Contents:
- Medical Video: Dangers of Essential Oils: Top 10 Essential Oil Mistakes to Avoid | Dr. Josh Axe
- Although natural, it does not mean aromatherapy must be safe
- Aromatherapy side effects that may occur
- 1. Poisoning in children if swallowed
- 2. Make the skin more sunburned
- 3. Skin irritation
- 4. Increases the risk of heart disease
- 5. Asthma
Medical Video: Dangers of Essential Oils: Top 10 Essential Oil Mistakes to Avoid | Dr. Josh Axe
Aromatherapy has been widely recognized for its efficacy, especially to relieve stress and even restore mood. Regardless of the benefits for the body, the use of aromatherapy turns out to save bad effects that can harm your health if used incorrectly. Read on to find out about the side effects of aromatherapy.
Although natural, it does not mean aromatherapy must be safe
Many studies support benefits essential oil or essential oils and show that these oils have positive effects such as reducing pain, anxiety, increased memory and more.
However, according to Brent A. Bauer, MD, internal medicine doctor and the director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program says if used incorrectly, there are dangerous consequences of essential oils.Because, as healthy as any substance, in addition to beneficial effects, of course there are negative effects that can be caused. That is why, whether it's medicine, herbs, or essential oils, all must be used according to the rules.
Aromatherapy side effects that may occur
Here are some of the aromatherapy side effects that you should watch out for:
1. Poisoning in children if swallowed
There are many essential oils that should never be used in aromatherapy because they are potentially toxic. The reason is, some essential oils are very concentrated and have varying degrees of toxicity if not used properly. In fact, some aromatic plant oils, including essential oils can be toxic when swallowed.
Based on existing data, there have been many cases of children poisoning from ingesting essential oils. Therefore, for parents who use aromatherapy oil, store the oil well and keep it out of reach of children.
2. Make the skin more sunburned
Some essential oils used in aromatherapy increase the sensitivity of the skin to direct sun exposure in a long time. You should not use aromatherapy oils such as angelica, bergamot, cumin, lemon or orange roots on parts of the body that are often exposed to sunlight. The reason is, your skin will be more susceptible to sunburn.
In addition, some substances in essential oils may be more risky for pregnant women. That is why, if you are pregnant and want to use aromatherapy, you should first consult your doctor to avoid side effects.
3. Skin irritation
One of the most common side effects of aromatherapy is skin irritation or allergic reactions. This will cause the appearance of a rash, itching and a hot sensation. But this skin irritation can vary depending on how sensitive someone's skin is. Therefore, you must test before using more oil on your skin.
How, apply a little aromatherapy oil on the skin to see the reaction caused. If after applying reddish, itchy, and burning sensation on the skin, you should stop using topical aromatherapy.
4. Increases the risk of heart disease
Aromatherapy essential oil vapors can indeed reduce stress, but according to a study published by The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, this could endanger your health.
The study involving 100 spa workers in Taipei, asked participants to breathe aromatherapy while monitoring their blood pressure and heart rate. The result, found an increase in blood pressure and heart rate in participants after they inhaled aromatherapy for 2 hours. This proves that taking too long to aromatherapy can increase the risk of damage to your heart slowly.
5. Asthma
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC), a volatile organic material from the form of liquid contained in aromatherapy, will have an impact on increasing the risk of inflammation in the body, disrupting the function of the nervous system and can cause respiratory tract allergic reactions. Therefore, you who suffer from asthma and are prone to nose bleeding or called nose bleeds, must be careful to use it.
