Lavender.The Side Effects of Using Lavender

Lavender

Introduction

Therapeutic Use:

            For quite a long time, lavender has been used as an antiseptic and for mental health purposes. In the recent world, lavender is used as a traditional medication for ailments like anxiety, insomnia,restlessness, headache,depression, upset stomach, hair loss among many others defects within the body of the human beings.

            In most cases, Lavender is always used as anaromatherapy. This is a condition in which the scent of the essential oil from the flower is inhaled. Apart from inhaling the essential oil, it can also be diluted with another oil then it is applied to the skin. The dried lavender flowers are at times used to prepare tea. Theliquid extracts can then be taken through themouth (Blumenthal, Goldberg & Brinckman, 2000).

The Side Effects of Using Lavender

            The use of the diluted lavender oil or simply using lavender as an aromatherapy is in most cases considered safe for most adults. The disadvantage of this however is that applying lavender oil to the skin can at times cause irritation. Some reports have also been recorded that use of lavender can also cause the boys to develop breasts.

            Lavender oil is poisonous when taken through the mouth.When the tea made from its extracts are taken by mouth, they can cause headache, constipation as well aschanges in appetite

            Using lavender as a sedative medicine may lead to increase in drowsiness.

Scientific Evidence That Show Efficacy for Any of the Therapeutic Uses

            There is very little scientific proof to show lavender’s effectiveness in tackling health related issues.Several studies done on lavender for anxiety show different results that cannot be relied upon. Preliminary results of the study shows thatlavender oil when mixed with oils from other herbs, may help reduce hair loss. This condition is known asAlopecia areata(Henly, Lipson & Korach, 2007).

References

Henley D.V, Lipson N, Korach K.S (2007). Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils.New England Journal of Medicine. 356(5), 479–485.

Lavender. (2009). Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Retrieved from http www.naturaldatabase.comLavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Miller. (2009). Natural Standard Database. Retrieved from http://www.naturalstandard.com.

Blumenthal M, Goldberg A. & Brinckman J. (2000). Lavender flower. In:Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.