Essential oils for Colds & Flu

Before I get into discussing the oils:  If you catch the flu, it's important for you to get medical care.  Herbs and oils have their place in supporting our bodies, but acute situations, like flu, require a doctor's care because they can turn into life-threatening situations very quickly.  At the end of last week's blog, I let you know that DH had to go to the ER for flu, and that I was coming down with it.  He had a follow up appointment the next day with our doctor, and I went in for evaluation at the same time.  Doc prescribed Tamiflu for me.  Tamiflu is made from Shikimic Acid extracted from Star Anise, so I'm comfortable taking it, and it had me recovering within 48 hours.  DH's flu was complicated with pneumonia in little more than 24 hours after getting sick!  Medical intervention - including medicines, saved his life.  

My point in describing our experience is to let you know that seeking medical help is NOT "wimping out" - it's using common sense.  Think of it this way:  God gave us foods, herbs, and oils to help us.  He also gave us doctors and scientists who create medicines.   

All that being said, we still used herbs and essential oils to help make us more comfortable while we were sick.  This week's blog will discuss several essential oils that can help reduce the germ load in your house, support your immune and respiratory systems during cold and flu season, and provide a few ideas for how to prepare them.  Choosing which oils to use and how to use them will depend on your specific circumstances.  

Initially, we want to make preventative blends.  A diffuser blend, a room spray, and a cleaning blend would work well for this.  Oils that are antiseptic, antiviral, and air purifiers are key.  Tea Tree  Essential Oil is possibly one of the most anti-infectious oils available.  Frankincense, Lavender, Plai, Cedarwood, Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)​, and citrus oils (Lemon, Lime, Sweet Orange, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Tangerine) are all great choices that are safe to use even with children and pets in the house.   

For a room spray, I would put 4 ounces of distilled water in a spray bottle.  I would then add 4 drops of Dawn dish detergent (as an emulsifier to keep the oils and water mixed), and 2 drops each of Lavender, Lemon, and Cedarwood essential oils.   I'm keeping the quantity I make low so that I don't need to use a preservative.  The solution will need to be shaken before use.

For a cleaner, I generally just spray white vinegar on the surface to be cleaned, then wipe down with a clean, wet cloth.  When I'm sanitizing (before making products), I then spray the wet surface with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol and allow it to air dry.  Essential oils can be added to the vinegar to improve its smell.  Remember to add a bit of dish soap as an emulsifier and to shake before each use.  

My nighttime diffuser blends change at least every few months.  Post flu, my blend includes Eucalyptus, Lavender, Plai, and Tulsi Basil.  This is helping with the lingering cough and slight congestion for me and with the pneumonia for DH. We'll use this blend for a few more days before I change it.  Tulsi Basil is highly anti-infectious but comes with significant cautions and should only be used short-term. Eucalyptus has significant quantities of a chemical called 1,8-Cineole which can cause breathing problems in children under age 10, so it should not be used in homes with young children.  

During illness, using inhalers and/or topical blends can also be quite helpful.   An inhaler with eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender can help reduce inflammation and decongest the sinuses.  A chest rub with plai, copaiba, frankincense, and sweet marjoram diluted in Hemp Seed and Tamanu oils can help ease the feeling of chest congestion, inflammation, and soreness from coughing.  

There are hundreds of essential oils, and at least dozens that could be used effectively during cold and flu season.  The few I've listed here are generally considered safe even around children and pets.  There are EOs that are much stronger (i.e. cinnamon and clove), however, these come with significant cautions, and are damaging to skin and mucous membrane cells.  

There is also controversy about the safety of Tea Tree Oil and pets (dogs & cats).  Based on what Melissa Shelton, Holistic Veterinarian says in her ADR II book, I believe that it is safe to diffuse Tea Tree around your pets IF you do so in a well ventilated area, diffuse intermittently, and leave a door open so they can leave the room.  When using Tea Tree as part of a cleaning solution, it may be best to use it only on surfaces where pets will not have significant contact with it.

Ultimately, the oils you choose are based on personal preference and how educated you are in aromatherapy.   
​To model how I make my choices, I've included my thinking process below.

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Here are some of the notes I originally made for this blog.  Matching therapeutic properties with chemical families, then selecting oils rich in those families is one of the strategies I use in deciding on which oils I use in specific blends.
 
