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in NAHA Journal 14.3 Issue 2005 Abstract Introduction to hospice Over the past two years we have seen some remarkable aromatherapy results with patients presenting with shingles. While shingles itself is, of course, not a terminal condition, the stress of living with a terminal diagnosis can often trigger outbreaks of shingles in hospice patients. Patient stressors and shingles.
Shingles is a painful condition, and can take 2-3 weeks and sometimes much longer to clear. Symptoms include extensive inflammation of the skin, blisters and pustules that appear in a band-like fashion on the chest or torso, and sometimes on the face. Shingles causes scarring that is very similar in appearance to severe acne. Conventional shingles treatments include an oral tablet called Famvir (generic samciclovir) and an ointment whose active ingredient is capsaicin, made from peppers. Both of these treatments have some success. After doing some research on essential oils and shingles, I decided to create a synergy of three oils, and provide patients with a spritzer bottle, consisting of 95% distilled water, with 5% of the essential oil synergy in a vegetable solubilizer. The patients would be asked to use the spray frequently as a body mist, at least three times per day on the area of the shingles rash. The three oils I chose were Ravensara aromatica (Ravensara), Citrus bergamia (Bergamot) and Melaleuca viridiflora var. quinquenervia (Niaouli) Ravensara aromatica is a tree with a reddish-grey bark, indigenous to the Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius. The essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves and twigs. The oil is safe and non-toxic and gentle to use on the skin. It has a “medicinal” and disinfecting odor. According to Battaglia, its emotional profile is uplifting. Both Davis and Schnaubelt have published clinical studies on the antiviral properties of Ravensara, while Lunny recommends it for the treatment of herpes zoster. Melaleuca viridiflora var.quinquenervia –Niaouli--is both anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Like Ravensara its major compound is 1,8-cineole. This oil has had documented results with acne. Since the scars and pustules raised on the skin by the varicella virus resemble severe acne, and since Niaouli has well documented skin-healing properties, I decided to add this oil to the synergy. Citrus bergamia is cold expressed from the fruit of the Bergamot tree. It is high in furanocoumarins, including bergaptene, which make it phototoxic, but it is possible to find versions of this oil that are furanocoumarin free (FCF). As all of the patients being treated were homebound, and would not be exposing the skin to the sun, phototoxicity was not a great concern. This oil has well-documented results with cold sores, which also are caused by the varicella virus. In addition, it has tension and anxiety relieving properties that can help the highly-stressed. All of these oils are rich in compounds such as ketones and ethers, proven in clinical studies to have anti-viral and analgesic effects. Before aromatherapy was offered, patients were completely assessed for allergies and other possible contraindications. Physician’s orders were documented in the care plan, and safety labels were added to the spritzer bottles. Our hospice keeps Material Safety Data Sheets on all of the products used in the aromatherapy program in order to comply with federal OSHA regulations. Many patients decline CAM services for a variety of reasons. Some have never heard of them, some trust what they have always known, and some are just leery of what they do not know. The six patients in this study were the only six presenting with shingles’ symptoms who accepted the offer of aromatherapy over an eight month period. Measuring Patient outcomes with
the Bieri scale. Table of Patient Outcomes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other factors affecting outcomes Conclusion Author bio |