Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has become a popular alternative treatment option for people suffering from a variety of health conditions. During aromatherapy treatment, essential oils (extracted form plants) are used to help people suffering from anxiety, insomnia, and pain. Aromatherapy is also a popular treatment option for people in Utah experiencing ear infections and sinus infections. Douglas Anderson, MD offers patients aromatherapy options to ease negative symptoms affecting the ears, nose, and throat.

What is an Essential Oil?

An essential oil is extracted from various parts of different plants such as the seeds, bark, stems, roots, or flowers, and then distilled. The essential oil has the characteristic aroma of its plant, and depending on the type, offers unique health benefits.

How Aromatherapy is Administered

There are a variety of options when it comes to how aromatherapy is administered including:

• Indirect inhalation: For this method, the patient breathes in essential oils through the use of a room diffuser or placing drops of the oil nearby, on a pillow or on a cotton ball on a nightstand, for example.
   
• Direct inhalation: During direct inhalation, a patient breathes in the essential oils using an individual inhaler, which has drops of an essential oil floating on the top of hot water. This method is often used to treat sinus headaches.
   
• Topical application: To dilute the essential oil and make it safe for topical application, it can be mixed with a carrier oil, such as olive oil or shea butter, bath salts, or lotions, and then massaged directly into the skin.
   

Types of Essential Oils for Infections

To ease the uncomfortable symptoms of ear infections and sinus infections, your doctor may recommend using one of the following essential oils in your aromatherapy treatment.

• Chamomile and Lavender
• Tea Tree
• Eucalyptus and Peppermint

Each oil has unique benefits including reducing the pain of an infection, stopping the spread of an infection, killing an infection through antiseptic properties, and breaking up congestion of the sinuses and ears.

Are you interested in alternative treatment methods for your ear infection or sinus infection? To learn more about aromatherapy, reach out to Douglas Anderson, MD to schedule your appointment at his Ogden office.

To learn more about aromatherapy at Ogden contact Dr. Douglas Anderson's Utah Allergist office to schedule an appointment.