Is Your Schnoz Being A Schmuck? Make It Behave Itself With Essential Oils For A Stuffy Nose!

by Olivia Leave a Comment

Despite playing an important role in the respiratory process, the nose rarely gets the credit it deserves. A true, unsung hero, it slogs all through the day and even when you are slumbering. In terms of work, it handles everything from aromas to stenches, from oxygen to carbon dioxide and from boogers to bacteria.

Yet, we take a vain view when thinking about the organ and only rant about its looks. I’d go so far to say that with the humble schnozzle, it is a classic case of – You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone! But you are forced to pay attention to your nose once it shuts shop.

Why you wonder when we have a larger orifice to breathe through?

Well, even though your snout cannot hold a candle to your trap in terms of size, the truth is that your mouth was never designed for breathing. Simply put, it was always just the spare.

I mean those nostrils seem puny in comparison to your mouth but they are tiny filters and humidifiers, which means breathing through the nose is really the best thing to do. But, what happens when your schnozzle is held hostage by a plug of snot?

Well, you just need to give it some TLC and the “T” in that stands for both tough love and tender love and if you don’t know how to combine tough with tender that is what good ol’ Olivia is here for.

Hi there folks, I am happy to have you onboard for another adventure through the world of essential oils.

I am your captain and today we are going to navigate our way through all those vexing nose troubles. You wanted it, and you shall have it – Olivia’s Ultimate Guide to Using Essential Oils to Treat a Stuffy Nose.

But before I show you how to release your nose from the clutches of the snot monster, let us talk about how and why your schnoz lands itself in trouble.

Why Do I Have A Stuffy Nose? It’s Not Like I Shove Dirt And Debris Up Those Nostrils!

For most people, it is hard to understand how an organ that exclusively handles air can get all clogged up. Blame it on the snot!

Remember the part about your nose playing the role of a humidifier, from where do you think that humidity comes? Yessiree, it comes courtesy of the slimy, yucky stuff that we derisively dismiss as snot.

Together with your sinuses, your nose produces between 0.5-1 liter of snot each day. What becomes of all that mucus?

It is first channeled to the nasal cavity and from there the tiny hair inside your nostrils push it towards the passage that connects your nose to your throat. From the throat, the snot makes its way into your tummy.

I know guys that is one hell of a yucky mental image, but here is the deal – You need the snot to keep your respiratory organs, including your nose and throat in top shape. So, we just have to shut up and continue swallowing the mucus as we have been doing since the very day we were born.

Normally, this whole system is perfectly tuned. So, the supply and demand are in near equilibrium. The problem starts when a spanner comes flying in the works, like an allergen or a microorganism (bacteria, fungus or virus).

In both cases, your immune system immediately gets involved and releases histamines. Call this the clean-out chemical of your body because it will make your organs do whatever is required to push the intruders out.

In case of the nose, this involves the itchy feel that leads to incessant bouts of sneezing and hyper production of mucus. All that sneezing irritates the lining of your nostrils, which causes inflammation.

Then your body brings in the heavy artillery in the form of white blood cells. Your body’s defenders launch a serious attack on the outsiders. Sometimes this kills the enemy and sometimes it does not, but it always causes collateral damage in the form of more inflammation.

In the midst of the mayhem, the mucus lining continues to produce snot like there is no tomorrow. But with the channels that control the flow of the snot all blocked, the fluid has nowhere to go.

It thickens and clogs up the nasal cavity and that is how you end up with a nose that is more stuffed than any Thanksgiving turkey ever.

In itself, a stuffy nose is not a condition but a symptom. Usually, the underlying health issue is the inflammation or the swelling of the mucosal lining and a simultaneous increase in mucus secretion.

Medically, the condition is known as rhinitis and it is the leading cause of a stuffy nose. However, nasal congestion can also be attributed to other conditions, more on that coming up in a bit.

You and all those around you will know you have a stuffy nose!

It is not every day that your attempt to inhale sounds like you are trying to start a rickety car that just does not yield to your ministrations or that you go about sniffling like a toddler or that your red nose is ready to put ol’ Rudolph out of business.

Really, a stuffy nose is as unmistakable as a clogged drain. So, we don’t really have to discuss what a stuffy nose feels like because most of us have firsthand experience with this problem.

However, what does deserve attention are the other symptoms that typically come along with the stuffy nose.

These point to the cause of the problem. So, they help you in devising a treatment strategy. The symptoms you experience along with nasal congestion will also offer an indication of just how serious the problem is and if there is a risk of complications.

Usually, you will experience one or more of these symptoms with a stuffy nose:

Runny nose
Sneezing
Headache
Itchiness in the nose and throat
Itchy eyes
Red and watery eyes
Difficulty breathing
Sinus pain
Cough
Fever
Breathing trouble
Sudden and loud snoring
Pain behind the eyes, cheeks and forehead
Sore throat
Fatigue
Feeling of malaise
Thick and green/yellow mucus discharge

Now, let me tell you what these symptoms convey. If blowing your nose covers the tissue with yellow/green and viscous snot, you are dealing with an infection.

But, it could be either bacterial, viral, or in some cases, fungal. If you have an itchy nose and eyes, swelling around the eyes, itching in the throat or ear and watery eyes, the chances are that your problems are attributed to an allergy.

If you have tenderness in the cheeks, the forehead, behind the eyes, your body is probably battling sinusitis. If you have significant phlegm discharge (also viscous and yellow/green) and frequent bouts of coughing, the infection has spread to the lungs.

Fortunately, all of these conditions are treatable and yes, they can easily be managed by using essential oils. But since prevention is always better than cure, we need to know a bit more about the causes of a stuffy nose.

So, What Causes Your Nose To Reach The Unyielding, Obstinate And Stuffed Up Stage?

Infections: Whether the attack is launched by bacteria, fungus or virus, it will put your immune system into hyper drive and cause a stuffy nose along with a headache, and possibly fever. The common cold and the flu are both viral infections that cause all of these symptoms.

However, when you have the flu, you will run a high fever and experience intense fatigue and body pain along with the other symptoms. On the other hand, bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract will lead to coughing and discharge of phlegm along with a runny nose, congestion, headache and more.

Sinusitis: This refers to the inflammation of the mucus lining of the sinus cavities. Again, an infection or an allergy is usually to be blamed for the inflammation. As the lining swells, it blocks the flow of mucus out of the sinuses, which leads to pain, heightened inflammation and eventual infection.

Allergies: While pollen is usually the culprit in allergy attacks, your immune system may react just as violently to the presence of dust mites, flour, wood dust, certain plants, pet hair and dander and other allergens.

Regardless of the irritant, your immune response to it will cause the all too familiar and notorious allergy symptoms such as a stuffy nose, sneezing, nasal and optical itching and others.

Physical blocks: Nasal polyps are abnormal, fleshy growths in the nasal cavity that can hinder the drainage of mucus from the sinuses to the nose and from the nasal cavity into the throat, thus leading to nasal congestion.

Any kind of nasal injury or structural difference leads to a similar effect. For instance, a deviated septum as well as broken nose can cause frequent sinus and nasal congestion.

Medication: Some drugs are known to cause what is called rhinitis medicamentosa, or in simpler words, an inflammation of the mucus lining attributed to a drug reaction.

Beta blockers, certain painkillers and even some decongestants (nasal sprays when used for more than 3 days) are known to cause rhinitis and consequently nasal congestion.

Swollen adenoid glands: Usually these glands shrink by the time you hit adolescence, but if they don’t, their position in the back of the nasal cavity turn them into prime troublemakers. Frequent bouts of nasal congestion and a runny nose are hallmark signs of swollen adenoids.

Medical conditions: Thyroid disorders and an ailment called the Chrug-Strauss syndrome, which involves the inflammation of blood vessels, are also known to cause a stuffy nose.

Hormonal changes: Stress and pregnancy can also be the cause of nasal congestion in some people, as they are responsible for significant hormonal changes in the body.

When Should You See A Doctor About Your Nasal Congestion?

While a stuffy nose and all the annoying symptoms that accompany it are simply immune responses to thwart invaders, you will need to see a doctor if:

The symptoms last for more than a week.
They do not respond to the use of OTC medication and/or natural treatment.
The frequency and intensity of the symptoms increases.
You develop high grade fever.
The nasal and lung congestion make it hard to breathe.
You have blood tinged nasal discharge.
Your phlegm is blood-tinged.

If an infant or a child younger than 2 years has even a slight fever along with nasal congestion, you need to consult your pediatrician at once. Ditto for babies who have nasal congestion and/or a runny nose that is making it hard to nurse them, or is causing breathing difficulties.

How Do Doctors Treat The Infamous Stuffy Nose?

The treatment for a stuffy nose will depend on the underlying cause. Typically, it will include one or more of the following:

Meds to make those blood vessels behave themselves: More blood to the nasal cavity equates to greater mucus discharge. So, doctors often use alpha-adrenergic agonists as the first line of treatment to control excess mucus secretion.

These drugs constrict the blood vessels, essentially reducing the amount of blood available to the mucus lining. Phenylephrine and ozymetazoline are among the more popular drugs in this category.

Both are known to cause side effects like high blood pressure, heart rhythm/rate abnormalities, dizziness, anxiety, gastric upset, sleep problems, and skin rash among others.

OTC painkillers: Despite the fact that influenza (flu) and the common cold are both self-limiting ailments (viral infections that resolve on their own), doctors often prescribe asprin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen to ease the discomfort. The side effects of these OTC formulations are well known.

Meds for allergies: If the nasal congestion is caused by an allergy, decongestants and antihistamines are also used in the treatment plan. Both first and second generation antihistamines have several side effects, including drowsiness, stomach upsets, headache, and others.

Topical decongestants: Those that are sold in the form of OTC nasal sprays cannot be used for more than 3 days because they lead to rebound congestion (rhinitis medicamentosa, as explained above). Oral decongestants can be taken for longer, but speak to your doctor before using them for more than 7 days.

Antibiotics: These are only prescribed if the physician is sure that the infection is caused by a bacteria. Antifungal and antiviral meds can be used for other types of infection, depending on the severity of the symptoms. For a bacterial infection that causes nasal congestion, amoxicillin is the drug of choice and it is only prescribed for acute sinusitis.

Surgeries: No, you won’t have to see the insides of an operating room just because you have an unruly nose. Surgical procedures are only considered if the nasal congestion results from a structural abnormality and that too when all other treatment options have proved futile.

RECOMMENDED NATURAL PRODUCT FOR STUFFY NOSE

Do you want to get relief from a blocked nose from cold, flu, hayfever, etc. You will discover the benefits of using L’orpur Natural Nasal and Sinus Spray to ease nasal congestion and help your blocked nose.

Why Should You Use Essential Oils To Deal With A Stuffy Nose?

These potent plant extracts offer several benefits at once. For instance, the oils can address nasal congestion and the other symptoms, while battling inflammation and the underlying health condition that caused it.

Similarly, the anti-inflammatory and soothing properties of essential oils help to curb the swelling of the mucosa, while their cooling and warming action battles itchiness and irritation.

Above all, some volatile oils are known to have antihistaminic properties. Plus, there are others that boast of immune-regulatory effects. In other words, with essential oils, you can stop your immune system from overreacting without compromising its ability to defend the body.

Moreover, essential oils are the most effective and powerful antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agents available in nature. They not only strengthen your body’s natural defense system but also offer help from the outside in defeating the intruders.

And I still haven’t got to the best part yet! Many essential oils also have impressive expectorant properties, which means they actually melt the snot clog in the nose and the sinuses. I believe that about covers all the symptoms and the causes of a stuffy nose. I can guarantee that you won’t find anything in modern medicine that offers all of that without side effects.

Best 8 Essential Oils For A Stuffy Nose

1. Ravintsara

Distilled from the leaves of the tree that is also used to get camphor crystals, this oil has exceptional mucolytic and expectorant properties that enable it to deal even with stubborn nasal blockages.

2. Peppermint

When it comes to a stuffy nose, the icy coolness of peppermint oil helps to reduce blood flow, which lowers mucus production. Less snot means less debris to clog your nasal passage. Furthermore, the extract has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties that help to prevent and treat infections.

3. Eucalyptus

This warming oil offers all the benefits of peppermint but uses heat to control the inflammation.

4. Rosemary

Along with its mild heating action, rosemary oil brings forth extraordinary abilities to fight infections. Be it is a virus, bacteria or fungus, the strain won’t be able to survive once you put this oil to use.

