The number of individuals dealing with anxiety is on the rise, and this mental issue should no longer be ignored. We deal with headaches every day! Lavender oil is the only similarity between these two. It can be used to treat both conditions, and unlike conventional medication, lavender oil is safe and efficient.
There are so many ways to use lavender oil to relieve anxiety and headache, but lavender oil is the best of them all.
Lavender oil
Add some lavender oil to your lemonade to use the most of its benefits. Lavender is a healing herb that soothes and optimizes senses. You can use lavender essential oil or flowers – they both work great.
Lavender essential oil is one of the most powerful oils when it comes to improving health and general well-being. It is gentle and efficient at the same time. Make sure you have some of it at home.
Health benefits
Lavender essential oil has a complex structure comprised of 150 active compounds. That’s what makes it so effective in the treatment of numerous ailments. Here are some of the effects lavender oil provides when used regularly:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-fungal
- Antidepressant
- Antiseptic
- Antibacterial
- Antimicrobial
- Antispasmodic
- Analgesic
- Detoxifying
- Hypotensive
- Sedative
According to a group of researchers in Florida, lavender essential oil aids in the treatment of anxiety and lowers pulse rates in students ahead of tests. In hospitals, lavender aromatherapy lowers pre-surgery stress and works even better than your regular massage or nap.
Many use this oil for its healing properties. Lavender essential oil is of great help for those suffering from depression, insomnia and labor pain. It is also used as a remedy for headache, hangover, sinus congestion and pain.
“Much prior research on lavender has focused on the administration of lavender via an olfactory route,” experts explain. “The anxiolytic activity of lavender olfaction has been demonstrated in several small and medium-sized clinical trials. The efficacy of aromatherapy of lavender is thought to be due to the psychological effects of the fragrance combined with physiological effects of volatile oils in the limbic system.
These calming effects of lavender oil and single constituents may be the origin of the traditional use of lavender. Lavender oil olfaction has been shown to decrease anxiety, as measured by the Hamilton rating scale,51 and can increase mood scores.”
Clinical trials on lavender aromatherapy
- Dunn and colleagues gave subjects in intensive care units one session of aromatherapy using 1% lavender essential oil in order to demonstrate the anxiolytic activity of the oil. The first treatment showed good results, but that was not the case in the 2nd and 3rd treatment.
- Alaoui-Ismaili and colleagues confirm that the pleasant aroma of lavender can trigger changes in the autonomic nervous system.
- Tysoe and colleagues did a study to prove the effect of lavender on staf mood and stress in hospitals. Lavender oil burners improved the working environment as confirmed by 85% of the respondents.
- Diego and colleagues found that 3-minute lavender oil (10%) olfaction relaxed people, decreased their anxiety, improved mood, boosted their score of alpha power on EEG, and improved their speed of mathematical calculation.
- Lewith and colleagues observed the effect of lavender aromatherapy on depression and anxiety in women treated with chronic hemodialysis. This effect was measured with the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) and the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAMA). Lavender aromatherapy decreased the mean scores of HAMA, offering an effective noninvasive method for the treatment of anxiety in patients scheduled for hemodialysis.
- Lavender aromatherapy relieves pain and reduces the use of analgesics in adults and children.
Lavender lemonade
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw honey
- 5 cups filtered water
- ¼ cup dried lavender (organic, culinary)
- 6 lemons, peeled and juiced
Preparation:
Bring half of the water to a boil, and remove the pot from the heat. Add your lavender flowers. Steep for 20 minutes, and let it cool at room temperature. Strain and sweeten with honey. Add lemon juice and the rest of the water. Stir again and keep it in your fridge.
Other uses of lavender in the treatment of anxiety and headache
– Add 5-6 drops of lavender essential oil to your bath if your skin is dry
– Diffuse 10-12 drops of the oil throughout the day to reduce stress
– Add 2 drops of lavender oil per ounce of your favorite unrefined organic oil (almond, olive, etc.) to make your very own nourishing body oil and improve your skin complexion, relax your mind, repel insects and sleep well at night
Source: www.healthy-holistic-living.com