When you’re sick, you may want to turnt to homeopathic remedies for treatment. If you’re using essential oils at home already, you’re in luck. Many homeopathics recommend using natural oils to treat some of our most common ailments, including the common cold.
A lot of people, old and young, are finding that essential oils can help them feel a bit better, whether they are sick with the common cold, the flu, migraines, upset stomach, or other illnesses.
When to Use Essential Oils
Can you use them when you are sick? Absolutely. It is recommended that you consult with a physician for more serious illnesses before using these oils. Yes, you can consume natural oils but you only need a single drop, as they are made from plant extracts.
The reason that essential oils are commonly used while sick is due to their natural symptom relieving properties. If you are sick, the best way to use essential oils is through a diffuser. A diffuser diffuses the oil into a vapor mist allowing it to be inhaled, giving direct access to quickly heal.
Here are some essential oil recipes for common illnesses:
Essential Oil Recipes
For Cold & Flu:
Recipe #1
4 drops eucalyptus
2 drops peppermint
5 drops frankincense
Recipe #2
3 drops lemon
3 drops scotch pine
1 drop peppermint
3 drops lavender
Uses for Essential Oils
For Nausea:
Ginger oil is commonly used for digestive issues and nausea. A more concentrated form of peppermint oil can help fight off nausea. Many people use fennel seed oil to ease digestion and treat nausea.
For Headaches:
Do you spend too much time slumped over your keyboard? You may be having a tension headache. Peppermint can help relieve your tension headache. Choose lavender or citrus for the stress headache caused by your financial, work, parenting or life stressors. That migraine headache that won’t seem to ease may be relieved with some lavender oil.
Geranium oil can ease the pain for people who experience a hormonal headache with the dip in estrogen. Apply diluted oil directly to your abdomen or add it to a warm bath.
If you are not a water drinker and frequently find yourself getting a dehydration headache, the use of orange oil or peppermint oil can help decrease the pain. Chamomile can help with headaches that have no known cause.
If you don’t have a full variety of essential oils on hand, these single oils can help to open airways, minimize your coughs, decrease sinus pressure, and clear out the ever annoying mucus.
Additional Uses
- Eucalyptus is well known for antibacterial properties.
- Peppermint can open the airways and make it a little easier to breathe.
- Lemon helps to fight off the bacteria that causes the common cold.
- Lavender can alleviate that congestion and coughing associated with the cold.
How to Use Essential Oils
If you are currently sick and looking for some immediate relief without a doctor visit, over-the-counter drugs, or a prescription, these oils are definitely worth the shot to ease some of those pesky cold & flu symptoms.
You can use these oils in many different ways. You can use diffusers, which is the most common and will gradually release the oils into the air. Steam inhalation is the next most common form of consumption, which allows for direct inhalation of the essential oils. Mix a few oil drops into a bowl of hot water, place a towel in the mixture, place it around your nose and mouth, and then inhale.
Topical applications are applied directly to the skin, but must be diluted and should only be a small percentage of the mixture. If you are going to apply an oil directly to your skin, you should use a carrier oil. Examples of carrier oils are jojoba oil, coconut oil, or almond oil. They are used to “carry” the oil to the skin and dilute essential oils. These oils can be very potent as they are extracted directly from the plant and can cause irritation.
Try Essential Oils Today
Essential oils can help to prevent you from getting sick. You can directly apply the oils to your skin, cook with these oils, or add drops to your food.
You should remember that some people with allergies may have a reaction to certain types of oils. Always use these oils with care and monitoring to verify that there is no adverse reaction to using these oils, even when you are healthy.
Essential oils are a great way to relieve common illness symptoms through multiple methods. As it is a homeopathic and aromatherapy treatment you do not need a prescription. You should consult with a physician for more serious illnesses and symptoms. Having a supply of essential oils can help you and your family avoid uncomfortable illness symptoms.