Tag: Sense Of Smell

What Is Chronic Sinus Infection

There are two types of sinus infection. It could be acute or chronic and among the two, more people get afflicted with the chronic sinus infection.

The difference between chronic and acute sinus infection is the fact that this can last for 12 weeks or longer and this can recur once you get better. An acute sinus infection is gone after a week.

Common causes for chronic sinus infection include allergies, airborne fungus, nasal or sinus obstructions, trauma to the face, certain medical conditions and respiratory tract infections.

As a result, some of the symptoms that most people feel include headaches, congestion, difficulty breathing, reduced sense of smell, ear pain, fatigue, cough, nausea, sore throat and aching in the upper jaw or teeth.

Since you probably tried already to self medicate yourself without any positive results, the doctor is your only hope to make it go away.

After reviewing your medical history, some test will need to be done such as an MRI, CT scan, nasal endoscopy, extracting nasal or sinus cultures and an allergy test.

An MRI or CT scan is similar to an X-ray machine because they can show details of your sinus and nasal area without inserting anything into your body.

If this is needed, the doctor will have to do a nasal endoscopy by putting a thin, flexible tube with fiber optic light up your nose to see what is happening inside.

Not many people like that because it is like putting a similar tube up your anus. If possible, they will give a nasal or sinus sample instead so this can be checked.

If your doctor has not yet determined the exact cause of the chronic sinus infection, you may be referred to another specialist especially if he or she suspects that this is caused by an allergy so they can conduct an allergy test.

Once the results come in, the doctor will probably prescribe some antibiotics until you are free of the symptoms. To deal with the inflammation and swelling in the nasal cavity, you will be prescribed a corticosteroid. If this doesnt work, then you will probably try antihistamines, decongestants and expectorants.

The doctor may also try moisture or humidification to help flush the nasal cavity and loosen the dried mucus. Should the chronic sinus infection be caused by an allergy, it can be treated with immunotherapy. A method designed to stimulate the antibodies that block the bodys reactions to a specific allergy.

Chronic sinus infection can be prevented and the steps that you take are not that different when you are suffering from an acute sinus infection. You just have got to practice proper hygiene, get flu shots once a year, stay away from people who have colds as it is a contagious illness, limit your drinking, keep yourself hydrated at all times, buy a humidifier and avoid being in polluted areas or around people who smoke.

Should you already have chronic sinus infection, just follow the instructions of the doctor and update him or her on any progress.

Chronic sinus infection is no joke. Just to give you an idea of how serious it is, over 30 to 40 million Americans get it every year. If you dont want to be another person added to the statistics, do what is needed so you are always healthy.

What Are Essential Oils?

Maybe you have heard the term “essential oils” but didn’t know what was meant by it. Perhaps you had a vague idea that it was connected in some way with aromatherapy, but didn’t know how. Now is as good a time as any to learn what essential oils are. Essential oils are made from different parts of plants. They can be made from leaves, like peppermint oil. They can be made from petals, like rose oil. Some are made from bark or wood, like sandalwood.

Others are made from other parts of plants. If a so-called “essential oil” has any animal products in it, it is not truly an essential oil. Also, true essential oils do not contain synthetic ingredients.

Essential oils are usually made by distillation to make the natural oils in a plant substance very concentrated. It takes an enormous amount of plant material to make just a small amount of essential oils. For this reason, they are very expensive. It only takes a few drops of these essential oils to have a powerful effect. Most essential oils are not used directly on the skin. Most are either inhaled or applied in a carrier oil. Sometimes the oils are put into a bath.

You can buy individual essential oils or you can buy blends. If you buy blends, it’s up to the maker to decide what oils to mix together and in what proportions. You can save money this way, because you only have to buy one bottle of a blend rather than several bottles to mix yourself. If money is no object, you might like to have the choice.

Essential oils have been used for centuries to promote physical and mental well-being. There are many varieties of essential oils and there are different ones for almost every ailment out there. There are several choices of oils for many of the conditions. Essential oils enter the body through the sense of smell. This is why they are often inhaled in some way or another. However, they are also absorbed into the tissues of the skin and into the bloodstream. This is especially true when they are used in baths or massages.

When essential oils are inhaled, they reach the limbic system of the brain and go on to affect all the systems that it interfaces with. These include the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the endocrine system, and memory. In the bloodstream, they affect the organs as well. When you have had a massage treatment with essential oils, it is wise not to bathe or wash it off for a couple of hours. This is because the systems of the body take time to absorb the oils from the skin.

Both psychological and medical conditions have been treated with aromatherapy through the use of essential oils. Some can be very expensive, especially those that come from exotic plants. However, by using the few drops as recommended, a small bottle can last a long time. Essential oils are effective tools in controlling uncomfortable symptoms.

