Whether it is turning on a diffuser or lighting scented candles, aromatherapy is a popular daily ritual that many use to relax or unwind. However, it turns out that certain smells can trigger a medical emergency. That’s because a new study from India found that the smell of certain common products can increase the risk of a seizure. Read on to learn what to look for the next time you shop for fragrances and for more odor-related warnings. If your breath smells like this, get your liver checked, experts say.
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In a study published March 26 in the journal Epilepsy Research, researchers analyzed 350 seizures from four southern Indian hospitals over a four-year period. The results showed that 15.7 percent of the seizures – 55 patients in the group – were possibly caused by inhalation, ingestion, or application of eucalyptus or camphor essential oils.
The researchers found that some patients in the group had epilepsy, but 40 percent had never had a seizure before. Once patients were advised to stop using essential oils, their follow-up visits with doctors over the next one to three years showed that almost no one had another seizure.
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The study finds that most patients had reported using toothpaste, balm, pills, or other products containing eucalyptus or camphor, which are popular products in India for treating common illnesses such as pain, headache, or the symptoms of colds. But in an interview with The Academic Times, Thomas MathewPhD, one of the study’s authors and head of the neurology department at St. John’s Medical College Hospital in Bengaluru, India, described the study’s initial results as “surprising and shocking.”
“Eucalyptus and camphor ingestion have been reported to induce seizures, while topical use is generally considered safe. However, our observations from the current study indicate that this may not be the case,” the study authors wrote. And to learn more about how you can protect other vital organs, if you drink so much coffee every day, your heart is in danger.
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Although the researchers were “one of the largest studies of essential oil seizures in adults,” they were quick to stress the limitations of their research, saying that the small number of patients from an area of India meant that a more extensive study would be needed.
“”[The] The actual incidence of these essential oil-related neurological disorders, such as seizures, is difficult to determine because doctors rarely ask about them in their medical history because they are not mentioned in traditional textbooks or curricula, “Mathew told The Academic Times.” We need large epidemiological disease studies to find the true prevalence, which unfortunately is not currently available. “
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While the Indian study was the largest to date, it is not the first time that the use of essential oils has been linked to seizures in some people. According to the UK Epilepsy Society, there are some oils that anyone with epilepsy should avoid including rosemary, fennel, sage, eucalyptus, hyssop, wormwood, camphor and spiked lavender. And to learn more about how to keep your brain healthy, doing it twice a day will lower your risk of dementia, according to a study.