5. Basil

Long used in the treatment of all types of pulmonary and respiratory disorders, basil can deal with infections, inflammation and the nasal congestion they cause.

6. Niaouli

Distilled from a tree that is related to the famed Melaleuca (tea tree), this oil has the same anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties as its famous cousin but it is gentler on the skin. Furthermore, it also boasts of mucolytic and expectorant powers that melt away mucus plugs in the nose and in the throat.

7. Bay laurel

Another warming oil that offers expectorant properties, this extract too has a longstanding history of use against nasal congestion, cough and cold.

8. Caraway seed

This is one of the few essential oils that have antihistaminic properties, which means you can use it to fight off allergies. The extract has been tested in a clinical setting against allergens and the cascading immune response they trigger.

Apart from these, we will also use lavender and geranium essential oils for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties along with clove, oregano and ginger essential oils for their soothing warmth and their ability to bust through thick mucus blockages.

The 7 Best Essential Oil Recipes For A Stuffy Nose!

1. The jar of relief!

1-2 cups of Himalayan pink salt (depending on jar size)
1 wide mouth mason jar
10 drops each of eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils
5 drops each of basil and lavender essential oils
1 tbsp carrier oil of your choice

Method:

Measure out the salt in a large glass bowl. You will need enough to fill ½ or 2/3^rd of the jar, depending on its size. Your aim should be to leave just enough room on top for you to be able to put your nose inside the jar without it touching the surface of the salt.

Blend the oils in a smaller bowl and add them to the salt a few drops at a time. Mix the salt and the essential oils with a wooden spoon. The idea is to thoroughly coat the salt crystals with the oils.

Transfer the treated salt into a mason jar. Put the jar lid back on and store the container away from direct heat and sunlight. There are two ways to use this “jar of relief”.

Simply stick your nose into the jar and take a deep breath. If the aroma is too strong for you, hold the jar a few inches away from your nose. In time and with repeated use, the aroma will get lighter.
Combine heat, salt and essential oils by placing the jar in a bowl that contains hot water. You don’t need boiling hot neater for this, but the temperature should be high enough to heat the salt. After about 3-4 minutes in the water-bath, take the jar out. Use as instructed above but keep your nose away from the brim of the jar as it may be hot.

In both methods, salt ions and aromatic molecules enter the nasal cavity and offer their healing and anti-inflammatory effects to the mucus lining, the sinuses and your upper respiratory tracts.

Salt rooms and essential oils are extremely effective and popular treatment options for respiratory problems. With your little mason jar, you get to harness the healing potential of both, wherever and whenever you need it.

2. Super powerful steam blend to unclog stubborn nasal congestion

1 tsp. mustard oil (carrier oil; do NOT use mustard essential oil)
1 tbsp. salt (sea salt or Himalayan pink salt)
2 drops each of basil, turmeric and oregano essential oils
1 drop each of eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils

Method:

You can buy mustard carrier/seed oil online or in specialty food stores. If you cannot find it, use a tsp. of milled mustard seeds.

Mix the essential oils with the mustard oil if using it or if you are using milled mustard seeds, mix the essential oils with a carrier oil of your choice. Set the lipid mixture aside and boil about 2-3 cups of water. Pour the boiling water into a medium sized bowl and add salt to it. Stir till the crystals dissolve and then quickly add the oil blend to the solution. If you are using milled mustard seeds, add them after the salt and then pour in the essential oil blend.

Bend your head over the bowl, keeping a distance of about 10-12 inches between the surface of the water and your face. Cover your head and the bowl with a thick towel to make a tent of sorts that will stop the steam from escaping. Breathe deeply and remember to keep your eyes closed.

The aroma may seem too strong at first. If you feel you cannot stand it for anymore, take a break by sticking your head out of the tent for a few seconds, but then go right back inside and continue the steam inhalation. For best results, continue the treatment for 10-15 minutes and do this twice a day.

3. Steam blend for an itchy, runny nose and itchy, watery eyes

1 tsp carrier oil of your choice
1 tbsp salt (sea salt or Himalayan pink salt)
3 drops peppermint essential oil
2 drops each of melissa and caraway seed essential oils
1 drop rosemary essential oil

Method:

Instructions as above, except for the mustard oil/seeds. Use this blend before your nose starts clogging up. In fact, go for a 10-15 minute session of steam inhalation as soon as you experience nasal discharge, itching and sneezing.

The essential oils of both melissa (lemon balm) and caraway seeds are known to have antihistaminic properties. So, they will bring the levels of histamine under control while the essential oils of peppermint and rosemary, along with the salt, will offer quick relief from inflammation and irritation.

Usually two rounds is all it takes to get noticeable results. If you already have a stuffy nose and know that allergy is to be blamed for it, alternate this blend with the one above, going for one session of each per day.

4. A massage blend to give your nose some TLC

30 ml carrier oil of your choice (sesame seed oil typically works the best)
2 drops ginger essential oil
3 drops each of niaouli and ravintsara essential oils
5 drops peppermint
7 drops lavender

Method:

Mix the essential oils with the carrier oil. You can blend the lipids in a small bowl and then transfer the mixture into a glass bottle or simply pour the essential oils into the bottle first and then top them with the carrier. Roll the bottle in between your palms or give it a gentle shake to ensure that the oils get mixed together.

You will need a dark colored glass bottle for storage. To use, take one or two drops in your hand and apply with your finger tips to the bridge of the nose at the root (point in between the eyebrows) and work your way down the sides of the nose till you reach the nostrils.

Massage gently with downward strokes to encourage the flow of mucus out of the nose. About 2-3 minutes of this massage, 2-3 times a day, will offer noticeable benefits. For best results, use steam inhalation to melt the mucus plug and then go for the massage to move the snot out of the nasal cavity.

5. Hot compress recipe for a stuffy nose

1 tbsp any carrier oil
3 drops thyme
5 drops each of wild orange, bay laurel and ravintsara essential oils
10 drops peppermint or menthol essential oils

Method:

You will need hot water (enough to fill a medium sized glass bowl with it) and a face wash cloth. Prepare the blend in advance and store in a dark glass bottle. Because you will only require about 3-4 drops each time, you can easily use it for 4-5 sessions.

The water should be hot enough for you to feel the soothing warmth on your skin but not so hot as to cause skin burns. Once you get the temperature right, add the oil blend to the hot water and stir briskly to disperse the lipids. You will still see tiny droplets floating on top but that is alright.

Soak the cloth in the hot water, wring it out and keep it on your face such that it covers all the sore areas and the nostrils. If for some reason, you are not comfortable placing the cloth on your face, use it to gently to pat the sides and the bridge of your nose, inhaling deeply as you do so. Continue to repeat the process till the water cools. Use this hot compress blend 2-3 times/day to get relief within 12-24 hours.

6. Bath blend for when cold/flu hits along with nasal congestion

1 tsp milk (plant or dairy)
2 drops clove oil
4 drops each rosemary and oregano essential oils
7 drops each geranium and lavender essential oils
2 cups Epsom salt
1 cup sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

Method:

In a small bowl, mix together the essential oils and the milk. Run a hot bath as you would normally and when you have the bathtub half full, add the salts to the water. Next, pour the essential oil blend right below the flow of water to ensure quick dispersion. When you have enough water for a soak, enjoy the soothing and healing goodness of the bath for 20-30 minutes.

If you have pain in the neck, throat, cheeks, forehead or a headache, dip a face wash cloth in the bath water, wring it and place it on the sore areas. While you are soaking in the bath, don’t forget to inhale the steam as a deeply as you can. The combination of the salts and the essential oils will release the mucus clog and help with the inflammation of the tissue.

7. Inhaler to control infections that lead to nasal congestion

3 drops cinnamon and ginger essential oils
5 drops each of rosemary and thyme essential oils
7 drops each of eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils
7 drops carrier oil of your choice

Method:

Mix the oils in a small glass bowl, using a glass stirrer or a toothpick. Soak the wick of the inhaler in the oils till it is completely saturated and then place it back in the body of the inhaler. Close the lid and use as you would any regular inhaler. Use this recipe when your snot goes all green/yellow and thick, which is a clear sign of infection.

Home Treatment For A Stuffy Nose

1. Wash away the mucus and the germs

Saline irrigation, with a netipot or a nose rinse bottle, helps to remove trapped mucus, allergens and germs from the nasal cavity. Plus, the combination of salt and warm water helps to bring the inflammation under control.

A solution made by dissolving a pinch of salt in a cup of warm water works well for nasal cleansing. But if you want exceptional results, replace the water with a healing hydrosol like that of lemon/chamomile/helichrysum. Two treatments a day will prove to be the most effective.

2. Eat right to feel right

You can have inflammation in any part of your body. It doesn’t matter what caused it; one thing is guaranteed, eat sugar and you will make it worse. What you eat greatly impacts your body’s ability to both defend and heal itself. So, if you are living on a steady diet of refined carbs, sugar and trans fats, you are certainly not doing your nose any favors.

If you want to get rid of nasal congestion, get serious about eating healthy. Give up colas in favor of homemade, diluted juices and snack on fresh fruits and veggies. Make sure your diet includes seafood, lean meats and whole grains to keep your body well-nourished, because that is what your nose needs to go back to being its old, unclogged self.

3. The right supplements can help

The anti-inflammatory powers of vitamin C are well known so amp up your dosage and couple it with zinc lozenges for best results. If you frequently suffer from infections or problems of the respiratory tract, you may want to look up an Ayurvedic formulation known as Chyawanprash. It combines several adaptogenic and tonic herbs that are known to boost and regulate the body’s immune system. Moreover, the spices in the recipe make the product effective against all types of respiratory disorders.

4. Sleep the sickness away

I know spending the whole day in bed, just because we are feeling a bit under the weather, is not a luxury that most of us can afford. So, go for the next best thing, and that’s 7-8 hours of shuteye at night. The more you rest, the more time you give your body to sort out its issues.

5. Beat the cold with the hot stuff

They are absolute opposites, which means that when you want to chase out one, all you have to do is use the other. In this case, “hot” refers to both temperature-hot and taste-hot. So, tomato and chicken soup spiked with tabasco, horse radish or even a dash of cayenne pepper will show that cold and your nose that you are in no mood for nonsense. Ditto for infusion teas that contain ginger, sage, mint, cinnamon and clove.

On A Parting Note…

The biggest problem of being down with a stuffy nose is that your sufferings are often dismissed with the flick of a hand and the words, “Oh, it’s just a cold”. The casual attitude makes you angry because as hard as you try to convince yourself that it’s no big deal, you simply can’t ignore a schnozzle that isn’t doing its job. The reality is that a stuffy nose embarrasses you, distracts you and makes you feel just awful.

But not anymore!

Now, you have essential oils to deal with your runny and stuffy nose and all the other symptoms that go with them. These little soldiers from Mother Nature’s cavalry will plough right through the snot block and offer relief on the double. So, expect to get back to your life not in a matter of days but hours. And on that note, here is wishing your nose a life time of clog-free days!

Pregnancy Made Pleasant With Essential Oils!

by Olivia 2 Comments

What do you do when you direly need to feel utter confusion and a pounding headache? Simple, you search the term “essential oils and pregnancy”.

I tell you, never has such vast amounts of garbage been spewed on a single topic by people who have neither the credentials nor the experience nor the authority to so much as write a single sentence on alternative medicine or aromatherapy.

It seems like anybody who knows two finger–typing has taken it upon himself/herself to enlighten the world on the use of essential oils during pregnancy. Most of the rants are a rehashing of stuff that has already been written a million times.

No, it’s not the repetition but the additions that are the jarring aspect of these posts. Oils are added and removed from the safe and dangerous list at whim. In fact, I like to call it the deluge of misinformation one that has created mass hysteria surrounding the use of Eos during pregnancy.

But, why should the blame for the mayhem be pinned only on the naysayers when the pro-essential oil lobby is just as bad, with their dangerous advice on the oral and undiluted use of essential oils?

Unfortunately, the hoopla has drowned out the voices of sanity, reason and experience. Such is the fear mongering created by the dubious claims that a lot of pregnant women are now too scared to use essential oils. And that is the true tragedy of this situation because…

When you are pregnant, you need all the help that you can get!

The thing about pregnancy is that it’s a crazy, roller coaster ride. Surely, you are expecting this. I mean the process starts with you peeing on a stick and ends with you screaming your head out in an attempt to push out a head with a circumference of over 14 inches from an orifice that is designed to accommodate an appendage with a girth of 4 inches.

