The Cold War

As the chilly winter weather continues it’s hardly surprising that almost every other person you meet seems to be sniffling and coughing with the misery of a cold or flu. Given the fact that there are up to 200 types of virus groups circulating at this time of year, it is hardly surprising that sooner or later you will eventually succumb to one of them.

Statistically, it’s quite likely that you will have already suffered two colds during the last 12 months, and for some unfortunate people it could be three or even more. According to Professor Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University in the UK, by the age of 70 we may have spent as much as 4 years of our life sniffling and sneezing our way through more than 200 colds!

Last year, Swine flu (H1N1) swept across the world, and although not featured in the news as much recently it is still out there spreading its misery. The symptoms of swine and seasonal flu are almost identical, including coughing, sore throat, body aches, headache, fever, chills, and fatigue. Swine flu is easily spread by the tiny moisture droplets in a cough or sneeze, and if you don’t use a tissue and sneeze into an empty space, you will leave germs on surfaces that another person will pick up simply by coming into contact with it.

Hands off

Believe it or not, when someone has a cold you are far more likely to catch it by just holding their hand rather than by kissing them! This is because someone with a cold may have contaminated their hand with nasal mucus when wiping their nose. If you then put your finger onto your eyes or touch your nose you may infect yourself. Nasal mucus is the main carrier of the cold virus, and when we kiss we exchange saliva not nasal mucus.

So to help stop spreading infection remember to always wash your hands with an antibacterial soap after spending time near somebody who has a cough, cold or flu. Your eyes are equally as receptive to invading bacteria as your nose, so be absolutely certain you’ve washed your hands before touching your eyes, mouth or nose.

Anti-viral essentials

There are many essential oils that can be used effectively during cold and flu epidemics to stop the germs from spreading, whilst at the same time helping to ease the symptoms. Essential oils of eucalyptus, cajuput, palmarosa, ravensara, rosemary, white thyme and tea tree are powerful antivirals that can be used in a multitude of ways to offer protection. They can even be used to make up personal anti-viral hand-wipes which you can carry with you and use after handling surfaces, telephones, computers and door-handles etc in public places.

If a member of your family is suffering from a cold vaporize essential oils of cajuput, ravensara, rosemary, white thyme or tea tree around the house, since these are powerful antiviral oils that will help to kill any airborne viruses. As you know, prevention really is better than cure!

Clear your head

Your essential oils can also be used to clear a stuffy nose; begin by filling a large bowl with almost boiling water and add 3 or 4 drops of basil, eucalyptus, silver fir, peppermint, pine or lemon essential oil. A particularly effective synergistic blend is 1 drop each of basil, peppermint and silver fir essential oils. Lean over the bowl and breathe slowly and deeply for a few minutes until things begin to clear. If required, replenish with fresh hot water, add more oils and repeat. A towel can be placed over the head to help direct the vapours.

Gargling with warm water and a pinch of salt has traditionally been used at the onset of a sore throat, which is usually the first symptom at the onset of a cold. For a bug-busting gargle add 1 drop of tea tree and 1 drop of ravensara essential oils to your glass of warm salt-water mix. Stir the mixture vigorously to break up the droplets of essential oil, take a small mouthful of the mixture and gargle for about thirty seconds, then spit it out.

Repeat the process several times, stirring the mixture repeatedly, and for maximum effect you should use this treatment every 4 hours. Replace the ravensara with white thyme essential oil for an even more powerful blend, but use no more than 1 drop and mix it well before use.

Hot soak

Nothing beats a hot bath infused with 6 drops of tea tree oil for helping you to ‘sweat it out’, and adding ravensara or white thyme essential oil to the bath will create a powerful anti-viral synergy. Thyme is a very powerful and effective essential oil against colds, but use no more than 2 drops in a bath or it may irritate the skin if it is not dispersed properly. Add a capful of bath base dispersant first to make sure that all the essential oils distribute evenly, and do not use any more than 8 drops of essential oil in total.

When a cold begins to clear up you can develop an irritating tickly throat or a feeling of tightness in the chest, especially during the night whilst laid in bed. A blend of sandalwood and frankincense essential oils used in a vaporiser brings a soothing and comforting action to the bronchial passages that will assist you getting a good nights sleep.

Remember that all of the essential oils listed in the sidebar above can be vaporized, added to a hot bath, gargled and even inhaled directly from a tissue or handkerchief. When you inhale any oils from a tissue you only need 2 or 3 drops at a time, and breathe slowly and deeply for the best results.

Copyright © Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd 2010