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Asthma
Asthma is characterised by persistent spasm, constriction and inflammation of the bronchial airways with accompanying over-secretion of mucous. The main causes of asthma include allergies (atopic asthma) due to a reaction to dust, pets, molds, smoking, feathers etc, or infection (intrinsic asthma) due to exercise, cold air, and certain drug side-effects (beta blockers, aspirin) (National Asthma Campaign - no date). The constriction of the bronchilal tubes can be relived quickly by inhaled bronchodilators which cause the muscle of the respiratory tract to relax, but this does not address the underlying causes which are usually allergic or infection-based. Asthma sufferers can use "preventers" (inhaled corticosteroids) as well as "relievers" (bronchodilators) in combination to help control their symptoms, and nowadays, there is much emphasis on patients managing their own asthma, recognising triggers and signs, and self-adjusting their medication as necessary.
The quickest and most direct route of any essential oil into the body is via the respiratory tract. This makes treatment by inhalation the most effective way to address asthma and other respiratory problems. In order to select the appropriate oils, one needs to understand the pathology of an asthmatic attack and how it affects the respiratory passages.
Methods of inhalation
 | Steam: adding essential oils to hot water, the client breathing the vapours. |
CAUTION: care must be taken not to get expectorant or mucloytic vapours in the eyes due to their mucous-irritating effect.
| Vaporisers |
| Inhalation from a handkerchief when needed. |
| Drops added to the pillow or bed clothes at night. |
CAUTION: Sufferers from allergy-induced asthma may also experience similar antagonistic reaction from the inhalation of essential oils. For safe and effective treatment, essential oils must be introduced gradually into a treatment regime, with access to conventional medication to relieve any adverse reaction.
Essential oils containing menthol and camphene have been found to be effective in reducing bronchospasm, one of the distressing symptoms of an asthmatic attack (Schafer et al. 1981, p86). Price et al. 1999, (p79) also suggests that oils high in carvone, thujone and pinocamphone are also effective by being mucolytic.
Anti-inflammatory agents : include chamazulene and (-)-a-bisabolol found in the chamomile oils (Weiss 1988, p24).
General anti-inflammatory properties (listed by Price et al. 1999, (p354 - 357) include Achillea millefolium (yarrow), Boswellia carteri (frankincense), Chamaemelum (nobile and recutita) Roman and german chamomile), Citrus aurantium (neroli), Citrus limon (lemon), Commophora myrrha (myrrh), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), Eucalyptus citriodora and globulus (lemon-scented and blue-gum), Eucalyptus radiata (narrow-leaved peppermint), Foeniculum vulgare (sweet fennel), Helychrysum angustifolium (everlasting), Hyssop officinalis (hyssop), Juniperis communis (juniper twig), Lavendula angustifolia (lavender), Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree), M. viridiflora (niaouli), Melissa officinalis (melissa), Mentha piperita (peppermint), Ocimum basilicum (basil), Ormenis mixta (moroccan chamomile), Pelargonium graveolens (geranium), Pinus sylvestris (scots pine), Pogostemon patchouli (patchouli), Ravensara aromatica (ravensara), Rosa centifolia (rose otto), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), Syzgium aromaticum (clove bud), Thymus satureioides (moroccan thyme), Thymus vulgarus (sweet thyme).
High in 1,8-cineole : anticatarral, mucolytic, expectorant, antifungal and antibacterial properties) Rosemarinus officinalis
Expectorant : Eucalyptus globulus, Pimpinella anisum (aniseed), Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce (sweet fennel), Pinus sylvestris (pine) and Pinus mugo var. pumilo, Thymus vulgaris ct. phenol (thyme) and Thymus serpyllum.
Mucolytic with muscle relaxing properties : Rosemarinus officinalis ct. camphor.
Friar's balsam : A tincture made from benzoin which acts as an expectorant (Bartram 1995, p191). Most effectively used at 1% in hot water as a steam inhalant to complement conventional inhalant devices.
In addition to the above, Tisserand (1999, p297) suggest using benzoin, cypress, eucalyptus (unspecifies), hyssop, lavender (unspecified), marjoram, and melissa; Price (1998, p268) particularly recommends aniseed, chamomile (roman), eucalyptus (unspecified), and pine, then cajeput, dill, frankincense, lavender (unspecified), lemon, mandarin, niaouli, rose otto, sage and sweet thyme; Lawless (1999, p200-1) suggests frankincense, lavender (spike and true), peppermint, spearmint, spanish and clary sage as being the most effective, then lemon balm, canadian balsam, benzoin, cajeput, clove bud, costus, cypress, eucalyptus (blue gum, yellow and peppermint) , everlasting, hops, hyssop, lavendin, lemon, lime, sweet marjoram, myrrh, myrtle, niaouli, pine (longleaf and scotch), cabbage and damask rose, rosemary, spruce, tea tree and thyme (unspecified).
Jane Ellwood September 2000
References