And there is so much fun to be had between the peeing and the pushing! You will feel every emotion known to mankind and may even discover a few hybrids. Happiness and depression, anger and calmness, nervousness and confidence, they will all come to you and often in quick succession.

Your body will sail through the rapids along with your mind. Your face will glow, but your feet will be competing with your belly in the “who is the biggest of us all” contest. You will have crazy cravings, but you will puke out every last morsel. Fatigue will weigh you down, but sleep will elude you. Simply put, you will be the rope that gets pulled on both ends in a biological game of tug of war.

No wonder by the 9^th month, most women are desperate to just pop that baby out. To add to the fun, no two pregnancies are alike, so you can never predict what awaits you. And the worst bit is that as you go through the tumultuous ride, you won’t get any help from the meds that you have come to trust.

I am talking about pills that grace the medicine cabinet of most homes and are swallowed without a second thought. Painkillers, antihistamines, antibiotics and antifungals will all be off the table along with scores of other drug classes.

You can even forget about your nasal congestion drops and the retin-A cream that you have come to rely on.

So, what do you do when the pain in your back is unbearable?
How do you deal with an allergy or an infection?
What about the nausea and the puking?
How do you handle the depression?

Simple, you either grin and bear it or you turn to alternative treatment modalities like aromatherapy.

But, they say essential oils should not be used when pregnant!

Three words are often thrown around to describe the alleged dangers of essential oils: emmenagogue, abortifacient and teratogenic, and I must admit they all sound “oh-so” scientific and impressive too. Psst, I actually believe they are used less to describe and more to create the impression of credibility when it’s lacking in reality. But enough said on that front!

Now, let me get to the stuff that matters and tell you what these words mean and how and if they apply to the use of essential oils.

1. Emmenagogue

A substance that promotes and regulates menstrual discharge. The essential oils clubbed in this category usually include angelica, chamomile, ginger, cinnamon, clary sage, jasmine, myrrh, peppermint, juniper, frankincense, rose, sweet marjoram, rosemary and sweet fennel. Yes, almost all of your favorite oils and above all those that get used most often are in this list on one or the other website.

2. Abortifacient

A compound that induces or can induce abortion. The oils that are alleged to have this side effect include mugwort, pennyroyal, parsley seed, sage, rue, savin, thuja, wormwood, tansy and sassafras, hyssop.

3. Teratogenic

An agent that can cause developmental disturbances in the fetus, leading to congenital abnormalities. The oils that are believed to cause this effect are Plectranthus fruticosus (forest spurflower), wintergreen, birch, sweet fennel, oregano, oak moss.

Depending on the source of the information, you will find more oils added to these categories. Some are used frequently by DIY blender and even in commercial preparation while others are rare to find and seldom used.

What I am going to do now is dissect the disturbing claims made about these oils and essential oils in general. Everything that you read from hereon, all the arguments that I have put forth, are based on:

The works and the writings of authors such as Robert Tisserand, Julia lawless, Tony Balacs, Ann Berwick, Shirley Price, Sue Clarke, Jennifer.P. Rhind and others.

The guidelines and recommendations of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists and the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy.

Scientific studies conducted to understand and investigate the effects of essential oils.

My own experience with blending and using these extracts.

Let us start by talking about the emmenagogic and abortifacient effects of essential oils. I am not disputing that many essential oils are effective emmenagogues that encourage menstrual flow and as such lend a helping hand in conception.

The logical conclusion is that since these oils encourage menstrual flow, they must cause uterine contractions. Yes, some herbs and essential oils do cause strong uterine contractions and I will talk about these in a bit.

But, I assure you that light weights such as peppermint, rose, ginger, neroli and lavender essential oils do no such thing. And, there is absolutely no scientific evidence to prove me wrong here.

At best, these extracts encourage the onset of a slow period, the kind in which you have all the symptoms of PMS but little or no bleeding. This result is possibly attributed to the hormone balancing, stress reducing and diuretic effects of these oils.

However, neither these herbs nor the essential oils distilled from them can cause intense uterine contraction that can lead to a miscarriage. That being said, I will admit there are certain emmenagogic and oxytocic herbs and essential oils that have long been used as natural abortives.

But when used as such, the herbs have to be ingested, typically in significant quantities. For instance, you’d have to take 10 drops of the tincture of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) every two hours to get serious emmenagogic effects from it. Similarly, you would need to ingest 20 drops of the tincture of black cohosh root to feel its oxytocic effects.

Now, it can be argued that since essential oils are stronger than the herbs they are distilled from, hence inhalation and topical application can cause as much damage as ingesting the herb. I agree with this argument and I am all for caution.

However, given the toxic effect of some of these oils, they are rarely recommended and used in a general setting. In fact, most of these oils are not sold by manufacturers and retailers of therapeutic grade essential oils. Here is a list of such herbs and oils that are contraindicated in the NAHA guidelines as well as in the works of the authors listed above.

Penny royal (Manthe pulegium): The herb is one of the most potent inducer of uterine contractions and also extremely poisonous. The essential oil is hepatotoxic but abortifacient only when ingested in very large quantities.
Rue (Ruta graveolens): The herb decreases the blood supply to the endometrial lining but the essential oil has no direct impact on the uterine muscle.
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare): The herb can cause uterine shrinkage resulting in miscarriage but does not impact uterine muscles.
Mug wort (Artemisia vulgaris): The herb and the essential oil are both emmenagogic.
Angelica root (Angelica archangelica): Has oxytocic and emmenagogic effects
Wild carrot seed (Daucus carota): Impacts the uterine lining.
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Parsley apiole, which is a major component of the oil is an emmenagogic agent.
Indian dill: Emmenagogic effect due to the presence of apiole.
Plectranthus: Abortifacient due to the presence of sabinyl acetate, which inhibits implantation.
Spanish sage oil (Salvia lavandulifolia): Abortifacient due to the presence of sabinyl acetate, which inhibits implantation.
Savin (Juniperus sabina): Abortifacient due to the presence of sabinyl acetate, which inhibits implantation.
Sage (Salvia officinalis): Abortifacient due to the presence of sabinyl acetate, which inhibits implantation.

Herbs and oils that are contraindicated due to possible toxicity include:

Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora): Neurotoxic.
Thuja (Thuja accidentalis): Neurotoxic due to thujone content.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Possible neurotoxin due to thujone content.
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium): Possible neurotoxin due to thujone content.
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum): Narcotic and psychotropic effect due to the presence of safrole.
Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum): Narcotic and psychotropic effect due to the presence of safrole, but only when ingested in large quantities.
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans): Intoxicative effect.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis): Possible toxicity due to thujone, pinocamphone and isopino-camphone content.
Blue artemesia (Artemesia aborescens): Neurotoxic.
Wintergreen (Gaultheria fragmentissima wall): Possible toxicity due to methyl salicylate overdose.
Birch (Betula lenta): Possible toxicity due to methyl salicylate overdose.
Anise Star (Illicium verum): Carcinogenic due to estragole content and narcotic due to safrole content. Also potential for skin sensitivity if oxidized.
Cedar (Chaemocyparis thyoides): Possible toxicity due to thujone pinocamphone and isopino-camphone content.

Should we just assume that a mere whiff of these oils is enough to endanger your pregnancy?

I won’t give you a straight explanation for this. Instead, I am just going to list the studies that have led to the inclusion of these oils in this list. Bear with me here folks because these studies and the way in which the essential oils were used in them will truly put things in perspective.

Let me start with the first bit of startling information – nearly 95% of the studies that I am going to list here involved rodent subjects and in the remaining 5%, the studies were carried out on human uterine cells. So, there cannot possibly be a direct correlation. Yet, what is worth noting is the mode of administration of the essential oils and their quantity.

Here it goes:

The abortifacient effect of savin, sage and spanish sage essential oils is attributed to sabinyl acetate, a compound that inhibits implantation. However, the oils and the compound itself only exhibited this effect when injected subcutaneously in quantities of 135 mg/kg of body weight.
Eucalyptus essential oil was not found to be toxic even when mice were injected with unnaturally high quantities of 135 mg/kg throughout 1/3^rd of the gestational period.
Camphor oil, which is generally considered toxic, caused infant fatality in just one case in which 57 ml of camphorated oil was ingested by the mother-to-be.
Parsley oil is generally contraindicated during pregnancy. But, abortion can only be induced by ingesting about 6 ml of parsley seed oil.
Indian dill oil, which is another extract that contains apiole, was only found to be abortifacient when consumed in doses of 5 ml or more.
Pennyroyal is often considered to be the strongest abortifacient and emmenagogic substance in nature. Yet, the oil distilled from this plant failed to induce miscarriage even when it was ingested in doses greater than 7 ml.

Do you see a common trend emerging here?

These oils, even those that are generally deemed toxic, lead to fatalities only when ingested and that too in high quantities. There is nothing; I mean not even a word, written about commonly used essential oils like rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, frankincense and lemon inducing miscarriage when used for inhalation or topically.

And, I know for a fact that nobody in their right mind would ask you to do shots with lavender, eucalyptus or any other essential oil, whether you are pregnant or not.

In fact, when it comes to essential oils, the cardinal rule is to go slow, very slow, on usage, regardless of how they are administered.

Why only ingestion or topical application, even when diffused, your exposure should not exceed 15 to 30 minutes. You are not supposed to keep the diffuser up and running all through the night, whether you are pregnant or not.

With that settled, let’s talk about essential oils that are contraindicated due to their possible teratogenic effects. These include:

Dalmatian sage or common sage (Salvia officinalis): Negative influence of embryonic distribution in rodents
Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare): Inhibits differentiation of cells in rat embryos.
Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): Alters embryo distribution.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare): Increased rate of embryonic cell death.
Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia): Alters embryonic distribution and cell death rate.
Birch (Betula lenta): Contains methyl salicylate.
Wintergreen (Gaultheria fragrantissima): Contain methyl salicylate.

Once again, notice that all tests were carried out on rodent subjects and the oils were administered in large doses of 150 mg/kg/day to 375 mg/kg/day. The oils were fed to the animals, which I believe, explains the toxicity.

As far as sweet fennel oil is concerned, this is the only one that showed the potential to embryonic cells even in small quantities. But, even in this case, the oil was directly poured/administered on the cells.

So, here comes another common sense question – who said that it’s safe to ingest essential oils in such large quantities?

It isn’t safe to use essential oils in those quantities in any form or way. I have said this before, and I will say it again. These oils are the very essence of the botanicals they are derived from. Of course, this is potent stuff and not something that should or can be used recklessly.

That said, as you can see a lot of the “so-called” ill effects only come into the picture when essential oils are used in unnaturally large quantities and administered directly into the body, either via ingestion or injection. Now, this is something that is never going to happen in real life, unless somebody is suicidal or incredibly stupid.

However, I am all for playing it safe. So, let’s stay away from all the oils listed above. But, that would still leave us with plenty of other options. If there is no study to prove that the other essential oils are unsafe in any sense, why are they being implicated?

Blame the fear mongering on outlandish assumptions and wild speculations!

Camphor, thujone, pulegone and pinocamphone all belong to class of compounds known as ketone. And, just because 4 substances in this class, which consists of several dozen others, exhibit abortifacient and toxic effects, the whole class is shunned.

The problem is that ketones can be found in many commonly used essential oils and this is what has led to safe essential oils being labelled as contraindicated. Caraway, turmeric, rosemary, eucalyptus and davana are just a few such oils that have earned a bad rep just for their ketone content although the ketones in these oils are perfectly safe.

Another problem is the assumption that just because the plant as a whole has emmenagogic or abortifacient effect, the essential oil too must lead to such effects. I have told you before that essential oils make up just 1-2% of the total plant volume. This means that these extracts cannot possibly contain all the phytochemicals found in the herb.

Classic examples of this faulty assumption are the essential oils of tansy, savin, pennyroyal and juniper. Without a doubt, these plants are all abortifacients, but the oils distilled from them exhibited no direct action on the uterine muscle. So in reality, the herb and the oil can have totally different and sometimes even opposite effects?

You see where this is coming from? I believe, the author of Clinical Aromatherapy, Dr. Jane Buckle said it best when she asserted, “It is extremely unlikely that a nightly bath containing a few drops of essential oils will cause any problems for the unborn child…. there are no records of abnormal fetuses or aborted fetuses due to the ‘normal’ use of essential oils, either by inhalation or topical application.”

But then, what about the cautionary advice to not use essential oils in the first trimester?

