Alexus Baldwin | Staff Writer
Aromatherapy is a substitute medicine that involves the use of essential oils that can be inhaled by people who have numerous health conditions. Health benefits include inducing sleep, improving the digestion system, relieving depression and anxiety, and strengthening of the immune system.
Fortunately, nature has provided mankind these oils to cure certain medical conditions.
The most known use of aromatherapy is for the relief of stress. Inside the oils, there are relaxants that help reduce anxiety levels and calm people down. Most use aromatherapy in their homes because of how easy the mixtures are.
Studies have shown that lavender, peppermint, vetiver, lemon oil and bergamot are most effective. These oils can provide a number of benefits; for instance, lemon oil can improve aging.
“Personally, I have never used aromatherapy. But, my mother has, and I have seen a huge improvement with her moods,” Baltimore native Rachel Jones said. “She is no longer as angry as she once was and is a lot calmer.”
Aromatherapy also helps with relieving depression. The most common oils used for this are lavender, jasmine, peppermint and chamomile.
Alzheimer’s disease affects memory, typically in the elderly. Although this disease is still incurable, aromatherapy can reduce the progression of this condition and can be used as an alternative with dementia as well.
Aromatherapy also has been shown to help younger people improve their memory capacity as well. Sage oil is recommended for this purpose.
Unlike aromatherapy oils, coffee, cigarettes and pills tend to have very dangerous side effects and should not be used for energy boosts.
“While a lot of us grab coffee in the morning to help us with energy, aromatherapy can do the same thing and is less damaging. There are plenty of oils to help with energy and even increase circulation,” registered nurse Marcella Douglas said. “If you want to give yourself an energy boost, try cinnamon, clove, tea tree, rosemary, sage or black pepper.”
Kayla Davis, a nursing major from Richmond, concurred.
“College students should highly consider this rather than running to Starbucks every morning before class,” Davis said. “This is a way healthier alternative than caffeine.”
Headaches and migraines are common occurrences. Instead of grabbing Tylenol or Motrin, aromatherapy is a healthier solution. Not only can it get rid of the headache, but it will also help with the medical origin of your headaches to prevent them from coming back in the future.
College students are welcome to take advantage of aromatherapy, especially considering the stress they face on a daily basis.
“After reading more about aromatherapy,” Jones said, “I plan to use this to help with my anxiety especially when there is an upcoming test or quiz.”
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