asthma, Keinan and his team induced the symptoms of asthma in rats, them let them smell limonene or eucalyptol, the key ingredient in the odor of eucalyptus, which does not react with ozone.
The researchers checked the rats for asthma symptoms repeatedly over a period of 20 hours to five days. They found that only rats exposed to limonene "didn't show any symptoms of the disease," Keinan said.
These results suggest that inhaling limonene may protect people from developing asthma, or alleviate symptoms in those already diagnosed, he noted.
SOURCE: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, December 8, 2004.
Household Chemical Products Linked to Asthma
LONDON (AFP) - Ordinary household products like bleach, carpet cleaners and paint strippers can cause asthma in children.
A study which followed more than 7,000 children since birth found that wheezing and asthma were linked to the cleaning products and other chemicals found in the home.
The study conducted by University of Bristol researchers found that children from the top 10 percent of families using chemicals most frequently were twice as likely to suffer wheezing problems as those from families which used the products the least.
Pregnant women asked by researchers to describe their most commonly used chemical products listed: disinfectant, bleach, carpet cleaner, window cleaner, dry cleaning fluid, aerosols, turpentine or "white spirit", air fresheners, paint stripper, paint or varnish and pesticides or insecticides.
The exact chemicals involved in the study were not identified, however. British spending on household cleaning products has increased by some 60 percent since 1994, according to official statistics.
"These findings suggest that children whose mothers made frequent use of chemical-based domestic products during pregnancy were more likely to wheeze persistently throughout early childhood, independent of many other factors," the study's author, Andrea Sherriff, said.
"We are seeing what appear to be effects on lung function, either while the baby is still in the womb or after birth," Sherriff said.
She said the results matched other US and European studies which have demonstrated an increased risk of asthma in people working as cleaners.
The study, which used information from 7,019 families involved in the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s project, was published Thursday in the journal Thorax.
Testimonials
1. We have great results diffusing PURIFY for asthma.
2. My son had asthma and was on medication with steroid backup for severe episodes. When I first learned about essential oils, I read lots of testimonies where people used Raindrop massage with incredible results, so I decided to try this on my son who was 2 years old at the time. I used the Raindrop oils but in very small amounts. My son just relaxed and took a long nap following the massage. I found that when I used PEPPERMINT at the first sign of breathing difficulties we can avoid attacks. (Not too much: just a smidgen on my finger applied to his tongue. I asked him to hold his tongue to the roof of his mouth and inhale deeply. And/or I mix with a carrier oil and massage on his back and chest.) I do a Raindrop once a week and he is no longer on any medications.
3. We eliminated asthma in both myself and my daughter by first identifying and eliminating the “triggers” such as: dairy, chemicals, mold/mildew, pet dander. Next we consciously eat more “real” food and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Drink plenty of water (1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily). I dilute CLEANSING and PEPPERMINT for when coughing fits get going. I apply this blend all over the chest, back, tops and bottoms of feet. A drop of Peppermint in raw honey with about a teaspoon of water will usually stop a cough right away.
4. Bronchitis and respiratory infections plagued my daughter who found some relief in inhalers until we discovered the healing power in essential oils. Now, at the first sign of respiratory distress, we use RESPIRATORY RELIEF, LUNG HEALING, HYSSOP and MYRRH. We apply these oils as follows: Respiratory to the front of her chest, Lung Healing on her back and both Hyssop and Myrrh to the bottoms of her feet many times during the day, and we diffuse Respiratory Relief in her room at night. Every time the issue resolved within one or two days, and the occurrences became less and less frequent. It has now been a couple of years since she has shown any sign of a problem.
5. My doctor told me that I was the worst asthmatic patient he had. When my wife heard about using essential oils, she purchased RESPIRATORY RELIEF and CYPRESS and had me apply them to the lung area on my feet twice daily. (The lung area is between the two pads of the feet below the toes all the way to the arch.) I also like to put this on my chest before I go to bed. The Respiratory Relief opens up my breathing, and the Cypress is used to pull out any fluid. I have totally turned around my breathing issues, and my doctor is definitely impressed.
6. I found the following recipe, HoneyAid in a testimony for chronic bronchitis, coughing fits, the flu, colds and so on. It has helped our family a lot.
In a blender add fresh squeezed lemon, some raw honey, 2-4 fresh garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger root. I add fresh aloe vera (not a necessity). I take a aloe leaf and scrape out about 2” of the gel. Don’t use the skin. Blend this up with just enough water added to blend well, and within seconds of drinking this the coughing stops, even with chronic bronchitis.
If we don’t catch this right in the beginning, we sometimes have to do this 3 times daily for 3-4 days, but usually by the fourth day the cough has disappeared and doesn’t come back. This concoction kills the infection and annihilates all inflammation, not matter what the cause (lung infection, bronchitis, in joints due to parasites, peanut allergy, arteries or inflammation that shows up as rashes on skin).
7. I know the books say not to inhale essential oils during an asthma attack, but I disagree. The best thing I can do for myself is to inhale LAVENDER, which is a natural antihistamine. This alone will stop the attack and has helped me avoid many an emergency room visit. Afterwards, I drink PEPPERMINT in a glass (always use glass, not plastic) of water to assist in breathing.
8. My husband (in his twenties) had a heat stroke that left his adrenals shot. He was so weak that he could not lift a fork to feed himself. We had lots of help from our church community so I could help him. We got him on a strong nutritional program, but after several weeks, he was still extremely weak. A friend suggested we use a diffuser and FRANKINCENSE in his room continuously. We set it on a timer for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. In less than 24 hours my husband was sitting on the cough “playing” with our two young children. The power of Frankincense was amazing. He was still very weak and had a long recovery ahead of him so we continued to run the diffuser with Frankincense for almost 2 months. We used at least 3 bottles of Frankincense at about $70/bottle, but it seemed a small price to pay for what we gained. I have suffered with allergies and asthma for many years. It kept me down a lot and confined to my home during certain times of the year. Well, during this time of diffusing Frankincense for my husband, I was totally cured of my allergies and asthma. I feel like a new person. I shared this with another friend who suffered terribly with asthma. Her bouts with asthma were so bad that she’d literally move with her six children to Arizona until the season passed. She decided to try putting a drop of Frankincense on the back of her hand and just breathing it in all through the day – and this worked for her, too. [Linda's comment: We have the highest grade of Frankincense available (it rates a 9 on a scale of 1-9) for a fraction of the price this lady paid for their Frankincense.]
9. I’ve benefited from inhalation of Inula and Khella, (Ammi Visnaga) right out of the bottle. Inula blocks the action of histamines, and Khella is an antispasmodic. It helps to clear deep bronchial congestion. Khella masks the output of the mast cells that line the respiratory mucosa, thereby blocking allergic reaction in the nasal mucosa and in the bronchial tubes. There is a mast-cell stabilizing drug called Cromolyn that acts as a bronchodialator and was originally derived from the Khellin plant.
10. I like to use a combination of Plai with Tarragon (or sometimes Rosemary) and Cypress for my asthma. It causes the attacks to greatly diminish in intensity. I believe there is a long-term benefit, because I've had far less attacks and less intense attacks since using this protocol.
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