This is another bit of unsubstantiated advice that instills fear about essential oils. Tragically, it can be found in numerous online and offline publications.

The only basis they have for this random statutory warning is the fact that nearly 15% of all clinically recognized pregnancies end by the 20^th week and 80% of these miscarriages happen in the first trimester. Essential oils have nothing to do with these figures, and just because this is undoubtedly a fragile period in the pregnancy is no reason to refrain from their use.

Having said that, if an oil is contraindicated, I don’t see why and how this is likely to change after the first trimester or through the duration of the pregnancy. The opposite is also true.

If an essential oil is considered safe for use during the second and third trimester, there is no reason to assume that it will lead to ill-effects if used during the first trimester.

A vital point to understand here is that if an essential oil is toxic, it is toxic per se and for all; case in point, elecampane (Inula helenium) and mustard ((Brassica nigra); these oils cannot and should not be used by anybody. So, essential oils can be used throughout the pregnancy as long as a few common sense safety tips are followed, which you would be expected to do otherwise as well, pregnant or not.

A few things to keep in mind if you want to use essential oils when pregnant

As your body gets ready to take on one of the most complex and fulfilling tasks it will ever handle, your senses often go into overdrive. So, limit your dermal exposure to oils to no more than 1-2%.

Don’t use the same oil in multiple blends as this may lead to sensitivity and over dosage.

For diffusion, limit your use of essential oils to 3-5 drops/100 ml of water and restrict your active exposure sessions to 15-20 minutes to avoid nausea and headaches.

For a bath mix, use no more than 3-4 drops, mixed with a teaspoon of milk for dilution. Warm water works better than hot water and limit your soak time to 15 minutes.

You can also use essential oils for cold and hot compresses. Once again, keep maximum usage in the range of 4-5 drops added to a foot soak tub full of water or 2-3 drops added to a large salad bowl filled with water. In both cases, remember to dilute the essential oils in a teaspoon of light carrier oil before adding the blend/single to the water.

Oils that are known to cause dermal sensitivity should be used sparingly and only after a patch test. These include essential oils of black pepper, clove bud, lemon grass, ylang ylang, tea tree and melissa.

Do not use essential oils internally in any way, when pregnant or breast feeding. Be mindful of the amount of clove essential oil you are ingesting if you are using it for tooth ache and/or dental hygiene.

The Best Essential Oils To Use When Pregnant

For their warmth: Ginger, black pepper
To handle queasiness and nausea: Cardamom, lemon, lime
For calmness and their soothing: Lavender, chamomile, helichrysum
To deal with sleepless night: Sandalwood, vetiver
For energy and freshness: Grapefruit, bergamot, orange, neroli and mandarin
To handle skin problems: Geranium, palmarosa, frankincense, tea tree and rosewood
For pain and soreness: Peppermint, rose

Apart from these, we will also use the essential oils of patchouli, petitgrain, turmeric and cypress.

As for the carrier oils, a combination of jojoba and rosehip seed has just the right viscosity for all skin types and all areas of the body. If you want more moisturization/lubrication, opt for a mixture of virgin olive oil and sweet almond/sesame seed oil.

Top Essential Oil Recipes To Use When Pregnant

1. The morning sickness blend

5 drops ginger
3 drops lemon
2 drops cardamom

Method:

Mix the oils and store in a dark glass bottle. Personally, I favor using this blend in an inhaler, because this way, you can carry it along and it’s available whenever you need it. Of course, you can always keep it in a roll on bottle and put some on a handkerchief when you feel a wave of nausea coming on.

If using in an inhaler, double the quantity of the oils. Mix in a small glass bowl and soak the absorbent wick of the inhaler in the oils, before inserting it back into the holder/body of the inhaler. All it takes is a few whiffs of this zesty aroma to stop the stomach churning.

2. The emotional support blends

For anxiety and stress

5 drops lavender
3 drops neroli

For depression, fear and nervousness

5 drops sweet orange
7 drops palmarosa

Method:

Preparation and storage as above. To use, diffuse 3-4 drops for 15-20 minutes. Both these blends also work exceptionally well when used in a reed diffuser. With prenatal stress on the rise and its detrimental effects on fetal neurodevelopment proven, I’d suggest you carry these blends along to deal with bouts of nervousness and fear that hit out of nowhere.

3. Sleep come to me blend

5 drops sandalwood
2 drops ylang ylang

Method:

Mix the oils together and store in an amber glass bottle. Diffuse for 15 minutes before you call it a night. Do not leave the diffuser on all through the night and don’t use more than 2-3 drops of the blend. The aroma of this blend is both soothing and calming and the combination of floral and woody notes works exceptionally well.

Yet, when you diffuse aromatic extracts, a lot of pregnant women find the fragrance too strong. If you’d like the aroma to be light and take effect gradually, put a drop of the blend on a piece of cotton wool and place it next to your pillow instead of diffusing it. But, if you are struggling with insomnia, I’d still recommend that you go with the diffuser.

4. Energizer blend

5 drops grapefruit
4 drops mandarin
3 drops tumeric (optional)

Method:

Blend the oils and store in a dark glass bottle. Use turmeric only if you are also suffering from intermittent bouts of brain fog and need mental focus and clarity to get through the day. If you’ve added turmeric essential oil to the blend, diffusion will work best. Alternatively, you can add one drop to a cup of hot water and place it on your desk or on a side table. Be careful not to drink it!

If turmeric essential oil has not been used, put 3-4 drops of the citrus blend in a spritzer bottle and top it with warm water. Spray lightly around the room and the house. If fatigue has turned into a constant companion, wear this blend using an essential oil pendant.

5. No more swollen feet blend

3 drops black pepper
4 drops peppermint
7 drops roman chamomile
40 ml carrier oil of your choice

Method:

Blend the oils and store in a dark glass bottle. If you can get your partner to give you a soothing foot massage with this blend, all the better, because you will need to use upward strokes to regulate circulation and lymphatic drainage. Alternatively, you can use ½ tsp of the blend in a warm foot bath.

6. Back soother blend

2 drops rose otto (don’t use absolute)
5 drops roman chamomile
30 ml olive/sweet almond oil

Method:

Preparation and storage as given above. Use as you would any lotion/massage oil, working in circular strokes to gently soothe and relax the muscles in the lower back area.

7. Bath blend

5 drops each of petitgrain and tangerine/lime essential oils
1 tsp milk/ dairy/plant
1 cup Epsom salts

Method:

Mix the oils and store the blend in an amber glass bottle. To use, add 3-4 drops of the blend to a teaspoon of milk and set the mixture aside. Run yourself a warm bath and once the tub is halfway full, add Epsom salts to the water. Wait till the tub is almost full to add the milk- essential oil blend.

Disperse the oils in the water by agitating it. Enjoy the unique combination of the relaxing and energizing effects of the oils. Don’t spend more than 15 minutes in the bath and be careful when stepping out of the tub.

8. No episiotomy blend

1 cup olive oil/ sweet almond oil
1 drop each of lavender and geranium essential oils

Method:

Mix and store the oils as instructed above. Apply on the perineum every day, massaging the area gently in circular strokes. Use twice a day for best results. You can start using this blend towards the end of the second trimester or even in the third.

9. Stretch marks don’t come my way blend

3 drops rosewood
4 drops geranium
2 drops sweet orange
30 ml blend of rosehip and sesame seed oil

Method:

Mixing and storage as above. Use twice a day on the belly and the upper thighs. Start using in the first trimester.

10. Skincare through pregnancy blend

3 drops each of frankincense and geranium
2 drops of tea tree
40 ml jojoba oil

Method:

Preparation and storage as for the other recipes. The same thing that gives you the much talked about pregnancy glow may also cause acne to make a sudden appearance. Yes, I am talking about excess sebum.

Fortunately, you can keep the skin oils in check by using this blend and while you are doing that the aromatic extracts will also work their magic on any dark spots that may be getting ready to reveal themselves. Apply as you would any skin cream or oil, once or twice a day. But limit usage to just 2-3 drops at a time.

In conclusion…

There you have it ladies – everything that you need to know about using essential oils to pamper yourself as you get ready to bring a new life into the world. The healing and soothing touch of these aromatic extracts will help you to deal with the small naggings that you are bound to encounter along the way.

Above all, these oils offer help in an area that is oft ignored and where all else fails. Yes, I am talking about the emotional storm that you will have to inevitably weather as you wait to hold your bundle of joy in your arms.

Everybody agrees that a happy mommy is a healthy mommy, and happy and healthy mommies have happy and healthy babies (mostly). However, the surge of hormones and the physical impact of carrying a child can be quite taxing on the body and the mind. Unfortunately, you will have no help coming your way from modern medicine.

But, since Mother Nature is a woman too, she has you covered on this front. So, use her gifts for a safe and happy pregnancy. And on that note, here is wishing all mommies-to-be healthy and happy days as you go through the magical journey that is motherhood!

Essential Oils For Tic Disorder (Tourettes): Tic-Toc Tic-Toc BOOM

by Olivia 2 Comments

So a while back I came across a funny video online. It was one of those videos that YouTube recommends (I don’t know how the tube knows what stuff I’d be interested in. But most of the time, it’s spot on. Techies understand this phenomenon better than I do).

The video was about a teenage boy with Tourette’s syndrome having a conversation with a police officer. He was yelling some obscene words and seemed not to be in control.

At some point, he screamed ‘I am a prostitute’ to the police officer. It was shocking though hilarious (the hilarious bit was totally the fault of the guy filming – he had a droll, comical laugh the whole time).

Anyway, sometime later, the video came to mind and I wondered why the young man behaved the way he did. You see, most people (those not under the influence of any drug) tend have an innate respect for the law. I mean, c’mon, there are things that just can’t be said in the presence of a law enforcer, let alone straight to them. But this young man; woooh, boy seemed to be on a roll.

As always, I did some light research on Tourette’s syndrome and as it turns out, that the teenager couldn’t help it.

His obscene outbursts happen literally everywhere he goes. You can imagine how embarrassing it is knowing you’ve got a loaded gun that could go off anyplace, anytime. And being a teen, I can only imagine how misunderstood he is.

Sure, most of us would think that people with Tourette’s get away with cursing and shouting obscenities all the time. But trust me, it is no fun. It’s obvious that the person’s social life is significantly affected.

In this piece, I will explain the underlying condition behind Tourette’s syndrome (tic disorder), and how one can manage it. Hopefully understanding it will allow you to provide more comprehensive care to your loved ones as well as know which trigger to avoid.

What Is A Tic?

A tic is described as an unvoluntary movement or sound that is activated by the brain. Given their unvoluntary nature, individuals do not have control over these movements and sounds at all.

There are two types of tics – vocal tics and motor tics.

Usually, these short-lived movements (uttered sounds or motor tics) occur suddenly during what we term as ‘normal behavior’. The tics are usually repetitive and have a successive occurrence of the same unvoluntary action.

For instance, an individual with a tic may blink his/her eyes several times or even twitch his/her nose over and over. In the case of the teenage boy I brought to your attention above, the action repeated was the utterance of ‘dirty words’.

Motor tics can be broken down further to include complex and simple motor spasms. The simple motor tics include eye blinking, head jerking, nose twitching and shoulder shrugging.

Complex motor tics, on the other hand, consist of several sudden movements performed in a similar order repeatedly. For instance, an individual may kick out with one leg and then follow through with the other leg or reach out and touch something over and over.

As I started describing what a tic is, you might have noticed I used the word ‘unvoluntary’. This was intentional. Tics are more of unvoluntary movements than involuntary movements.

Unvoluntary, in this case, means that an individual can suppress the urge to perform the repeated action for a while. However, the suppression only results in a buildup of the urge and discomfort. The buildup continues until it is relieved by performing the action.

At this point, it is important to note that tics affect people of all ages. However, they are prevalent in kids. Experts maintain that 25% of kids experience tics. Additionally, boys are more prone to develop tics than girls.

Now, let me complicate things for a moment…

Are tics the same as twitches? Well, not quite (even though some people use these terms interchangeably).

Here is the difference – muscle twitches are isolated rather than repeated actions. The muscle twitches are also known as myoclonic jerks. Unlike tics, twitches are completely involuntary. As such, they cannot be suppressed or controlled.

One of the most common types of muscle twitches is benign essential blepharospasm. This is the twitch type that causes your eyelids to ‘flatter’ uncontrollably. Usually, this twitching occurs repeatedly for a limited time. In some extreme cases (very rare), the condition can also affect the neck, mouth, and eyebrows.

