How to Care for Sinus & Respiratory Infections
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Let’s be honest, most of us have struggled with respiratory infections or even the dreaded sinus infection! OOHHH the head pressure!!!
I don’t know about you but I don’t like making frequent trips to the doctor. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful of modern-day medicine on the other hand I also believe that there is validity in home remedies to allow your body to heal itself.
Problem #1: My family is prone to getting respiratory infections
Especially my husband because his cancer started there; his lungs are already weak. We get the stuffy/ runny nose, cough, shortness of breathe and the suffering can last for weeks. That is no good for us, we have a life to live, none of us aren’t interested in being stuck in our house indefinitely.
As I open my medicine cabinet, I automatically reach for Breathe, doTERRA’s respiratory blend. Absolutely fabulous for when my family starts to show signs of infection described earlier and their body has decided to stop all mucus traffic. Which spells into grumpy, miserable, and sleep-deprived kids with parents not too far behind them. Breathe opens up the airways, clears out the mucus, and promotes more restful sleep.
WARNING, warning, Warning!!!
Be careful with this blend
This oil is particularly potent and should not be used without a carrier oil; fractionated coconut oil, olive oil for example. You can read more on the Dilution chart, there is a link to that further down this page. Applying the oil undiluted or with insufficient amounts of carrier oil may result in a burning sensation, skin irritability, and redness.
If that is the case then quickly apply more of the carrier oil for further dilution. Do NOT use water as it could worsen the condition. But don’t worry; diluting it does not make the properties of the oil less effective.
Breathe Application
I am partial to putting my essential oil/carrier oil mixture in a roll-on bottle like this one or a spray bottle like this. Dilute with fractionated coconut oil, see dilution chart. Fractionated coconut oil is a great carrier oil it hydrates the skin, odorless, colorless and best of all doesn’t leave behind that greasy feeling because who likes that? Not this lady!
After properly mixing the carrier oil with Breathe essential oil rub the mixture on your chest or the bottoms of your feet.
One night, my head felt like it was going to explode, so much sinus pressure! I had a serious sinus infection that seemed to have developed quickly. There was a point that I wished my head would actually blow up so I could feel better. I decided to dilute Breathe in fractionated coconut oil, one drop of Breathe to 2 tablespoons of carrier oil. Using a Q-tip, I dipped it in the mix and applied some along my cheek bones and forehead, sinus areas.
Five to ten minutes, I started to feel the pressure go away, it was lovely because then I could blissfully drift to sleep. I am an oil advocate mainly because more often than not, the oils help me get a full night sleep which I am a HUGE fan! I love my sleep.
doTerra Breathe Boosters
Blends work really well on their own but you can give them a kick or added boost if you combine them with another oil. Just note that you want oils or blends that will work well together. You can put oils together that mess up their effectiveness.
I like to give Breathe an extra kick with Spearmint, which is also great for headaches, sinus infections or pressure, and respiratory issues. Both oils help open the airways and move the congestion out.
Trust me, you will see some nasty snot after using them but better out than in, right?
As a sidenote, Spearmint is also an oil that absolutely needs to be diluted before use. Also, keep these oils out of reach of your kiddos. Kids can handle the bottle, get the oil on their hands and it is only a matter of time until they rub their eyes with their hands. So bad! So use caution, please.
Frequency of use
If you want to beat the infections before they make an appearance in your house then once it starts getting cold or cold season starts add the oil blend to your wake up and bedtime routines for prevention purposes. Breathe and Spearmint are safe to use topically, and aromatically (diffused into the air). As mentioned before, they are not for NEAT application, meaning the oils need to be diluted before use. For more details you are welcome to buy the book, The Essential Life or go to doterra.com.
Keep in mind that it is the frequency of your use in small doses that maximize your results not and I repeat NOT quantity. Increases the quantity over a period of time can actually have harmful side effects instead of helping. Remember too much of a good thing can have a turn for the worse.
“Frequency trumps quantity” (The Essential Life, p.421) Why is this worth mentioning? Oils do not operate like drugs in the sense that increasing the dose increases the benefits. While oils can be fast acting in order to reap the full benefit of the oil you must use it regularly preferably in small doses.
Any thoughts? I would love to hear from you, drop me a comment or message!
[mailerlite_form form_id=1]Related Post(s): Teething aid and much more: Frankincense, Ear Infections: Melaleuca to the rescue!, How to Use Essential Oils: Intro
References
DōTERRA Essential Oils. (2019, April 29). Retrieved from https://www.doterra.com/
DoTERRA Wholesale Customer vs. Wellness Advocate | dōTERRA Essential Oils. (2019, May 31). Retrieved from https://www.doterra.com/US/en/wholesale-customer-wellness-advocate-comparison
Fractionated Coconut Oil Uses and Benefits. (2019, May 06). Retrieved from https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-fractionated-coconut-oil
