Asthma is a chronic condition that affects more than 20 million Americans, with approximately nine million of those individuals being children. Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics also show that more women have asthma than men, though among children, asthma sufferers are boys. The condition affects the airways in the lungs. A person that has asthma can be very sensitive to allergens and irritants such as perfumes, cold air, pet dander and cigarette smoke. When the inner walls of the airways are swollen and susceptible to allergen conditions, the irritations make the airways contract, making the air passages narrower. This makes breathing more difficult, causing an asthma attack.
Though there are treatment options available, many people seek holistic, natural approaches to combating asthma and its debilitating attacks on the body. Essential oil therapy is a useful component to add to your already existing routine in order to help make symptoms and attacks easier to manage, reducing the time of its presence.
According to a study conducted at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a key to preventing asthma may be contained in lemons. The findings were published in the journal Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry in which it was discovered that inhalation of the chemical component limonene, which comprises 90% of lemon and other citrus essential oils, prevented asthma symptoms in animals.
The experiment exposed animals with induced asthma-like symptoms to limonene over the course of several days. The lung function of these animals showed that inhalation of essential oils containing limonene prevented asthmatic symptoms. Pathological evidence also suggests that the effect of limonene on lung function during times of asthmatic symptoms promoted an anti-inflammatory outcome.
In other promising studies, essential oils such as Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) and Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) were proven to have strong antispasmodic, expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties. When combined together as a synergy blend, the therapeutic effects of these essential oils can help alleviate the onset of asthma related symptoms in a shorter period of time. Because asthma attacks and its related symptoms can be life threating, it is in the individual’s best interest to consult a healthcare practitioner before adding essential oil therapy to your asthma regiment.