Essential Oils & Asthma

There are 2 areas to discuss here:

• 1      General precautions for using all essential oils for someone with asthma or wheezing.
• 2      Specific oils and methods to assist in opening the lungs for someone with asthma or wheezing.

General Precautions for Using All Essential Oils for Someone with Asthma or Wheezing

Strong smells can sometimes be a trigger for wheezing or asthma.  Because of this it’s very important to always test for sensitivity first.  Guidelines:

1.       I strongly suggest using a high quality organic oil.  Perfumes, chemicals, and adulterants commonly added to low quality essential oils are of concern to triggering an attack.
   
2.         Place 1 drop of essential oil on a tissue and have the person gently smell it.  If they get any reaction to it, don’t use it.  Once a reaction has started, you may need to wait 30-60 minutes before trying another oil.  If there is no reaction go to step #3.
   
3.       Always start at a very light dosage so their body can gently get used to the oil and be comfortable with not having any reaction to it.  The best places to apply an essential oil topically are on the ankles and wrists – always diluted into carrier oil.  If there is any reaction, stop using it.  If there is no reaction continue to step #4.
   
4.         If both smelling a drop of the oil and using it on ankles and wrists is totally fine the essential oil should be fine to use in a diluted blend for back massage or a very light blend for full body massage.  The oil should also be fine diffused into the air for short periods of time (like 5-10 minutes).

What about children?

Essential oils can be of great value when used appropriately for someone experiencing asthma in their life, including children over the age of 7.  I’m hesitant to recommend this for smaller children less than 7 years old because the essential oils might be too strong for them, which could create even more constriction in the lungs trying to keep them out. 

If you do have a child under 7, try placing 1 drop of essential oil on a tissue or cotton ball and leaving it near them for 20-30 minutes.  Watch for any adverse reaction and remove it immediately.  If the child relaxes and breaths easier, it is fine to use this 1 drop method about every 1-2 hours as needed.

5 Best essential oils to use:

You’ll notice that Khella, Blue Tansy, Inula, and Grindelia are heavy, strong oils.  Because of this you only use a very small amount.  These first 4 oils all combine beautifully with Hyssop decumbens, however they are too heavy to combine well with each other.

Khella, Ammi visnaga. 

Blue Tansy, Tannacetum annuum

Inula, Inula graveolens.

Grindelia, Grindelia squarrosa is a nice choice, especially if any coughing is involved. This is the plant that the main western medication for whooping cough is made from.  Its effect on the lungs is very direct.

Hyssop, Decumbens variety.  Note that Hyssop Officinalis (non-decumbens variety) does have mild toxic properties and should only be used by an experienced aromatherapist.  The decumbens variety is not toxic and is safe to use with children.  This oil works best in combination with one of the above 4 oils.

Essential Oil Nebulizer

How to use them:

NEBULIZER: The best method is using an essential oil nebulizer. These are usually a little on the pricey side (I’ve seen them anywhere from $75 - $400) however they are worth it when you need something strong and fast.  Place 6-10 drops of the essential oil(s) above in the nebulizer, turn on for short periods of time, refresh the oil(s) as needed.

You must watch to see when the person starts to relax and breathe easier.  Once this happens, you can turn the nebulizer off.

·         For children, usually 5-10 minutes is long enough.

·         For adults, 5-20 minutes should work great.

Use the nebulizer as needed, usually once every 1-2 hours at the most.

COTTON BALL: You can also place 1-3 drops of oil(s) on a cotton ball and place it near the person.  This works great for small children or even adults to improve sleep.  It’s especially nice if you either can’t be concerned with needing to unplug the nebulizer, or if there are other people/animals in the area that are bothered by the essential oils.

TOPICALLY: Generally, the air diffusion method is preferred, however applying a well diluted blend to the sternum (chest bone) can be used.  Be sure to watch for signs that it is too strong, as the essential oils are heavy and lingering. 

A small diluted amount can also be worked into any or several of the following acupressure points:  Lung 1, Lung 2, Lung 6, Lung 7, Lung 9, Pericardium 6, Conception Vessel 13, Stomach 36, Bladder 13, Bladder 14, Bladder 23.  Acupressure combined with the Nebulizer is very effective.

What to expect:

When you have the right oil(s) that the person responds really well to, you should notice a very quick improvement in breathing and overall relaxation. This will often be 30 seconds up to 2-5 minutes.  This naturally allows the person to rest quietly and comfortably so their body can kick in its own healing resources.

If for any reason symptoms worsen, immediately remove the essential oils from the area and provide fresh air.

What if symptoms don’t improve?

If symptoms do not improve or worsen, see your Medical Doctor.  When the lungs are constricted to the point that oxygen absorption is not adequate, this is a very serious condition.  There are conventional treatments that are fast and highly effective.  It’s much better to use them and accept side effects, if any, than not to when the situation warrants it.

Additional Therapies: Chinese medicine works with the whole person.  There are excellent methods of identifying the underlying cause, often damp or phlegm related, and working to re-balance the body so the interior environment is no longer conducive to the symptoms.  Acupuncture is highly recommended, and there are also specific QiGong exercises that internally massage and strengthen the lungs.

Learn tons of great information from my On-Line Essential Oils Course series. You can study here at our school in Alaska from anywhere in the world!

Massage & TCM for Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung disease which makes lungs have inflamed and narrowed passageways. It can also be life threatening. According to Western medicine, Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. Recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing are caused by it. Usually the coughing is worse in the evenings and/or early morning. Asthma can affect people of all ages, but most often begins in childhood. There are over 25 million people affected by asthma in the United States with 7 million of them being children. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed with diet, exercise and avoiding the factors that trigger symptoms.