While the eyelid twitch is similar to an eye blinking tic, it varies in the sense that it is uncontrollable. This kind of twitching, for the most part, affects adults. A family doctor can differentiate between an eyelid tic and an eyelid twitch.

Health experts believe that eyelid twitching develops as a result of a misfiring of certain cells in the brain. Blepharospasm is made worse by dry eyes, caffeine, sleep deprivation and harsh lighting conditions. We shall look at the symptoms and risks of tics later on in the article.

Common Tic Disorders

Okay, I’ve got some good and bad news.

First the good news – most tic disorders are not severe. As such, they only have a minimal effect on an individual’s quality of life.

And now, the bad news – in some cases, the tic disorders tend to be extremely troubling and disruptive. In such situations, they can affect one’s social, work and school life. In this case, leading a normal, carefree life is no longer an option.

Health experts use 4 elements to diagnose and classify tic disorders. These elements (characteristics) include:

The duration of the tic
The severity of the tic
The age when the tic first manifested
Whether the tic disorder is vocal, motor or both

a) Transient Tic Disorder

This particular disorder usually manifests in the younger generation (teens under the age of 18 years). It affects somewhere between 5-20% of school-going kids. Transient tics are characterized by one or more tics for a month but not more than 12 months.

The majority of tics experienced in this situation are motor tics though once in a while, vocal tics can manifest. Most children who have transient tic disorder experience multiple episodes of the tics which vary in the way in which they manifest.

b) Chronic Vocal or Motor Tic Disorder

Transient tics appear in a year. However, chronic tics can last for more than a year. The chronic vocal/motor disorder is characterized by one or more extended tics. The tics may either be vocal or motor but never both.

To be diagnosed with the chronic tic disorder, the symptoms have to appear before a kid hits the age of 18.

c) Tourette’s syndrome

At times, what may appear to be a chronic tic may actually be a symptom of Tourette’s syndrome. This is the most severe type of tic disorder and is often characterized by both vocal and motor tics.

Given that not many people in the world have been diagnosed with this disorder (though it is starting to be more known), there isn’t an exact figure of how many people live with this syndrome. However, a CDC study estimates that 135,000 kids between the ages of 6-17 who live with the syndrome in the US alone.

The strange thing about Tourette’s syndrome is that its severity changes with time. At times, one will experience periods of lowered tic frequency which will be followed by periods of vigorous tic activity. Fortunately, individuals living with Tourette’s realize that their condition improves as they grow older – and gain more control.

Symptoms of Tic Disorders

The number one symptom of tic disorders is the presence of one or several tics. Earlier on, we classified tics as motor and vocal tics. We also further divided the two into simple and complex tics. But aside from tics, there are other symptoms that accompany the disorders. These symptoms include:

Worsening of emotions like fatigue, anger, excitement, and anxiety
Worsening during illnesses
Worsening during extreme temperatures
Occur while one is sleeping
Vary with time
Vary in severity and type
Improve with time

Causes and Risk Factors of Tic Disorders

Health experts do not have the exact cause of tic disorders figured out yet. However, studies reveal several culprits including gene mutations. Brain chemistry appears to be very important in all this (especially brain chemicals including dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate).

For the tic disorders that do have a direct cause, they can be fitted into a category after diagnosis. Such tics include stroke, infections, head injuries, poisons and numerous other injuries.

Additionally, tics are also associated with other medical disorders including Creutzfeldt Jakob disease and Huntington’s disease (again with the human-named diseases)

Some of the risk factors include:

Genetics – tics tend to run in families. As such, there is a possibility of the presence of a genetic basis
Sex – men are more likely to develop tic disorders compared to women

Complications

The complications associated with these disorders especially in kids include:

Other complications related to tic disorders are usually a result of the effects of the disorder on one’s self-image and self-esteem. Some research conducted has concluded that kids with TS or chronic tic disorder, experience a lower quality of life and have lower self-esteem in comparison to those living without the said disorders.

Additionally, and there is no doubt about this, individuals with Tourette’s syndrome often have problems with social life courtesy of their tics and other complications that arise as a result of the tics including ADHD and anxiety. You could be making out with your girlfriend one minute, and calling her names the next followed by a couple kicks.

Treating TICS

The treatment of tic disorders depends on the type and the severity of the disorder. However, it’s important to note that most tic disorders will resolve on their own. But for the severe tics, the kinds that interfere with daily life, they can be treated with medications, therapies and even deep brain stimulation.

Therapies for Tic disorders

Some therapies have been devised to help individuals control the tics and reduce their occurrence. These therapies include:

Habit reversal therapy: this is a treatment that is designed to teach people living with tic disorders to use movements to compete with the tics in such a way that the tics do not occur
Exposure and response prevention: this is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy which helps individuals are accustomed to their uncomfortable urges that precede the tic with the sole purpose of preventing a tic

Medication

Certain medications can be used alongside the above-mentioned therapies or on their own. Most medications are made to reduce the frequency of tics. However, they do not completely rid individuals of the tic symptoms. Some of the medications available include:

Botox injections
Anti-seizure medications
Muscle relaxants
Medications that affect dopamine levels

Other medications that help with tic symptoms include antidepressants which help with OCD and anxiety.

Deep Brain Stimulation

This is an option for individuals living with Tourette’s syndrome and whose tics have proven unresponsive to other forms of treatment or negatively affect one’s quality of life.

Deep brain stimulation involves implanting a battery operated device in the brain. The device produces waves of electrical impulses which span certain parts of the brain that control movement and consequently reduces the frequency of tics.

Essential Oils For Tics

Though we tend to simplify the composition and action of essential oils (I plead guilty for the said crime), it is important to have it in the back of your mind that essential oils are incredibly complex.

It is the reason they are considered potent and are used to treat and manage a myriad of diseases and conditions. Very few compounds can boast of the medical curative feats that essential oils achieve ever so effortlessly.

Let’s take a look into the complexity of essential oils and just how they can help in managing tics.

Warning: Things might get a little technical (but you are Oliviarites! Nothing can get you down – not even a paragraph or two of technical medical jargon).

Essential oils have fragrances, some of which are sweet and others, well, not quite so sweet-smelling. Experts say that the fragrances exert powerful stimuli on the limbic system.

The limbic portion of the brain includes; the hypophysis, the hippocampus, and the amygdala. These parts of the brain interact directly with the hypothalamus and the thalamus glands. Together, these brain parts and glands form the seat of sexual arousal, emotions, memory and govern aggressive behavior.

Now, essential oils contain thousands of chemical compounds which work together to provide therapeutic effects to a certain extent. These chemical constituents achieve their therapeutic effects by stimulating neurotransmitters, activating the secretion of specific hormones including endorphins and improving alertness, mental capacity as well as concentration.

With that said, there is no doubt that essential oils can help manage vocal and motor tics. You just need to know which essential oils to use and how to blend them to achieve maximum results.

For today’s segment, literally any of your favorite essential oils can be used out of the hundreds readily available. Just the aromatherapeutic properties of most essential oils is enough to bring down the severity and frequency of tics.

So, shall we hop over to the recipe mixing table?

Recommended Product For Tic Disorder

The oils in blend below are known to help with ADHD, emotions, disruptive and impulsive behaviors, and will also relieve tension, promote sleep, restore feelings of hope and bring peace to your child. It is all-natural and can’t hurt, so by all means I recommend giving it a try!

You can also read more here.

Essential Oil Blends For Vocal And Motor Tics

Recipe 1: Tourette’s Syndrome Management Blend

Ingredients

Essential oils of:

Cedarwood
Vetiver
Frankincense
Lavender
Lemon
Carrier oil (either coconut oil or sweet almond oil)

Directions

As a parent, it can be heartbreaking to have your doctor diagnose your child with Tourette’s syndrome. Lots of questions will go through your mind as to what you could have done differently to keep him/her from developing the disorder.

However, while it can literally shake the ground beneath you, I’m here to give you some hope with this essential oil blend. If this is your first time and you are skeptical about it, you probably will find comfort in the fact that other parents in a situation such as yours have used it and in several weeks, the tics reduced.

Every essential oil in the blend plays an active role in giving your child his/her ‘life’ back. Cedarwood will soothe your child, frankincense will relieve stress and help your child focus better, vetiver will psychologically ground your child and lemon will ‘tame’ the nervous system. Add the carrier oil into a 30ml roller bottle and then add 8-10 drops of each of the above essential oils. Shake the blend to mix evenly before using it.

To use the blend roll two drops on your chest (on the left side), or on the soles of your feet. Apply the blend once on a daily basis. Ideally, nights are best but you can choose which timings work better for you. If you don’t see results in a few weeks that follow, ramp up the applications to about 2 or 3 times daily.

Recipe 2: Masters Blend for Tics

Ingredients

Vetiver – 10 drops
Ylang Ylang – 8 drops
Clary Sage – 9 drops
Lavender – 6 drops
Sweet Marjoram – 7 drops
Frankincense – 5 drops
Carrier oil (60ml)

Directions

Now I have to be honest, there are several essential oil blend brands that are expensive. These blends have the benefit of having numerous positive reviews. But courtesy of their high cost most people do not give essential oils a chance.

Fortunately for you, I have honed the skill of making potent essential oil recipes. The above recipe mimics multiple costly essential blends known to be great for individuals with Tourette’s syndrome.

Note that this blend is too potent to be used on kids. If you intend to use it on a child, use fewer drops or dilute it even more with your preferred carrier oil. To make the blend, simply mix all the ingredients in a small glass bottle / roller. Apply as per Recipe 1 above.

Recipe 3: Easy Lavender Neck Rub

What you need

Lavender – 3 drops
Fractionated coconut oil/almond oil – 1 teaspoon

Directions

In an earlier section, I’ve pointed out anxiety as one of the complications of tics. It is easy to understand why the involuntary tics could cause children, teens, or even adults anxious and keep them on edge. The society doesn’t make it easy for them either. Dealing with the anxiety will help an individual with either a voice or motor tic cope well in an unforgiving world.

Mix the two ingredients together in a small glass jar. Once it is ready, pour a few drops into your palm and rub it onto your neck or that of your child. You can also rub it on the soles of your feet. The best time to apply is before bed.

Recipe 4: Depression Blend for Tourette’s

Ingredients

Essential oils of:

Rose – 1 drop
Sandalwood – 3 drops
Orange – 2 drops

Directions

The thing about depression is that it can affect anyone. And unfortunately, it’s more common in our society that we would like to accept. Anyone suffering from tic disorder are often at the mercy of depression (as if life is not hard enough with a tic disorder alone). Luckily depression can be managed with several essential oil blends including this one.

You can use the blend in three ways: a diffuser, and inhaler or as a bath oil. I personally prefer the diffuser simply because I find the method less complicated.

For a diffuser blend, multiply the ingredient amounts by 4 to have a 20-drop recipe. Add the ingredients to a glass bottle (preferably dark colored) and mix thoroughly. Add several drops of the blend according to the directions on your diffuser.

Note: some thick oils including citrus oils are not compatible with some diffusers. For this reason, you have to read the diffuser instructions first.

Recipe 5: De-Stress Easy Blend for Tic Disorders

What you need

Cedarwood – 7 drops
Ylang Ylang – 5 drops
Lavender – 4 drops
Patchouli – 3 drops
Bergamot – 6 drops
Carrier oil

Directions

This is a perfect stress reliever. It can be used regularly to calm the nerves without affecting energy levels. It is perfect when one cannot seem to calm down. With all ingredients at hand, mixing up this recipe will not take long – 3 minutes maximum. The mix can be used as a massage rub to de-stress.

Recipe 6: Calm Your Little One Blend

Ingredients

Sweet almond oil – 2 teaspoons
Vetiver – 4 drops
Patchouli – 3 drops
Peppermint – 2 drops
Lavender – 5 drops

Directions

This power blend is technically designed to help manage ADHD in kids but given that ADHD is a complication that often accompanies tic disorder, it is the perfect blend to use.

Add the ingredients in a glass bottle, screw back its lid and mix the ingredients. You can choose to use it in a bath or apply it on the bottom of your feet through a relaxing floor massage or apply it to your wrist and temples.

The Bottom Line

Though there are numerous videos on individuals living with tic disorder labelled ‘funny’, we both know there is nothing remotely funny about it.

It is a condition that makes life difficult. As such, it is up to you and I to create awareness of the disorder and help deal with it.

