As if COVID wasn’t bad enough, many people are now struggling with long COVID. Aromatherapy may provide a safe, simple, inexpensive and easy solution. Some recent research suggests that the rate of long COVID is a staggering 22.8% of the population. Clearly, safe, affordable and easily accessible help is needed. Some of that help could come from aromatherapy.
A recent controlled study included 60 people who still had respiratory symptoms 7-45 days after first being diagnosed with COVID. Half were in a control group while the other half inhaled a combination of eucalyptus, lemon, lavender, peppermint, and tea tree essential oils for 1 minute, 10 cm from their nose, between 9-10am and again between 1-2pm. Then between 6-7pm, they inhaled a blend of lavender and ylang-ylang essential oils.
The aromatherapy didn’t help everything. It didn’t seem to improve nasal symptoms, stress or sleep. But it really helped some things. There was significant improvement in sore throat, and there was significant improvement in fatigue.
This study introduces a safe, affordable, readily available way to effectively improve some of the important symptoms of long COVID.
Integr Med Res. 2023 Oct 21;12(4):101001.