Anxiety and headaches are very common conditions worldwide. However that’s no surprise at all, due to the fast pace of life we’re going through each day. A simple prescription from your doctor can help you purchase aspirin, pills or anxiety medications, but is this the healthiest method to deal with anxiety and headaches?
Aren’t you worried that taking such medications on regular basis can cause other medical problems in the future? I am. That’s why I’d suggest you to opt for the alternative medicine and try using lavender in order to relive headaches and anxiety.
Lavender Oil
Lavender is an amazing aromatic herb which is very effective in calming your senses. Add some lavender into your lemonade and take advantage of all the incredible medical benefits the lavender offers.
Whether you’ll choose the oil of lavender or the flower depends on your health and well-being.
Health Benefits of Lavender Oil
Due to its complex structure of over 150 active components, it’s no surprise that lavender oil is helpful in so many medical conditions and diseases.
The lavender oil posses the following benefits:
- Antispasmodic
- Antiseptic
- Analgesic
- Anti-fungal
- Antidepressant
- Hypotensive
- Antimicrobial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Detoxifier
- Antibacterial
- Sedative benefits
According to Florida researchers, who have tested the benefits of lavender oil to nursing students taking stressful tests, lavender oil was helpful in reducing anxiety and slowing down the pulse rates.
Lavender oil was proven beneficial in the hospitals as well, because lavender aromatherapy reduces pre-surgery distress. It was shown that therapy with lavender oil is more relaxing than resting or even massage.
There are many medicinal properties which the lavender oil can offer too. Lavender oil is useful in reducing depression, improving insomnia and easing labor pain. It’s also useful for those who suffer from often headaches, sinus congestion, chronic pain, and in relieving hangovers.
Many recent clinical trials have shown that the use of lavender oil is in fact really helpful in reducing anxiety and improving the mood. The lavender oil is so efficient due to the psychological effects of the smell in combination with the psychological effects of essential oils in the limbic system.
Here are Some Examples on Clinical Trials on Lavender Aromatherapy
- Dunn and his colleagues tried an aromatherapy with 1% lavender essential oil in patients in the intensive care units. They’ve noticed convincing anxiolytic effects in the first treatment. However the second and the third treatment were not as effective as the first one.
- According to Alaoui-Ismaili and his colleagues, lavender aromatherapy is very enjoyable in the subjects and it’s connected with changes in the autonomic nervous system.
- A study conducted by Tysoe and his colleagues, has shown that lavender oil burners have an enormous impact on the mood. The study was conducted on hospital staff and the majority of respondents (85 %) thought that lavender aromatherapy improved the working environment.
- According to Diego and his colleagues, those people who were receiving lavender oil olfaction for three minutes were much more relaxed, their anxiety level was decreased, they were in a better mood, they were better and quicker in mathematical calculations and their scores of alpha power on EEG (an indicator of alertness) were also increased.
- The effects of lavender aromatherapy on anxiety and depression in females who were being treated with chronic hemodialysis, was investigated by Lewith and his colleagues. The effects were measured according to the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) and the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAMA). The lavender aromatherapy decreased the bad scores of HAMA, thus offering noninvasive and yet effective methods for treatment of anxiety in patients undergoing hemodialysis.
- Although more clinical trials are needed, this one shows that the use of lavender aromatherapy, in massages or not, will reduce the pain and the need of using conventional analgesics in both children and adults.
DIY Lavender Lemonade
Ingredients
- 5 cups of water
- 1 cup of raw honey
- 6 peeled and juiced lemons
- Lavender springs to use as garnish
- ¼ cup of dried organic culinary lavender or a drop of lavender essential oil
How to Prepare the Lemonade
- First pour ½ of the water in a pan, heat it until it boils and then remove it from the heat.
- Next add the honey and the dried lavender. Let it steep for around 20 minutes.
- After that, strain the mixture and pour it in a bigger container.
- Then, add the other ½ of water and the lemon juice and stir well.
- Put the lemonade in the refrigerator to cool.
And finally, pour some lemonade in a glass and enjoy.
A Few More Ways to Use Lavender in Dealing with Anxiety and Headaches
- If you’ve got dry skin, add 5 to 6 drops of Lavender essential oil to your bath.
- Have a pleasant and stress free work environment just by diffusing 10 to 12 drops of Lavender into the air.
- Improve the benefits of almond or olive oil by adding 2 drops of Lavender oil per ounce, and enjoy the benefits of lavender for better skin, more relaxed mind and sounder sleep.
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A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.