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Corinna Underwood |
May 5, 2008
People who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease go through a number of unpleasant and difficult stages and processes as the disease progresses. These include:
- Aggression
- Agitation
- Depression
- Delusions
- Insomnia
- Sleep walking
Most often these symptoms are treated with a range of prescribed medications which sedate the patient so that he or she can function in daily life. However, there are a number of side effects associated with these medications which can often be worse than their beneficial effects. For example, if a patient is too sedated, this can speed up their mental decline. For this reason behavioral therapies present better options when available. Over the past few years a range of alternative approaches have been examined. Most recently, studies have shown that aromatherapy can have very positive effects on Alzheimer’s patients.
Aromatherapy
In the last two years, three studies in particular have revealed significant benefits of aromatherapy in the treatments of Alzheimer’s, particularly relating to agitation in advanced Alzheimer’s. There are also no side effects whatsoever. In the first study two percent lavender oil given by inhalation daily, in the second the same therapy was used twice weekly and in the third, the lavender was replaced with lemon oil in hand cream. All three studies showed reduced levels of agitation. Surprisingly all the patients completed the studies, compared to drug trials where there is usually 30 percent drop out.
Advanced Alzheimer’s patients have usually lost all of their sense of smell so the affects did not come from the smell itself but most likely from the terpines in the oils being absorbed by the lungs. Some terpines are believed to have similar effects as the Alzheimer’s drugs galantamine, donepezil, and rivastigmine.
Other Aromatherapy Benefits
- To create feelings of general wellbeing
- To enhance personal relationships
- To help decision making processes
- To help maintain memory
- To help with the expression of emotion
- To encourage the use of senses other than cognitive
- To help maintain physical and mental skills
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