Antivirals:  some monoterpenes,  some monoterpenols, some aldehydes, oxides
Antimicrobials/Antiseptics:  monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, ethers, oxides, phenols 
Open Airways - decongestant:  monoterpenes, ketones, oxides
Antispasmodic:  (to reduce coughing) some sesquiterpenes, some sesquiterpenols, some monoterpenols, some aldehydes, ethers, some ketones (Note:  suppressing a cough isn't always the best answer.  Coughing helps clear excess mucus out of our lungs.)
Expectorant:  oxides
Sedative: (to help with sleep)  some sesquiterpenes, some sesquiterpenols, some monoterpenols, aldehydes, esters
Analgesic:  (I.e. sore muscles from coughing)  monoterpenes, some sesquiterpenes, some esters, oxides
Air purifiers:  monoterpenes, oxides
Immune Stimulant:  some sesquiterpenols, some monoterpenols

We see monoterpenes and oxides match many of the therapeutic properties we're looking for, so finding oils with high levels of both would be a good thing.  Monoterpenes including limonene, a-pinene, b-pinene, γ-terpinene, and b-myrcene will work beautifully in any type of blend.  The only real caution with monoterpene-rich oils is that they oxidize easily, so make sure they're stored properly.  Tea Tree Essential Oil is possibly one of the most anti-infectious oils available.  Frankincense, Lavender, Plai, Sweet Marjoram from Spain, and citrus oils are also monoterpene-rich.  

The primary oxide is a chemical called 1,8 Cineole.  It's found in EOs like Eucalyptus, Naiouli, Ravintsara, Rosemary, and Cajeput. While it's superb at opening airways, it must be used with caution.  Cineole can slow the central nervous system, and slow or stop breathing in children under the age of 10.  Because of this, if you have young children in your house, I would recommend oils that do not contain Cineole.  If you have asthma, test these oils first by wafting the aroma from the cap of the oil.  Sometimes Cineole is helpful for those with asthma, but it may set off an asthma attack.

Sesquiterpenes are also affiliated with several of the therapeutic properties.  Beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene are two powerfully effective sesquiterpenes that enhance each other's efficacy.  They are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. Copaiba langsdorfii, Copaiba officinalis, and Hops essential oils tend to have higher levels of these chemicals.

Let's look then at the oils already mentioned:  Tea Tree, Frankincense, Lavender, Plai Sweet Marjoram, Eucalyptus, Naiouli, Ravintsara, Rosemary, Cajeput, Copaiba, Hops, any of the Citrus oils (Lemon, Lime, Sweet Orange, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Tangerine), and any of the evergreens (cedar, pines, spruces, and firs).  In a household where everyone is age 10 or older, these are generally safe oils to use.   For households with children under the age of 5, I would not recommend using essential oils.  And, in homes with children from ages 5 - 9, I would leave out the oils with Cineole:  Eucalyptus, Naiouli, Ravintsara, Rosemary ct. Cineole, and Cajeput. 

Aldehydes, ethers, ketones, oxides, phenols are all very powerful chemicals and all come with significant warnings.  My way of thinking is that there are much safer and equally effective oils that can be used.

Many of you have heard of strong essential oils like cinnamon and clove.  These are powerful, anti-infectious essential oils, because they are high in phenols and aldehydes.  However, they also have significant chances of causing damage to skin cells and have a host of precautions.  If using these oils on the skin, they need to be diluted to less than 1%.  It would be safer to use these as herbs to make and drink an herbal tea.  

oil-primary chemical-family-warnings (do not use if)
clove - eugenol - phenol -  .5% dilution, short period, skin irritating, blood thinners, blood clotting, before surgery, autoimmune disorders, pregnancy, immune suppressants, 
cinnamon - cinnamaldehyde - aldehyde - skin irritant, max dermal 0.05%, blood thinning, not for pregnant or breastfeeding women
eucalyptus -  1,8 cineole - oxide - keep out of face of babies and young children - don't use with kids under age 10 due to slowing down of CNS & breathing
rosemary - 1,8 cineole - oxide - keep out of face of babies and young children - don't use with kids under age 10, camphor - max 4.8%, keep out of face of babies and young children - don't use with kids under age 10, can cause convulsions (rare with inhalation)
Tulsi Basil - eugenol - phenol - many warnings:  kids, irritant, liver, clotting disorders

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Next week, in Karen's Blog, ​I'll discuss why there is no cure for viruses.

Resources:

1.  Watson, Stephanie, Tamiflu Overview,   How Stuff Works, (c) 2020, InfoSpace Holdings, LLC,  Accessed February 10, 2020,
https://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/tamiflu.htm
​2.  Shelton, Melissa DVM,  The Animal Desk Reference Second Edition:  Essential Oils for Animals,  (c) March 2018, pp. 285 - 287
3.  Butje, Andrea, Aromahead Institute School of Essential Oil Studies,  Aromahead.com
4.  Aromatics International, Aromatics.com