AROMATHERAPY

5th Group
Definition
 Aromatherapy, also referred to as Essential Oil therapy, can be defined as
the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from
plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and
spirit. It seeks to unify physiological, psychological and spiritual processes
to enhance an individual’s innate healing process. It was the French
perfumer and chemist, Rene- Maurice Gattefosse, who coined the term
“aromatherapie” in 1937 with his publication of a book by that name.

 Aromatherapy is a widely used term for a range of traditional therapies that

use essential oils. These may include massaging oils, or any topical
application that uses pure, essential oils - the essential oils are either
absorbed through the skin or inhaled. We are not completely sure what the
source of the benefit is - the massage, the smell or both.
How does it works
 Pure essential oils, when they are extracted naturally, are the heart and
soul of a plant - a concentration of its spirit. Within the plant, the chemicals
that create these scents have a job to do, such as attracting pollinators, or
repelling predators. In their concentrated form, these oils retain their
chemical signals and stimulate your unconscious mind with their scent.
Imagine inhaling deeply from a rose, or smelling freshly crushed mint
leaves. The power of scent can be transporting. Many of us have had the
experience of a smell suddenly retrieving a long-forgotten memory. That's
aromatherapy working. Our brain processes scent through the olfactory
system to the Limbic System, which controls our emotions and stores
learned memories. The chemical messengers contained within the scent of
essential oils trigger this primitive brain function and work to influence our
emotions. By choosing different scents and their underlying chemical
compounds, oil blends can be created with a desired aromatherapy effect
in mind.
Types of aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is generally applied in one of three ways:

 Aerial diffusion - the oils evaporate into the air. The aim is to give the air a
specific fragrance or to disinfect it.

 Direct inhalation - the person breaths the evaporating oils straight in. This
is commonly used for respiratory disinfection, decongestion, as well as for
psychological benefits.

 Topical applications - applied onto the skin. Commonly used for

massage, baths, and therapeutic skin care.
 There are three main uses of aromatherapy. They are
categorized keeping in mind that not all aromatic oils should be applied
on the skin directly. While certain oils can only be beneficial if used in
the form of inhalation, others help when applied topically.

 Aromatherapy using only the Fragrance or Sense of Smell or

Olfaction

 Cosmetic Aromatherapy

 Aromatherapy using Massage or Topical Application

The contains of aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine in which healing
effects are ascribed to the aromatic compounds in essential oils and other
plant extracts. Many common essential oils have medicinal properties that
have been applied in folk medicine since ancient times and are still widely
used today. For example, many essential oils have antiseptic properties.
Many are also claimed to have an uplifting effect on the mind. Such
claims, if meaningful, are not necessarily false but are difficult to quantify
in the light of the sheer variability of materials used in the practice.
Research Findings
Description
 Title : The Effect of Lemon Inhalation Aromatherapy on Nausea and
Vomiting of Pregnancy: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled
Clinical Trial

 Researcher : Parisa Yavari kia ; Farzaneh Safajou ; Mahnaz

Shahnazi ; Hossein Nazemiyeh

 Received: August 22, 2013; Revised: October 25, 2013; Accepted:

December 14, 2013
Background
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) are amongst the most common complaints

of women during pregnancy that 50 to 80 percent of women have experienced vari-

ous degrees of it. The beginning of NVP is highly variable and is usually between the

first and second missed menstrual cycle; it continues to 14 to 16 weeks of pregnancy

and usually has the most severity form 7 to 9 weeks of pregnancy. In 50% of women,

NVP resolves by the 14 weeks and in 90 percent of women by the 22 weeks. NVP not

only has adverse effects on women's physical health but also has negative effects on

psycho-social performance of them. Loss of work days, lack of energy, fatigue,

irritability, lack of enjoyment of life, and lack of preparation for childbirth can cause

considerable stress on women. Since the pathophysiology of NVP is not well

understood, many available treatments are just prescribe to reduce symptoms.

NVP treatment depends on the severity of symptoms and varies from changes in
diet and lifestyle to hospitalization. The results of a review study in 2010 by the
Cochrane database showed that there were limited evidence supporting the use
of medications such as vitamin B6 and antiemetic medications to relieve mild or
moderate NVP. In addition, for non-pharmacological methods, the evidences on
the effectiveness of acupressure were limited and the use of acupuncture in
pregnant women showed no significant benefits. The use of ginger products may
also be useful but there are limited evidences on the effectiveness of it. Lemon
essential oil (Citrus lemon) is one of the most widely used herbal oils in
pregnancy and is considered as a safe drug in pregnancy. One or two drops of
lemon essential oil in an oil burner or a diffuser in bedroom helps to soothe and
relieve NVP (10). According to a study, 40% of women have used lemon scent to
relieve nausea and vomiting, and 26.5% of them have been reported it as an
effective way to control their symptoms.
Objectives
 The aim of this study was to determine the effect of
lemon inhalation aromatherapy on nausea and
vomiting during pregnancy.
Materials and Methods
 This was a randomized clinical trial in which 100 pregnant
women with nausea and vomiting who had eligibility criteria
were randomly divided into intervention and control groups
based on four- and six-random block sampling method.
Lemon essential oil and placebo were given to the
intervention and control groups, respectively, to inhale it as
soon as they felt nausea. The nausea, vomiting, and retch
intensity were investigated 24 hours before and during the
four days of treatment by means of PUQE-24 (24-hour
Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis).
Result
The study included 100 participants in two groups of 50 women. Data
collection lasted ten months (8/2012-5/2013). During the study, there was no loss
of sample due to drop out, missed to follow-up or voluntary exit from the study and
all the participants continued their cooperation to the end of the research.
Demographic and pregnancy characteristics are presented. There were no
significant differences between two groups in terms of demographic and
pregnancy, except for gravidity. First pregnancies composed 68% and 42% of
pregnancies in the intervention and the control group, respectively, which showed
statically significant difference between the two groups, hence, this variable was
adjusted as a confounding factor. The results showed that by controlling nausea
and vomiting before intervention and confounding variables (gravidity), there was
statistically significant differences between the mean scores of nausea and
vomiting on the second and fourth days in two groups. The mean nausea and
vomiting scores on the second and fourth days in the intervention group were
significantly lower than in the control group; however, the difference was not signifi-
cant on the first and third days.
Discussion
According to the findings of the present study, the mean scores of
NVP were decreased during four days of using inhalation lemon
aromatherapy; however, this reduction in score was statistically significant
only in second and forth days of follow up within two groups. Using comple-
mentary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Iran has a long history and
midwives and physicians are interested in using it. Aromatherapy is a
method that in addition to the physical effects, has psychological effects
(such as relaxation or stimulation) that can recur very rapidly. Smells in the
lowest basic level, can be stimulate the body to respond physically and
psychologically. When inhaling aromatic substances such as herbal oil emit
odor molecules, the receptor cells in the nasal send impulses directly into
olfactory region of the brain. The region is closely related to the other
systems that control the memory, emotions, hormones, sex, and heart rate.
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