Allergies: Breathe Easy This Spring with Essential Oils!

MARCH 23, 2012

Guest-post by Satcy McDonald.

After finally moving to a state that has four seasons, our family absolutely loves Spring time! The sky brightens, the sun warms the air, green buds appear on seemingly lifeless, grey branches. Canadian geese announce their arrival to our pond early in the morning; and flowers begin to bloom, hinting of life and the burst of color to come. Our empty vegetable garden seems to beg for new seeds—new life. Yes, we love almost everything about Spring time!
Notice, I said almost everything. Aside from bugs, there is one other thing I don’t care for about Spring. The growth in nature always seems to bring an onslaught of allergies to our home. My husband and several of our children have always struggled this time of year. Itchy, watery, swollen eyes; runny noses; congestion that makes sleep a challenge; sneezing; coughing; headaches; and sinus pressure.
It is likely that my husband, James, has had the most trouble. Years ago, when he travelled frequently, he was often hampered by hay fever, pain, and frequent sinus infections. He was dependent on Sudafed and other allergy meds, even though they really didn’t help all that much at all. Most of the time, he ended up with a sinus infection and a prescription for antibiotics. As much as I hated the OTC meds that were part of his regular routine, I didn’t have an alternative that worked very well.
I dabbled some in homeopathic remedies and they did seem to help a bit. And an end to his chronic traveling made a big difference too. But the most dramatic results came from our use of essential oils.
My almost-seven-year-old son, William, used to suffer from allergies every Spring and Fall. One morning he woke up with his face so congested that his eyes were swollen shut. Alarmed, I took him to the doctor. The doctor just shook his head and said, “Yeah, it’s tough living with allergies; just give him a Claritan.” An adult Claritan??? I was shocked. He was only four years old at the time. That’s when I knew we needed to find an alternative that really worked. There was no way I wanted to load my little one up with powerful medications if I didn’t have to.
Therapeutic grade essential oils can be a great blessing to those who struggle with chronic or seasonal allergies! We have found that essential oils offer relief without using harmful chemicals that often mask symptoms rather than assist in healing! Of course, you want to make sure you use only therapeutic grade essential oils (CLICK HERE to learn more about what that means):
Cypress – helps to ease breathing and suppress coughing.
Eucalyptus Polybractea – is a powerful aid to help with congestion, headaches, and breathing.
Lavender – helps to clear congestion, build immunity, relieve headaches, ease muscle pain, and aid in relaxation
Lemon – helps to protect immunity, alkalize the body, and relieve excess mucous
Myrtle – supports the immune system and reduce sinus pressure
Peppermint – helps to ease breathing, fight infection, help congestion, and relieve headaches
Roman Chamomile – helps to relax, as well as relieve headaches and inflammation
Frankincense – good for congestion
In addition to these powerful single oils, Young Living has created a few blends which we have found helpful as well…
Breathe Again – this blend of oils is specially formulated to support respiratory health. Breathe Again contains four powerful eucalyptus oils: Eucalyptus staigeriana, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus radiata, and Young Living’s original Ecuador single, Eucalyptus blue. Eucalyptus oils contain high amounts of cineole, which has been studied for its potential to support healthy lung function. The essential oils peppermint, myrtle, and copaiba also play an integral part in this blend.
RC – This is my favorite oil for any type of chest congestion. Highly effective and beneficial when diffused to decongest and relieve cold or allergy-type symptoms such as coughs, sore throat and lung congestion. May also be applied directly to the chest or feet. Contains: Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, myrtus communis oil, pinus sylvestris (pine) leaf oil, origanum majorana (marjoram) leaf oil, eucalyptus radiata leaf oil, eucalyptus citriodora leaf oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, cupressus sempervirens oil, tsuga canadensis leaf oil, and mentha piperita (peppermint) oil.
Raven™ is a combination of deeply soothing therapeutic-grade essential oils that will provide comfort when applied topically to the chest and throat or diffused. Contains: Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica), lemon (Citrus limon), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), peppermint (Mentha piperita) and Eucalyptus radiata.
Thieves® was created based on research about four thieves in France who covered themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health.

This collection is good to have on hand at all times! Contains: Seven Blends (5ml bottles): Di-Gize™, EndoFlex™, JuvaFlex™, Melrose™, Raven™, R.C.™, and Thieves®. CD included.
Here are some of the best ways to use these oils during allergy season…
Simple Inhalation – Simply place a few drops in your hands, rub them together, and then breathe deeply! Add a couple of drops to a tissue, a cotton ball placed in a jar, or add essential oils to a bowl of hot water and inhale.
Diffuse – The best way to diffuse oils is with one of the cold-air diffusers that Young Living offers!
Topical Application – Massage can be an effective way of helping to ease the symptoms of spring allergies; or, place some of the oils on your temples, rub your hands together and inhale what is left. James likes to place a drop of peppermint in the palm of his hand, and then using a finger from the other hand, apply the oils right under his cheekbone. Be very careful to not get any oils in your eyes!
Ingestion – (Young Living Therapeutic Grade) Peppermint, Thieves, or Frankincense – a drop in a glass of water or in a filled capsule. I like to put a drop of peppermint on the roof of my mouth. Every time I inhale I can feel the oils clearing my sinuses!My husband usually fills a capsule with 2 drops of peppermint, 2 drops of Thieves, and 1 drop of Frankincense, especially if he senses any sign of infection. Please never use lower quality oils for internal use – this can be very dangerous!
Preventatives:
Sulfurzyme
Allerzyme
Mightyzyme for kids
essentialzyme 4
Detoxzyme
Antihistamine Oils:
Dorado Azul
Lavender
Idaho Balsam Fir
Seasonal Allergy Oils:
Doradao Azul
Lavender
Idaho Balsam Fir
Breath Again
RutaVala
R.C.
Eucalyptus
Peppermint
Wintergreen
Cypress
Kids:
2 drops Idaho Balsam Fir
1 drop wintergreen
1 drop peppermint
Mix in hand and rub around hairline and on chest and feet.
Remember to only use therapeutic grade essential oils for medicinal use. Synthetic oils do not contain any therapeutic properties and can be toxic. Even some oils that claim to be organic or “pure,” have no real therapeutic value. CLICK HERE to read more.
Check your personal sensitivity to the oils by rubbing them on your feet before you apply them anywhere else. If you find you are sensitive, you can blend with a carrier oil before applying them to the skin.
Breathe easy and enjoy your Spring!