Let us help foster the inclusion of people with tic disorder in day to day lives without making them feel weird or left out. As we champion this cause, the essential oils and blends I have compiled for you above will help make life easier. We can do this guys!

Essential Oils For Hair Growth: Reach For Essential Oils When Your Hair Seem To Have Lost The Will To Grow!

by Olivia Leave a Comment

Yes, we are going to talk about using essential oils for hair growth today. But, I refuse to start this article by playing up the feminine allure of long tresses.

However, once that is removed out of the equation, you are bound to wonder, why bother with hair growth at all?

I mean, shouldn’t you be more concerned about hair loss?

You will need those locks to grow as they should!

Hair growth is not just important if you want flowing, long tresses. If you subject your hair to any kind of chemical or mechanical treatment, read coloring, straightening, the heat of a hair dryer or a curling iron, those locks will be stressed.

This means they will be prone to breakage, regardless of how much serum and conditioner you use. You also have to consider the environmental damage that your hair is subjected to.

The moral of the story is that hair damage will accumulate over time and there is no way to avoid it completely.

Fortunately, as your hair grows, you can simply remove the damaged length with a haircut. But, without growth that would not be possible.

No, it’s not really about the hairdo you sport!

Whether you a favor a buzz cut or luscious long locks or any other hairdo, hair growth is vital to them all. It goes without saying that you won’t be able to experiment with your crowning glory unless your hair are growing as they should.

In fact, without good hair growth, you won’t be able to hold on to your present hairdo for too long. Imagine, you are sporting a cute pixie but then 2 months down the line, a few strands have grown long while others are struggling to keep up with their rate of development.

A trip to the hairdresser may help some but even after a lot of snipping and trimming, you may not be able to get back to the perfection of your original haircut.

Can’t blame the hairdresser there; it’s hard to work with uneven hair growth because along with the length, the texture of the hair will also vary.

Without growth, you will be stuck with damaged hair that have been subjected to the elements. Moreover, the difference will be striking if you indulge in hair coloring.

If keeping your current hairdo can get so hard, think about all the trouble you’d go through to change your hair style or hair length. Suppose you want to go from buzz to bob, you’ll end up waiting for a few years to get there unless your hair grows the way it should.

Hence, even if long locks are not your thing, hair growth should still be a concern. This brings us to our first question of the day…

What Exactly Is Normal In Terms Of Hair Growth?

On an average, scalp hair grows about ½ inch every month, which works out to about 6 inches of length per year. Depending on a range of factors, including genetics, your hair growth may be more or less than this average.

It is not unusual for some people to clock a measly 1 cm of hair growth/month or for others to enjoy an inch of hair growth over a 30-day period. In case you are wondering, what then is abnormal?

Well, if you go from ½ inch to ½ cm per month, there sure is some problem brewing. Because the addition of ½ inch isn’t much, you may not notice the slow down at first. But, it will get conspicuous over a period of 2-4 months, particularly if you have a short or mid length hairdo that calls for a trim every 6-8 weeks.

The one thing you need to understand is that hair loss is not the same as slow hair growth, although a combination of these factors leads to baldness.

That said, men have it better on this front as well as their hair tend to grow faster than those of women. You’d be surprised to know that there is also a seasonal element to hair growth.

Like all other parts of your body, chilly weather does not sit well with your hair either, so they tend to grow faster in summer and slower in winter. More or less in both these cases is only a matter of a few millimeters, so you may not even notice it until much later.

But, you may not have a problem with hair growth!

As you can see, it is easy to spot a hair growth problem. Yet, people tend to confuse other trichological issues with slow hair growth. For instance, take a look at these three problems which are often presumed to be a hair growth issue.

When you lose hair: Whether your hair loss is normal or not, when the hair strand is shed, the growth restarts from the follicle. Considering the normal rate of hair growth, it will be 5-6 months before the strand reaches the length of 2- 2.5 inches.

Now, if your normal hair length is say 10 inches, the short strands of 2- 2.5 inches may appear to be growing slow in comparison, and on the whole, it may seem like your hair growth has taken a hit.

When you hair loses length because of breakage: When hair is constantly subjected to heat and chemical treatments, the strands go increasingly weak and break midway, leaving you with several locks that are shorter than your average hair length.

Even if these damaged and broken strands grow normally, it will be a while before they will be able to match the length of the other hair on your scalp. This again may be confused with a hair growth issue.

When you just can’t seem to get your hair to grow beyond a certain length: Try as they may, some people just can’t seem to grow their hair beyond a certain length. Hair growth and hair loss in humans is not a cyclical or seasonal process like in animals. Actually, it’s phasic and random.

We are born with an average of 100,000 hair follicles on the scalp, and that is all we get for one lifetime. Each of these follicles produces a filament-like outgrowth, which we know as hair.

The hair on your scalp, like on the rest of your body, goes through 3 phases.

The anagen phase is the active growth stage in which the hair cells multiply rapidly. The newly-formed hair, pushes the club hair up and out of the skin and eventually breaks through the dermal barrier. For the hair on your scalp, the anagen phase can last between 2- 6 years.
The next stage is the catagen phase in which growth stops and the hair root shrinks to form what is called a club hair. About 1-3% of all your hair are in the catagen phase at any given time, and this stage only lasts for 15-20 days.
Finally, your hair reaches the telogen or the resting phase in which the club hair is completely formed and the shaft is detached from the follicle. This phase lasts for approximately 100 days after which the growth cycle restarts and the new hair gradually pushes the club hair out of the skin as it grows upwards.

The reason why the hair on the rest of your body don’t grow as long as those on your scalp is because they have a very short anagen or growth phase. So, those of you who can’t grow their hair beyond a certain length have a short anagen phase of about 2-3 years, which gets you no more than 18 inches of length.

Although your genes are mostly to thank for your naturally short anagen phase, there are other factors that can influence the duration of the growth phase.

The good news is that there are also natural ways to increase the length of the anagen stage as well as to boost the cellular regeneration during this stage, which would get you an increase in length. We, will talk about that in a bit, but first let me answer your next question.

What Are The Factors That Slow Down Hair Growth?

Age gets to us all and to the all of us:

Well, in terms of growth your skin can’t even get close to the performance of your hair, but those tresses are just as susceptible to the ravages of age as your skin.

Apart from age-linked hormonal fluctuations, the two other factors that can mess with your hair growth are circulatory problems and a dry scalp.

Poor circulation brings along the deficiency of nutrients and oxygen, which starves the roots and makes them shrink, sending hair into early catagenic phase.

As far as dry skin on the scalp goes, the accumulation of dead cells can block the hair follicles and impede the ability of new and growing hair to break out of the epidermis.

Your hair is the last to get to the buffet:

Let me put it this way; your skin is never the first to get its hands on the gravy boat, which means neither are those hair follicles. So, any deficiency is obviously experienced more acutely by the hair follicles.

The lack of protein and vital nutrients like vitamin B12, iron and zinc can cause the hair follicles to become weak and can push the hair out of the growing phase and into the shedding stage.

Poor scalp condition exacerbates the problem:

Be it dandruff, a fungal infection or an autoimmune condition like psoriasis, anything that causes scalp inflammation is bound to be impact hair growth.

Oh those crazy hormones:

I am sorry to say this but this one is for all us gals out there who are struggling with hair growth issues. Pregnancy, post pregnancy and menopause are the three phases that seriously and significantly impact all parts of a woman’s body and all aspects of her life. The good news is that you get luscious, thick locks to go with that pregnancy glow.

Thank your soaring estrogen levels for it because the hormone helps to keep more of those hair strands in the growth phase. Needless to say, once your bundle of joy arrives, the estrogen level takes a dip and so does the duration of the anagen phase. It does not actually get reduced but it does go back to your pre-pregnancy days. This coupled with the stress of handling a new born can lead to significant hair loss.

Hypothyroid:

An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) causes your metabolism, blood pressure and heart rate to plunge. Needless to say, nutritional deficiencies do crop up, which may lead to the shrinkage of hair roots and early onset of the telogen phase. Moreover, experts also believe that thyroid hormones play a role in regulating the ratio between the anagen and the telogen phase.

Thyroid hormone receptors are expressed in the hair follicles, and these directly influence the functioning of the stem cells in the hair follicles, which are responsible for hair cycling or hair growth. Typically, supplementation with synthetic hormones restores the balance between the anagen and the telogen phases.

Nutritional deficiencies:

The lack of iron, even if it has not progressed to the level of anemia, often causes hair growth issues in women in the same way that hypothyroid does.

Low ferritin levels can lead to similar hair growth issues. Ferritin is a protein that stores and releases iron, so if ferritin levels are low, you can be quite sure that you must also be suffering from low levels of iron.

Eating disorders:

Bulimia and anorexia lead to severe nutritional deficiencies. Your body not only suffers from the paucity of vitamins and minerals but is also starved of major nutritional groups such as proteins. Without protein, your hair growth will slow down and can even stop.

How Are Hair Growth Problems Treated?

Although there are a lot of options for treating hair loss, your choices are limited when you are dealing with a hair growth problem.

Simply put, help is only available when you are out to go bald. But, what if you are not really battling a shiny patch on your head?

In that case, you basically stuck with thickening shampoos and conditioners, Rogaine or futuristic laser helmets and gadgets. Here is how these options fare:

1. Thickening shampoos and conditioners:

I don’t think anybody can dispute the fact that the boys and girls who model for popular hair thickening shampoos have gorgeous hair. Their shine, thickness, length and bounce are enough to invoke envy. But, equally true is the fact that they don’t owe those drool-worthy tresses to the products they are helping sell.

I know these formulations are sold with truly tall claims. Unfortunately, most of them are baloney. At worst, you won’t get any results from these products, and at best, the improvement in the hair texture and thickness will only be temporary.

Regardless of what they tell you, there is no way that these formulations will help to boost hair growth.

2. Minoxidil:

The true heavy weight in this list, minoxidil has earned itself the approval of the lofty FDA as the only OTC medication that helps to curb hair loss and improve hair growth/regrowth. You probably know this drug as Rogaine or Keranique. It is typically offered in the form of a shampoo, foam or hair serum.

The strike rate of minoxidil is about 60%, and of those users, almost 40% reported only minimal regrowth in hair. So, as you can see, this is far from being a sure-fire solution to your hair growth woes, but this does not mean that it’s free of side effects.

Mild adverse reactions include scalp irritation, headache, dizziness, swelling in the hands and legs and unwanted hair growth on the other parts of the body. More severe side effects include fast heart rate, chest pain, light headedness, fainting and confusion. In fact, the drug is contraindicated for people with cardiac issues.

3. Laser therapy:

Call this one the new kid on the block and the latest money churner that is beckoning everybody on board. Theoretically, these gadgets are meant to stimulate the hair follicles through the use of low intensity laser. The products available in this class run the gamut; from brushes and combs to helmets and even hair bands.

You’ll have to plunk at least a $1,000 for one of them, and you will be incurring that cost solely on the basis of a research conducted in 1960 on rodents. My guess would be that infra-red therapy is known to help with inflammation, so these products may help in cases of hair loss or problems with hair growth that result from scalp inflammation.

But, a study conducted in 2013, noted no significant improvement in hair length or diameter in response to the use of these devices.

In fact, some people have reported an increase in hair loss after they put their expensive hair helmets and combs to use. Hence, my advice would be to tread with caution. Because the last thing you need is to burn the skin on your scalp and end up with scar tissue; then you can really bid farewell to your locks forever.

Should You See A Doctor For Your Hair Growth Problems?

Yes, you do need to see a doctor if you don’t see your hair growing normally or are clogging the bathroom drain with your shedding. It’s not so much the hair growth issue as the underlying health concern that may be causing it, which needs to be investigated and diagnosed.

For women, trichological issues are often an indication of hormonal imbalance. If you let hormonal anomalies prevail, you will be doing damage to more than just your hair follicles.

As far as the boys are concerned, the Hollywood stereotype of the balding, middle aged man with a beer belly suffering from a stroke or a heart attack are not an exaggeration.

Hypertension, high cholesterol levels and cardio vascular issues will lead to hair growth problems and hair loss. So, your baldness may be a sign of impending trouble with the ticker. Hence, you should see a doctor first and then a trichologist for your hair growth issues.

Can Essential Oils Really Help To Improve Hair Growth?

Yes, they can! I know it seems like I can’t say one bad thing about essential oils.

But ya’ll know me. I’m never the one to play up the benefits of any product/ingredient/compound. In this case, these oils can truly move those hair follicles if not mountains.