Genetics, allergies, respiratory infections, as well as environmental are all factors that play a role in the development of asthma. People can be born with asthma. If a parent has it, their children are likely to develop it as well. Certain respiratory infections in young children (and in utero) can cause long-term damage to the lungs and result in asthma. Because the immune system is just developing, children are more susceptible to the role the environment plays with asthma as well. Asthma can develop from contact with allergens, irritants, and exposure to viral infections.

Asthma is diagnosed by the doctor asking for a complete history on symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, periods of chest tightness, colds that took more than 10 days to get over, as well as asking about family history and what things seem to trigger the symptoms or make them worse. The doctor will listen to the lungs and also do a test called Spirometry which checks the airways. This test measures how much air and how fast air can be blown out of the lungs after taking a deep breath. The results of the test will be lower than normal if the lungs are inflamed and narrowed or if the muscles in the lungs are tight after the test is completed. Medicine may be given during the test to see if lung function improves.

When a person with normal functioning lungs breathes, the airways are unrestricted and open. There is nothing irritating them, so the air is able to flow freely. A person with asthma has more difficulty breathing because the airways are swollen and sensitive. When a trigger is exposed (such as animal dander, cigarette smoke, colder weather, dust, chemicals, etc), the airway reacts and the muscles around them tighten. This narrows the airway and causes less air to flow into the lungs. The swelling can get worse, making it even harder to breathe. The airways then fill with mucus and air cannot leave the lungs.

A person may experience breathlessness, coughing, chest tightness and wheezing as they are trying to force air out of the lungs. Medicines that can provide short term emergency relief are called bronchodilator inhalers - such as Albuterol or Ventolin. A bronchodilator is a substance that dilates the bronchi and bronchioles which decreases the resistance in the airways and increases airflow to the lungs. This is only short term relief. Long term relief will come in the form of medicines such as corticosteroids, which reduce the swelling of the airways and makes asthma attacks less likely to occur.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, asthma is called “"xiao chuan", which means wheezing and difficulty breathing. They are both two different symptoms and have two different treatments. It is believed to be caused by deficiencies in the lungs, spleen and kidney from birth or from living an unhealthy lifestyle along. In someone with a family history of asthma there is more kidney organ weakness. With others that have a diagnosis of asthma, they also have digestion problems which can include ear infections, upper respiratory infections and asthma.

The production and storage of phlegm in the lungs is from stagnation of water circulation, which is caused by the imbalance of yin and yang in the lungs, spleen and/or kidneys. Excess phlegm in the lungs is the main cause for asthma attacks. Diet, emotional disturbances, illness, external pathogenic factors (such as cigarette smoke, pollen, etc) as well as heat and cold can be triggers for an asthma attack as well.

There are four patterns of asthma. They are cold type, hot type, lung & spleen Qi deficiency type, and kidney deficiency type.

1.      Cold Type – A feeling of fullness in the chest, watery thin sputum, shortness of breath, not thirsty.

2.      Hot Type – Wheezing, coughing, thick yellow sputum, redness of face, thirsty.

Treatments for these are the use of herbs taken orally, food therapy (specific recipes that are eaten for each type of pattern), auriculotherapy, cupping and acupuncture, with the preferred points being LU-5 through LU-9 for asthma treatments. Intense exercise is not recommended as exercise should be performed at a slower pace, such as with Tai-Chi and Qi-Gong.

Massage is also very beneficial to asthmatics, since it increases pulmonary function. It is contraindicated when the client is experiencing symptoms of an asthma attack.

Good asthma control can prevent chronic and troublesome symptoms, reduce the need for quick relief medicines, help maintain good lung function, maintain a normal activity level, and prevent serious asthma attacks. Avoiding triggers or anything that can worsen asthma is important. Knowing the normal range for peak flow meter readings (a device that shows how well the air is moving out of a person’s lungs) and recording them, is also helpful. Doing these activities along with a healthy diet, can help people with asthma live normal, active, healthy lives.

Food Therapy – Recipes

Ginger Rice Soup: (Cold Type Asthma)
Fresh ginger: 9 grams Cut into very small pieces.
Apricot kernel:  6
Sweet rice: 50 grams
Cook sweet rice and apricot kernels together in water at low temperature; when the rice is very soft, the soup is done. Add ginger to the boiling soup before serving.
Take as breakfast and part of dinner.

Single herbal tea: (Hot Type Asthma)
Kuan dong hua (Coltsfoot Flower) or Kuan dong ye (leaves): one teaspoon –Boil in one cup of water for 30 minutes. Add a little honey to taste.
Niu xin cao: (Cyathula Officinalis):  mix one teaspoon with one cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.  Drink as tea with honey.

White Fungus Mushroom Soup: (Asthma w/Lung & Spleen Deficiency)
White fungus mushroom: soak in warm water for 30 minutes, then tear it into small pieces
Rock sugar: 60 grams
Chicken egg: one (egg white only)
First, cook the mushroom and sugar in water until the mushroom is soft, then filter the mushroom out while the soup is still boiling. Gradually add the egg white into the soup, stirring the soup at the same time. Then serve.

Sources

National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/treatment.html

 American Lung Association - http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/asthma/learning-more-about-asthma/

 Acufinder – https://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Treatment+of+Asthma+with+Herbs+and+Acupuncture

 TCM Treatment –  http://www.tcmtreatment.com/images/diseases/bronchial-asthma.htm

 Yang Shen - http://yang-sheng.com/?p=7575