With more of us living much longer, healthier lives, the over-sixties population in the United States is predicted to double to 95 million people before 2060.
As we grow older, it is important to find ways to keep ourselves healthy and active and to combat some of the common complaints that can plague our lives in our later years.
Essential oils are a great natural weapon for fighting against some of these illnesses. Oils have been used for centuries to help with aches and pains, reduce inflammation and ease our troubled minds. Shop at Revive Essential Oil, these oils are of the highest quality; their purity is obvious in their fresh scents.
Take a look at our guide, which covers some of the most common ailments that using essential oils can improve, manage and even reduce.
Table of Contents
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are made from all-natural ingredients and consist of parts of a plant based hair oil or tree with an aroma. That could be the bark, the stem, the root, the flower, or the leaf.
Each plant is different and provides a unique scent profile that can affect the human body when crushed into oil and diffused into the air or rubbed on the skin.
The chemicals released through the scent will affect your brain in positive ways and enter the bloodstream. There they can impact your body in a variety of different ways.
Aromatherapy can help by lowering overall levels of stress in the body and by reducing how the body reacts to pain, sometimes by lowering your sensitivity.
Lots of research has been done into the different abilities of essential oils and their effects. There are also many positive effects of scented oils that can help the human body as it ages.
Alleviate Painful Joints
As you grow older, the body experiences a lot of wear and tear on the joints. It can become quite painful to perform tasks that once seemed much easier, particularly around the major joints such as the knees.
Several oils may be able to help alleviate some of your joint pain when diffused or applied directly to the skin. Either method is viable. It depends on your preference.
Frankincense and myrrh have shown that in combination, they can help reduce inflammation around joints.
Lavender can reduce knee pain and works well in reducing the pain experienced from osteoarthritis.
You can rub black cumin into the skin around achy knees to help reduce pain.
Increase Your Energy Levels
It can be difficult to muster up lots of energy as you get older and find that you get fatigued much more easily. Luckily there are lots of essential oils that can naturally help boost your energy levels.
Peppermint oil is effective at boosting your performance and mood when you want to exercise. Rub a little on your wrists or behind your ears for a continued effect during your workout.
Studies show that in combination, Rosemary and Spearmint reduce the effect of oxidation on an aging brain and help stimulate brain function, making you more alert and active.
Improve Your Gum Health
Gums start to recede as we age, which can cause pain and discomfort, and anxiety about the possibility of losing our teeth. Overbrushing with a toothbrush is a factor, but unfortunately, aging is the biggest cause.
However, essential oil use can help reduce receding gums and may even help restore them. They can also help get rid of bacteria in the mouth which can lead to additional complications.
Mouth bacteria can get into the blood supply through cuts in our gums. Once in the bloodstream, they can start to impact other systems in our body, such as our heart and lungs.
Peppermint leaf oil is well known for its antibacterial properties and will reduce the bacteria concentrated in your gums.
If you would like more information on essential oils for receding gums, then take a look at this website. They offer a blended solution of oils that can help treat gum reduction and disease.
Give You a Better Appetite
If you are taking a lot of medication, you may find that your appetite has reduced since you started. This is a common side effect of many medications.
Also, several health conditions reduce how much you want to eat. Neither are good for you as your need to maintain a healthy weight as you get older to help fight infection and disease.
Essential oils can help restore your appetite naturally. Ginger, orange-flower, and lemon oils are all good for restoring a lost appetite. Ginger is also good for digestive trouble and can help you pass food more easily.
Try applying the oils just under your nose a little while before eating and see if you feel more encouraged to eat at your next mealtime.
Assist with Your Breathing Problems
Essential oils have been used to treat respiratory problems for many years. In fact, eucalyptus is a popular choice with mainstream medicine as an expectorant. It is a powerful means of clearing your airways.
If you experience any difficulty breathing or find that you are often congested, try diffusing a combination of eucalyptus, lavender, and tea tree in a room.
They will help you breathe more clearly and have been shown to fight off cold and flu viruses effectively.
Enable You to Think Clearly
Our mental clarity may start to decline naturally as we age, but that does not mean we have to accept it! You can fight back with several natural oils that will increase brain function, mental clarity and regulate your emotions.
Peppermint reduces anxiety levels and can help reduce your stress whilst calming you and giving you an energy boost.
Bergamot reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and can pick up your spirits when you are feeling a little low.
Bergamot is also the flavor used in Earl Grey Tea. So, if you would like to ingest it safely, then try a nice cup of tea.
Rosemary and Lemon both boost your memory functions and can also reduce feelings of anxiety. When diffused, they will make you feel more at ease, relaxed and you will find it easier to recall things from the past.
All of these oils will benefit anyone who has early-onset dementia and can help to manage the symptoms.
Give You Better Sleep
Lavender is a wonder oil when it comes to regulating your sleep patterns. This herb has been used for centuries to help soothe your nerves, reduce negative emotions, and aid sleep.
To this day, it is the most popular essential oil for sleep and is used in many infusions and pillow mist sprays. A mist spray is a great way to use this oil and help you fall into a deep, restful sleep.
When used in combination with nutmeg, it is a powerful soporific that can help alleviate even the most stubborn insomnia symptoms.
Whether you use a diffuser, mist spray, use bath oil or massage it directly onto your skin, lavender oil will help you fall asleep better than any other.
Control Your Headaches
Pharmacy-induced headaches become more of a reality for those of us passing the age of 50. As we get older, our tendency to use more medication increases, and with it, the most common side effect, the headache.
However, you can use essential oils for headaches which help to reduce the symptoms. The oil that you use will depend on the type of headache that you are suffering from.
Lavender is great at treating stress-related headaches and stress-induced migraines.
Eucalyptus is a great treatment for reducing inflammation and, as mentioned earlier, congestion of the nasal passageways. If your headache is due to a pressure build-up in your head, try eucalyptus.
Peppermint oil applied to the temples, and the forehead helps treat tension headaches and is a solution we have used for centuries.
Manage Your Allergies
You may find that your allergies become more sensitive with age and that you start to react more strongly to allergens than before. There are several essential oils for allergies that you can try.
Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce symptoms when you are experiencing an allergy attack.
Sandalwood is good at treating sneezing, coughing, and general symptoms of inflamed nasal passageways.
You can use lemon and, of course, eucalyptus to help reduce congestion and free up airways for breathing when you are struggling with allergies.
Try These Essential Oils
Essential oils can help make life a little easier as we age. It would be best if you experimented with different types of oil to find the ones most suited for you.
Also, make sure you try different methods of application, such as inhalation or massage. Everyone is different, and you may find some ways to work when others do not.
Not only can essential oils help alleviate your symptoms, but it also makes life smell a little sweeter too.
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