Depending on the severity of the condition, people with asthma may experience mild symptoms or a flare-up of symptoms, an “asthma attack." In individuals with milder cases of asthma, symptoms may occur rarely and be easy to manage with treatment — but for others with what’s considered severe asthma, symptoms occur daily or more frequently and are difficult to manage with treatment, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. People with asthma typically control their condition with daily medicine to lower airway inflammation, and often carry inhalers with medicine for short-term relief during an asthma attack. And when it comes to asthma treatment, it’s important to note that for some people home remedies and lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking, avoiding asthma triggers, and maintaining a healthy diet and weight can help with symptom management. Other “natural remedies” for asthma, like essential oils, have less evidence showing exactly what effect they have in improving or preventing symptoms. By definition, essential oils are the concentrated natural oils that provide the unique scent of plants (such as rose, sandalwood, and lavender), according to the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. These oils are extracted from plants and can be inhaled or ingested. Each oil has its own distinct chemical composition (depending on the plant it’s from), which affects its smell and other characteristics. Here’s what we know about how essential oils may help asthma, and whether they’re safe.
The Risks of Using Essential Oils to Help With Asthma
Both research results and experts tend to agree: Essential oils for asthma can be risky. “I don’t think [essential oils] are great,” says Dean Mitchell, MD, an allergist in private practice at Mitchell Medical Group and a professor of clinical immunology at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City. Some people with allergic asthma, for example, may experience an allergic reaction from essential oils that triggers their asthma symptoms, he says. “Some people do not tolerate essential oils very well.” (Mitchell focuses on alternative and holistic medicine approaches for his patients, in addition to traditional approaches, and is the author of Dr. Dean Mitchell’s Allergy and Asthma Solution.) Allergic asthma is the most common type of asthma, affecting roughly 60 percent of the more than 25 million Americans with asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. With this type of asthma, your symptoms — shortness of breath, wheezing — are triggered by allergens (like pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and others). But it’s not just an allergic reaction to the essential oil itself you have to worry about if you have asthma — it’s the other chemicals they emit into the surrounding air, too, that can cause problems. More specifically, research suggests that essential oils release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been associated with increased asthma symptoms (including in a study published in 2015 in European Respiratory Review), according to Maeve O’Connor, MD, the chair of the Integrative Medicine Committee for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and an allergist in private practice at Allergy Asthma & Immunology Relief in Charlotte, North Carolina. VOCs are pollutants that affect indoor air quality. They’re released as gases from a variety of solids and liquids (most commonly from household cleaning and hobby products), and their concentrations can be up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Common VOCs include benzene, ethylene glycol, and formaldehyde; though you likely won’t notice if they’re in your home because they may or may not be detectable by scent, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Whether or not you can sniff them out is not a good indicator of health risk, the department’s fact sheet notes. And unfortunately, even things that smell good — like essential oils — can emit a variety of VOCs that worsen asthma symptoms. According to a study in the October 2018 issue of Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 24 commercial essential oils (including tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, and other mixtures) emitted 188 different VOCs. Some of the most common VOCs emitted included terpenes — a class of hydrogen and carbon compounds (hydrocarbons) found in plants and animals — like alpha-pinene, limonene, and beta-myrcene, according to the textbook The Application of Green Solvents in Separation Processes. “Terpenes have been associated with increased nighttime shortness of breath, wheezing, and air flow variability among patients with and without asthma,” Dr. O’Connor says. A past study linked limonene (the most prevalent terpene) with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, or wheezing.
Are There Any Benefits to Using Essential Oils for Asthma?
Some research does suggest that the news about essential oils isn’t all bad. For example, a study published in October 2018 in the Journal of Asthma found no changes in airway inflammation, lung function, or asthma control in people with allergic asthma who sprayed a mixture of 41 essential oils in their bedroom twice a day for 30 days. Some research suggests certain essential oils may even ease asthma symptoms. In a study published in the January–February 2014 issue of Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, young men who ingested 50 microliters (µl) of pure peppermint oil before exercise saw significant improvements in lung function after just five minutes. (Be careful, however, not to ingest any essential oils unless directed to do so by your doctor; the National Capital Poison Center warns many essential oils may be poisonous if swallowed.) Researchers suggest this benefit may be due to the oil’s effects on bronchial smooth muscle health. It’s worth pointing out that the men in the study didn’t specifically have asthma, but it’s possible that peppermint oil might help reduce asthma’s effect on the airways to make breathing easier. Meanwhile, a study published in the July 2014 issue of Life Sciences revealed that inhaling lavender essential oil reduced airway inflammation in asthmatic mice. Unfortunately, research in humans with asthma is lacking. More research is needed to determine if there are any benefits associated with using essential oils for asthma, if they are safe, and if the benefits outweigh potential safety concerns and risks.
Talk to Your Doctor Before Trying Essential Oils for Asthma
Although some of the research on essential oils looks promising, many studies and experts advise against using them to treat asthma, as some essential oils may trigger asthma symptoms in people with allergies. “You’re breathing in a ‘chemical’ that can lead to an inflammatory response or an uptick in your asthma symptoms,” says Malcolm Taw, MD, the director of the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine and an associate clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “So, would I recommend [essential oils]? Probably not.” What’s more, essential oils release VOCs into the air, and many of these VOCs — terpenes in particular — have been associated with increased asthma symptoms. At the end of the day, you may want to avoid essential oils if you have asthma because of their potential risks. And if you still have questions or want to learn more, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider.