Essential oils help in innumerable ways to boost hair growth because they can deal with nearly all the factors that disrupt the anagen cycle and slow down hair growth. Let me tell you how…

Tackling the inflammation: If something is wrong with any part of your body, you can be reasonably sure that inflammation has some part to play in it. Now, you already know that nothing tames inflammation like essential oils. So, these super smelling extracts sure do have you covered on this front.

The lack of nutrition and oxygen: Your hair and your skin are the first to show signs of nutritional deficiencies. Fortunately, essential oils can save the day for your tresses by improving blood supply to the scalp and restoring the flow of nutrients to the skin cells as well the hair follicles.

Dealing with the dryness: As the lack of moisture makes its way from the epidermis to the dermis, the hair follicles start to shrink along with the dermal cells that surround them. This in turn chokes the hair roots, pushing each strand towards the telogen phase.

But, with essential oils you can stop the damaging cycle before it starts. In fact, essential oil blends can be used to keep the skin on the scalp supple and healthy as well as to protect it and the hair strands and follicles from environmental damage and critter attacks.

Making those hair follicles work as hard as they should: Although there are very few compounds out there that can manage this seemingly impossible task, some oils and herbs actually have the capacity to slow down the shrinking of the sheath that surrounds the hair root, which occurs in the catagen phase and eventually leads to the telogen phase.

If the hair root stays plump for longer, this simply means that you get that much more growth time for each strand. Couple this with a healthy flow of nutrients and we are talking about an increase in both hair length and width.

And, that is how you get lustrous, thick and gorgeous locks! So, let’s get talking about the ingredients that make a difference…

The Best 4 Essential Oils For Hair Growth!

1. Lavender

Wait, don’t shake that head in disbelief and dis my choice of lavender essential oil. I promise it is not here just for its soothing and calming aroma, which, by the way, does free you from the manacles of stress. But, I am using it here for a totally different reason.

The application of lavender oil prevents the hair follicles from shrinking and keeps them lodged into the deeper dermal layers for a longer period of time, thus detaining the hair shafts in the growth stage.

Moreover, lavender oil also helps to reduce the number of mast cells around the hair follicles. The chemical mediators in these cells contribute towards pushing the hair strands into the catagen phase.

Plus, you already know about the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits of this aromatic extract, which protect the scalp and the hair follicles from damage. Furthermore, the oil helps to keep the scalp free of microbes and aids in preventing dryness.

2. Sandalwood

This is another essential oil, which is known to greatly impact the number of mast cells surrounding the hair follicle. A lower number of mast cells equates to a delayed onset of the catagen phase.

Additionally, the earthy, woody aroma of the oil acts as an effective stress buster and neutralizes the detrimental effects of cortisol on the hair follicles. If that’s not enough, the sesquiterpenes in the extract protect the skin of the scalp, the hair strands and hair follicles from environmental stressors as well as from loss of moisture.

3. Peppermint

On the surface, this oil helps to stimulate blood flow to the scalp, increasing the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles. Moreover, peppermint essential oil is a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial agent with cleansing properties that helps to remove hair follicle blockages.

However, the most profound effect of this oil is in increasing the depth of the hair follicle and the conservation of the vascular link of the dermal papillae. Together these mechanisms, lead to rapid onset of anagen phase after the telogen phase and in an increase in the duration of the anagen phase.

4. Pine needle

This extract may seem a bit out of place in this list at first. But, if you look closely at its healing properties, you will realize that pine needle essential oil can help to retain and enhance scalp moisture levels while preventing the buildup of sebum. It also improves blood circulation to the scalp.

Along with these aromatic extracts, the recipes listed ahead also include bergamot, rosemary, geranium and eucalyptus essential oils, which are rich in monoterpenoids that act as FGF-5 inhibitors. FGF-5 (Fibroblast growth factor-5) is a peptide responsible for the progression of hair from the anagen to the catagen phase.

It’s not just essential oils but also the carrier oils that you choose which will make a difference to the efficacy of your hair growth blend. The best carrier oils to use for the job include:

Black seed oil, which has just the right blend of fatty acids.
Argan oil, which contains significant amounts of vitamin E
Castor oil, which contains ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid increases the amount of prostaglandin E2 in the scalp tissue, which is linked to hair growth.

Apart from these, there are 2 macerated oils (Ayurvedic preparations) that can help immensely to improve hair growth and reduce hair loss. They are hard to find, but their ability to boost hair growth and limit hair loss is utterly impressive. These are:

Bhringaraj oil
Yashtimadhu oil

Both of these combine several herbs with the goodness of sesame seed oil, and they can be used as the carrier oil for your hair growth blend.

In addition to these, we will also use angelic root powder, licorice root powder/extract, green tea (matcha) and caffeine powder. So, let’s start pampering those locks.

Top 6 Essential Oil Recipes For Hair Growth

1. The overnight hair oil treatment

30 ml carrier oil blend (3:1 mix of black seed oil and castor oil) or one of the macerated carrier oils mentioned above
10 drops peppermint oil
5 drops eucalyptus oil
3 drops bergamot oil

Method

Mix the oils and store in a dark glass bottle away from direct heat and light. Apply to your scalp and hair, massaging the scalp for about 15-20 minutes. No need to warm the oil before use but do keep it on overnight.

2. Blend for pre-shower scalp massage

50 ml black seed oil
8 drops pine needle oil
5 drops each thyme and eucalyptus essential oils
8 drops each of grapefruit and peppermint essential oils

Method

This blend is for when you cannot find the time at night for the 20 minute head massage or just don’t relish the idea of sleeping with oil on your hair. Preparation and usage as above, but wrap your head with a towel after applying the oil and keep it on for 30-60 minutes.

3. Hair growth shampoo

2 tsp matcha powder
10 drops rosemary oil
15 drops each of geranium and peppermint essential oils
1 cup Castile soap or soap nuts for the foaming base
2 tsp coconut oil

Method

If using soap nuts, tie 7-8 in a muslin cloth and put the pouch in a pan. Add 2 cups of water to it and place the pan on heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add a cup of water to the contents of the pan and simmer again for 10 minutes. Remove the muslin bag and squeeze till you see suds. You can use a cup of this extract as your foam base. However, you will need to store the shampoo in the refrigerator.

Mix the essential oils with the coconut oil and set aside. Pour the foaming base into a medium sized bowl and add the matcha powder to it. Whisk well and make sure that the mixture is clump-free. Using a spoon is your best bet here.

Add the essential oil and coconut oil blend to the mixture and whisk till there are no visible sign of the lipids on the surface of the foaming base. Store in a glass bottle and use as you would any other shampoo. This shampoo stays good for 15 days, discard whatever remains after two weeks.

4. Leave in conditioner for super-fast hair growth

30 ml Argan oil
12 drops lavender oil
8 drops sandalwood oil

Method

Mix the oils together and store in a dark glass bottle. To use, take about 2-3 drops of the blend in the palm of your hand. Warm the blend by rubbing your palms together and then run your fingers and palms through your hair, reaching down to the scalp.

The idea is to apply most of the blend to the scalp and cover the hair shafts with what remains. Don’t use more than a few drops or you’ll end up with oily and sticky hair. Used in the right amount, this blend will make your hair more manageable and will definitely give them a glossy look.

5. Super hydrating and nourishing hair mask

1 heaped tsp angelica root powder
1 heaped tsp licorice root powder
½ cup Coconut milk
½ avocado (medium sized) mashed to a pulp.
½ tsp caffeine powder
5 drops lavender oil

Method

Mash ½ avocado to a pulp and add the angelica root powder and licorice root powder to the puree. Slowly mix in the coconut milk till you get a paste with smooth syrupy consistency. Finally, mix in the caffeine powder and whisk well. Make sure that your mask isn’t too thick or too thin. You will have trouble applying it and keeping it on if you don’t get the consistency right.

Once the mask is ready, apply with a brush on your scalp and on your hair. Cover with a disposable shower cap and let the mask work its magic on your scalp and your locks for 30 minutes. Remember to wipe off any runaway drops before they get close to your peppers. Wash off using warm water. You don’t need to shampoo your hair after this treatment.

6. Hair spray for hair growth

½ cup Lavender hydrosol
1 cup aloe gel (not the green stuff sold in plastic jars)
2 heaped tbsp fenugreek seeds (you will find this ingredient online or in specialty food stores)

Method

Grind the seeds to a powder using the coffee mill or a mortar and a pestle. Soak the ground fenugreek seeds in a cup of water overnight. In the morning, boil the water with the seeds in it. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes and take it off the stove. Allow the extract to cool down to room temperature. Filter to remove the residue of the ground seeds.

You will need ½ cup of this extract. Mix it with the lavender hydrosol and the aloe vera gel. Store in a bottle with a fine mister head and use as you would an ordinary hair spray. You may have already guessed that this isn’t a maximum hold hair spray that will keep a voluminous and complex 80’s hairdo intact even in the face of gusty winds.

What you get is a flexible hold spray that will do your hair a world of good and will protect them while keeping your coiffured locks in relatively good shape. Store in the refrigerator and prepare a fresh batch every 5 days.

On A Parting Note….

Well folks, there you have it – all the information that you need to keep your hair growing and thriving. But, let me clarify that no amount of topical hair care will help unless you give those locks the nutrition they need and keep a check on unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Smoking and excess alcohol consumption poison all parts of your body and your hair are bound to bear the brunt of the detrimental effects of these toxins. Additionally, any factor that increases your stress levels and consequently the amount of cortisol in your body will create trouble for your tresses.

So, living healthy is one of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure that your hair live long. That’s all for today folks. May you have long, shiny and thick tresses for decades to come!

Essential Oils For Bone Spurs: When Being Porcupine Boy Doesn’t Sound So Heroic Anymore

by Olivia Leave a Comment

Hello my lovely Olive Nation. Always a pleasure to see more and more people joining the essential oil fold. It means we’re still doing something right.

I will start by saying; experience is the best teacher. But then again, you do not have to go through your own experiences to learn. Consider this scenario…

Before one of my loyal readers came to me in pain, I did not have a clue what bone spurs were. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even know that it was possible for calcium deposits in your bones and joints to cause you pain.

I mean, we are taught that milk (an excellent source of calcium) is excellent for strengthening bones. But as it turns out, calcium has to be deposited in the right place to strengthen the bones.

You see, bone spurs are merely calcium deposits that develop at intersections or edges of bones. They usually grow in joints including shoulders, knees, spine, and hips.

However, they can also grow on the heel and the finger joints. While they may go unnoticed for a while, but when activated, they case sharp pains and tenderness to the surrounding muscles.

This pain will make you aware of movements and parts of your body you did not know even existed. The feeling is similar to the pain experienced after going to the gym after a long while.

In the morning after the workout, you can pinpoint every muscle in your body (even those in your glutes). The only difference is that pain from bone spurs is sharper and more concentrated.

Say you have a heel spur, you would need to wear special shoes to cushion the pressure and ease the pain. But these can be pretty darn expensive.

And since I am a good sport, I will share with you some natural remedies to deal with bone spurs that will not hurt your finances. But first, let’s understand this condition fully.

The Truth About Bone Spurs – What Are They?

Medically speaking, a bone spur is an Osteophyte. Most people like thinking of it as a cause of pain. But this assumption is not exactly right.

True, common sense has it that a protrusion in the bone will cause pain – but this is not always the case. Most people with bone spurs do not experience pain.

As such, undergoing surgery to have the spur removed does not always fix the problem. Bone spurs are by themselves not painful. It is the pressure they put on the surrounding muscles, tissues, and nerves that cause the pain.

An osteophyte is a calcium growth on the bone. This growth can take up many different forms and shapes. It is often discovered by doctors when they are trying to explain the cause of persistent pain in their patients.

Causes Of Bone Spurs

Doctors do not have functional explanations as to why bone spurs develop. They do, however, provide a number of theories.

Some doctors maintain that bone spurs form following an injury to the tendon or a joint. Following this injury, the body might think that the bone is damaged and embarks on a process of correcting the damage. It does this by adding some bone to the joint. This, in turn, leads to the development of a spur.

Most often, arthritis is the cause of the damage that results in the creation of a bone spur. With age, the cushioning between the bones and joints of the spine may wear down. Additionally, gout, lupus, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis may damage the joints.