The History of Essential Oils

In modern times, essential oils are used in aromatherapy to aid people with their physical and emotional health. In the past, they have been used by many people all over the world and in different cultures to do just that. The history of essential oils is a long one. Thousands of years ago, the Chinese were using plants with aromatic qualities for healing. Although these plant substances were being used in the medical practices of the day, they had not yet been distilled into essential oils.

The Egyptians, and perhaps also the Persians and the people of India, were the first to make distillation machines. Oil of cedarwood distilled with such machines was used along with myrrh, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg oils to embalm the dead.

The Egyptians were concerned more with the sense of smell than with any of the other senses. They believed that it was the most important and dominant sense. They adopted the essential oils they made to their medicine, cosmetics, and fragrances.

The use of essential oils was taken up by the Greeks next. Hippocrates did an ancient form of aromatherapy. A Greek named Megalleon invented a perfume called megaleion. This substance was used in aromatherapy and as an essential oil as an anti-inflammatory and to heal wounds. A Roman, Discorides, wrote on the uses of 500 different plant substances. Distillations were also made of such substances. However, these distillations didn’t produce essential oils. Instead, they made floral-smelling waters.

Avicenna was a Persian man who refined the process by inventing a distillation machine with a coiled cooling pipe. This allowed for more effective cooling. Eventually, the focus shifted towards more emphasis on true essential oils and their uses.

Paracelcus was a doctor of the fifteenth century who began using the term “essence.” His emphasis was using essential oils for medicine. During this time, many new essential oils were being produced. Among them were juniper, rosemary, rose, and sage. During the sixteenth century, people would go to their apothecary to get essential oils for many different uses. Around this time, the advent of new essential oils flourished. In the next few centuries, essential oils changed little except in their use in perfumes.

The major chemical ingredients of essential oils were identified. Scientists became more interested in the subject of essential oils. In the twentieth century, this became a problem for those interested in the use of true essential oils.

Much of twentieth century science has been consumed with creating synthetic versions of essential oils. However, an early twentieth century Frenchman named Gattefosse became increasingly involved with the study of essential oils and their medicinal values. He was the first to use the term “aromatherapy”. Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils were not well known in English-speaking countries. Robert B. Tisserand changed all that. He wrote the first English book on the subject, and many other books and articles.

As the years go by, people are becoming more and more interested in natural ways of doing things. They want to find ways to soothe their minds and comfort their bodies without synthetic drugs. Essential oils give them a way to do it.

Do Essential Oils Really Work?

Creighton University Medical Center School of Medicine is out to determine if alternative therapies actually work. Aromatherapy has long been recognized for the treatment of minor ailments as well as the promotion of emotional stability. But how does it actually work? The Medical Center reports that while there is widespread use, there is still not much scientific evidence to support claims of the ability to treat these ailments.

What studies have been done? The school has tested the lavender, chamomile, marigold and peppermint essential oils in several studies to see if there was a reduction in the perception of pain. Placebo tests were also performed in these studies as well. The results showed that there positive effects through the use of the essential oils although they were not conclusive. Does that mean that essential oils do not work? Absolutely not! What the studies do show is that there are positive physiological effects when aromatherapy was used as a complementary form of treatment.

The use of aromatherapy is rooted in our history with its use dating back some one thousand years. The Egyptians used essential oils for embalming the dead, but they also used them as medicines, for perfumes and as cosmetics. Throughout the centuries following the use of essential oils in medical treatments were refined through the use of improved distillation equipment and additional studies of plants. While the term “aromatherapy” is new, the practice of using essential oils as medicines is not.

We do know that aromatherapy combines uses the sense of smell to regulate emotional behaviors. We know that certain essential oils are known to induce feelings of peace, harmony, reduce stress, anger or fatigue as well as other emotional facets. Essential oils can also reduce anxiety or feelings of loneliness. There is an essential oil that can aid in the treatment of just about every negative emotion and enhance the positive ones as well. But how it all works has still not been proven.

We also know that essential oils used as a topical treatment have been known to exhibit anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic responses. Topical treatments are normally diluted mixes of essential oils with carrier oils such as apricot kernel oil or almond sweet oil. Essential oils have been used in the treatment of acne, athlete’s foot, eczema and other skin ailments. Essential oils have also been noted to reduce scarring tissue and stretch marks. Citrus oils have also been used to treat insect bites as well as act as insect repellant. There are so many uses!

While there still might be little evidence to support or validate the scientific processes of healing or emotional balance that take place within the body, we are still seeing positive responses! We are still seeing and experiencing the benefits of what aromatherapy can do when we add this to our regimen. Whether or not the use of essential oils is right for you, only you can decide. Take some time to consult with your doctor or aroma therapist and see how you can add nature’s benefits to your life!