Other factors believed to cause bone spurs include:

Repetitive activities – it is great to be active. It keeps you healthy and fit. However, repetitive actions can have a downside (I thought this was pretty unfair by the way). People who indulge themselves in carpentry, pitching, and dancing are at risk.The irritation, stiffness, and pain that follow are not always as a result of muscle aches. At times, it may be as a result of a change in joint structure. In such situations, bone spurs could appear in the heels and shoulders – the areas that experience a lot of pressure and are ‘punished’ by these activities.

Diet – what most people eat is a contributing factor to the development of weak bones, kidney stones, and bone spurs. Some of the ingredients and foods that put you at risk include soda, refined sugars, apple juice and fluoridated water.It is even worse given that most people do not drink the recommended eight glasses of water (or more) daily. So yes, the next time you plan on grabbing fast foods for dinner or lunch, think twice.

Fashion sense – yes, sadly, fashion is one of the contributors here. Wearing shoes that restrict foot movement as a result of their tightness can damage the bones in your feet.The pressure may first result in pain from plantar fasciitis and later develop bone spurs in an attempt to correct the pressure problem by strengthening the bone.

With that said, here are some facts about bone spurs

The bone growth (the bone spur), is usually composed of similar bone tissue to the bone on which it grows on.

Bone spurs do not appear magically and from thin air. Their development is gradual. They will continue to grow over time (though slowly).

Bone spurs play a part in causing pain, but not directly. While most times they seem to be the cause of all bone pain you should remember, looks can be deceiving. Whether one experiences pain or not is dependent on the location of the bone spur.

Symptoms Of Bone Spurs

Symptoms do not always accompany bone spurs. Numerous persons who have them do not even realize that they have it.

But in some cases, when the bone spur rubs against nearby bones or soft tissues, they cause sudden sharp pain or even cause the loss of normal motion in the affected joint. This is most prevalent in feet, hands, shoulders, knees, and hips.

When the bone spur rubs against the ligaments or tendons, a tear can occur. I need not mention that this tear is insanely painful. These tears are common complications in shoulders, and they often lead to rotator cuff tears.

If the bone spurs grow in the spine, they not only cause pain but a loss of motion. The spine supports the entire body, and as such, this is expected.

In addition to these, they may also pinch the spinal cord or the nerves. The pinching of these nerves leads to tingling, numbness, nerve pain, and weakness in the legs and arms. The condition is referred to as radiculopathy. When the spurs compress the spinal cord, one starts to experience weakness, imbalance and severe pain.

It is also worth noting that depending on the nerves the bone spurs pinches, one might lose control over the bowels and bladder. For me, this is probably one of the most embarrassing symptoms of all.

Can you imagine an adult having to wear diapers as a result of losing control? Luckily, there is a solution to this problem (we shall look at this later on).

The bone outgrowths, when they are large enough, may start showing under the skin. At this point, they have been around for quite some time, and while they may not be causing you pain, it is essential that you have these removed.

You do not want to walk around looking like Spyke from X-men. Though come to think of it, it would be awesome if you could shoot spikes from your body – a classic case of ‘if wishes were horses, beggars would ride’.

Speaking of shooting spikes, you should note that there is a possibility of the bone spurs chipping off and getting stuck in the joint lining.

Medical experts refer to these as loose bodies. These pieces dislodged in the joint make it increasingly difficult to move the affected joint. That said, when you notice a spur in a particular joint, try hard not to exercise or move the joint – you could end up making it worse.

Prevention Of Bone Spurs

Now, no one is immune to developing bone spurs. And while there isn’t anything one can do to prevent bone spurs, there are some ingredients that can help in reducing your risk of developing them. Below is a short list of these ingredients.

1. Ammonium chloride

Yes, I know this sounds like a scary chemical – the kind that is out to melt your bones from the inside, no? Oh well, we can’t all be chemistry nerds.

Anyway, this ingredient is safe and healthy. If anything it is essential to the bone growth cycle. It is acidic and aids the body in getting back a healthy acid/alkaline balance. Shockingly, it is one of the digestive juices found in the stomach. It helps in mineral absorption as well.

2. Calcium chloride

Calcium comes in many different forms. But the form of calcium I recommend in this instance is not the kind that is used to build up bone. Instead, it is the kind that is perfect in helping the bone resorption process run smoothly.

Calcium phosphate is a form of calcium found in teeth and boned. I recommend it for this formula as well. Bear in mind that calcium is used by the body to develop healthy bones. As such, you should not remove it from your diet and supplement intake. Actually, a reduction in its consumption is bound to case the creation of bone spurs.

3. Vitamin C

You are aware of vitamin C as a booster of the immune system. But in addition to this, this vitamin is essential for tissue rebuilding after injury and heavy activities. A deficiency of vitamin C will slow down the rebuilding process and weaken the tendons and ligaments.

You should include vitamin C rich foods in your diet as they will help to provide cushioning by regenerating connective tissues around joints. This way your brain will not think of overcompensating for injuries by developing bone spurs.

4. Magnesium glycerophosphate

This is an essential mineral to the body. It is unfortunate that most of us are missing it in our diets. Why? Well, most soils used in agriculture are depleted of this mineral, and as such, it is not present in the foods we harvest.

Magnesium is essential as it facilitates cells to generate energy. It also assists calcium to build healthy bone. But most importantly, it works as a pain reliever. It achieves this by blocking the pain receptors referred to as NMDA receptors. Glycerophosphate is the best form of magnesium. Since it is acidic, it will not alkalize the tissues and pile up problems to your bone spurs.

5. Betaine hydrochloric acid

This acid is designed to mimic acids found in the stomach. It helps in breaking minerals naturally. When the body is overly alkaline, calcium and several other minerals are not adequately prepared for absorption in the body. This leads to the development of bone spurs.

I told you guys I am slightly geeky. Do you believe me now? Who would have thought I would know of such ingredients and explain it with such clarity to my Olive Nation?

But aside from these ingredients, you also should:

Wear wide shoes and that provide ample support and cushioning. When buying shoes, ensure they are a perfect size. Always wear thick socks to keep your shoes from rubbing against your feet.
Exercise regularly. This will help to keep your joints in great shape. It will, in turn, avoid injuries and bone spurs.
Maintain a healthy weight.

Treatment Of Bone Spurs

The method used to treat bone spurs differ depending on the symptoms that one experiences. Pain is one of the common symptoms. It is usually treated with medication. Anti-inflammatory medications are used. These help in relieving pain and reducing inflammation caused.

Physical therapy

In some cases, your doctor may recommend physical therapy which will help in alleviating some bone spur symptoms. Get me right; I am not saying that the therapies can get rid of the bone spurs. They will, however, help with the symptoms.

If you have lost motion in one joint, some physical therapy could help in strengthening the surrounding muscles and ultimately increase motion in the affected area. Physical therapy will include the use of cold packs, ultrasound treatments, and stretching exercises.

Cortisone injections

In other scenarios, cortisone injections to the joint help in reducing pain levels. A doctor should perform these injections. If they are to be on the spine or hips, an x-ray machine is used as well to guide in its placement.

Surgery

In severe cases, surgery is recommended. It is designed to get rid of the bone spurs and ease pressure on the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.

Essential Oils

An increasing number of people are looking to essential oils as their savior from most of the symptoms of bone spur pains. A quick search online reveals numerous positive testimonials.

Essential oils are generally concentrates of plant oils and water. The oil is usually extracted through a steaming process or distillation. The essence extracted can be used for medicinal purposes, in cosmetics and perfume, incense and soap.

Given that they are natural, they do not have adverse side effects when used as directed. Each essential oil features its unique properties which are benefits to the user.

How Useful Are Essential Oils In The Treatment Of Bone Spurs

Below are some of the best 5 essential oils for bone spurs.

1. Frankincense

It should not come as a surprise that I have added the grandfather of all essential oils here. This oil has gained popularity courtesy of its numerous health benefits.

Frankincense is derived from Boswellia Sacra tree. It is a potent anti-inflammatory oil and has excellent pain relief properties. Over the past centuries, it has been used by many to bring down swelling, ease pain and increase circulation.

Given the sedative properties, it features, frankincense is effective in relieving stress and boosting the immune system. Bone spur pain is no match for this essential oil.

2. Lavender

It almost seems as though lavender oil can cure just about anything. This works wonders in soothing and relaxing any aching muscles.

Tension and stress often make bone spur symptoms even worse. As such, the sedative properties of this essential oil play a significant role. You can opt to apply this oil directly to the affected joint or add it to your Epsom salt bath.

3. Myrrh

This essential oil is related to frankincense. If you know bible stories – the birth of Jesus specifically, you know that these two were gifts. So if the wise men thought these fit for a king, it only means they were of great value – and they still are.

Only that the value I refer to here is the pain relieving properties that they have. Myrrh is extracted from Commiphora myrrh tree. This tree is common in the Middle East and Africa. It features antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to this, they stimulate blood flow and reduce tissue swelling. Improved blood flow hastens the healing process.

4. Wintergreen

Wintergreen has for decades been used to relieve muscle and joint pain. There are numerous synthetic versions of this plant available in local drug stores as muscle rubs.

The extract has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties help it to calm nerves and ‘numb’ pain caused by bone spurs.

5. Peppermint

Needless to say, this oil is derived from peppermint. It works wonders on numerous ailments. Peppermint oil has cooling properties which provide relief to inflammation (swollen and warm joints).

It also has analgesic, anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties which make it an effective pain reliever. Essential oils are fast absorbed into the skin and as such works fast.

Recommended Natural Product For Pain Relief Associated With Bone Spurs

The pain of bone spurs is often described as a knife or pin sticking into the bottom of one’s feet. If you’re after an essential oil blend that can deal with the pain associated with bone spurs naturally, without any side effects or drug interactions, look no further. The L’orpur pain relief blend will do just this!

Essential Oil Recipes For Bone Spurs

1. Bone Spurs Pain Reliever

What you need:

Wintergreen – 4 drops
Juniper Berry – 5 drops
Myrrh – 6 drops
Arnica oil – 1 oz

Method: you should massage just a few drops of this blend in the affected joint. Massage it 3 times on a daily basis or more if the pain is intense.

2. Natural Remedy Bone Spur Remedy

What you need:

Balsam Fir – 5 drops
Roman Chamomile – 4 drops
Peppermint – 7 drops
Black seed oil – 1 oz

Method: shake the blend well before use. Apply a few drops on the joint and rub using circular motions. Do this several times daily.

3. Natural Neck Bone Spurs Treatment

What you need:

Lemon – 3 drops
Helichrysum – 3 drops
Wintergreen – 2 drops
Arnica oil – 8 ml
Roll on bottle (10ml)

Method: Massage the blend on the painful joint. Be careful not to press on the bone spurs. Repeat the massage 3-4 times in a day or more depending on the pain experienced.

4. Heel Spur Blend

What you need:

Lavender – 5 drops
Rosemary – 6 drops
Juniper Berry – 5 drops
Olive oil – 1 oz

Method: Apply the blend to the painful area in a massaging motion. Wear socks to keep the skin warm. The warmth will improve the efficiency of the blend.

5. Ultimate Bone Spur Blend

What you will need:

Wintergreen – 4 drops
Eucalyptus – 3 drops
Marjoram – 5 drops
Cypress – 4 drops
Helichrysum – 2 drops
Peppermint – 6 drops
Frankincense – 5 drops
Coconut oil – 2 oz

Method: apply this blend to the joint twice on a daily basis. Do this for 2 weeks. To speed up the healing process, wrap the affected area using a warm cloth after rubbing the oils. Wrap this warm cloth with a plastic bag and finish off with a towel on top to retain the heat.

6. Hip Spurs Blend

What you need:

Cayenne essential oil – 2 drops
Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon

Method: mix 2 drops of cayenne oil in a tablespoon of coconut oil. Use it on the skin to relieve hip pain.

7. Peppermint Pain Reliever Blend

What you need:

Peppermint – 4 drops
Jojoba oil – 1 tablespoon (or any other carrier oil)

Method: Apply a small amount of this bend to the painful joint and massage it in.

The Final Word

While it might seem like a great thing that bone spurs do not always cause pain, it might actually be doing you more harm than good. Fortunately, you have taken a significant step to know why they form and where they do.

Although they may not have a definite prevention method, you have an idea of how you can reduce the risk of them developing. If you’ve already developed joint problems, the above essential oils and blends will work wonders for you.

If the pain persists, you should visit your doctor for further instructions. I am a good sport who has provided you with useful information, but we cannot negate the importance of visiting your doctor as well. So make it a point to follow your regular checkup schedules.