Trigeminal Neuralgia

Help with Trigeminal Neuralgia using
Helichrysum italicum.

What is Trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) or tic doloureux (also known as prosopalgia) is a neuropathic disorder of the trigeminal nerve that causes episodes of intense pain in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, and jaw. It is estimated that 1 in 15,000 people suffer from trigeminal neuralgia, although those numbers may be significantly higher due to frequent misdiagnosis. TN usually develops after the age of 50, more commonly in females, although there have been cases with patients being as young as three years of age.

The condition can bring about stabbing, mind-numbing, electric shock-like pain from just a finger's glance of the cheek. The most common forms of TN affect 1 in 15,000 to 20,000, but 1 in 5,000 are thought to suffer from some type of facial pain.

Treatment

Many people find relief from medication, chiropractic manipulation, radiation therapy, or one of the five surgical options. Atypical trigeminal neuralgia, which involves a more constant and burning pain, is more difficult to treat, both with medications and surgery.

There are some things that a patient can do to minimize the frequency and intensity of TN attacks:

• Apply ice packs or any readily available source of cold to the area of pain. Cold often numbs the area and will reduce the pain.
• Warming packs, wrapped in a towel to protect one's skin, can also provide relief as they stimulate blood flow to the area they are placed upon.
• Get adequate rest in normal rest cycles.
• Manage your stress well and keep stress levels low. When you feel a TN attack coming on, try to relax immediately.
• Practice healthy living principles such as diet and exercise.
• Avoid foods that may act as nerve stimulants, such as coffee, tea, and foods that are high in sugar.
• Maintain adequate hydration and electrolyte levels at all times.
  

Using Helichrysum italicum

Helichrysum italicum is a sub-specie of the more commonly known plant Everlast or Immortal. The essential oil distilled from it has a distinct fragrance and a unique chemical composition. Its traditional uses include nervine, anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, antitussive, cicatrizant, febrifuge, antiseptic, antihematoma, anticoagulant, cholagogue, fungicidal, hepatic, diuretic, emollient, mucolytic, splenic, cytophylactic, and expectorant.

Helichysum italicum will be the oil of choice to help with Trigeminal Neuralgia , because of its ability to regenerate damaged nerves and relieve pain.

• To use, Apply 3-5 drops Helichrysum from the ear, along the jaw line, and across face. (Apply every 3-6 hours, depending on pain, every day.)
  

Helichrysum can help nerve damage on average of one inch per year. Although, improvement has been seen with in one month. (On average, you should give the body one month of healing for every year you have had the ailment you are working on.)

Eczema

My baby has Eczema. Is there an essential oil that will help her?

Julie, Nebraska


Skin Care ~ Eczema

Eczema is a general term for many types of skin inflammation, also known as dermatitis. The most common form of eczema is atopic dermatitis (some people use these two terms interchangeably). However, there are many different forms of eczema.

Eczema can affect people of any age, although the condition is most common in infants. Eczema will permanently resolve by age 3 in about half of affected infants. In others, the condition tends to recur throughout life. People with eczema often have a family history of the condition or a family history of other allergic conditions, such as asthma or hay fever. Up to 20% of children and 1%-2% of adults are believed to have eczema.

Most of the symptoms and conditions below are important signals your body is sending you that you may need to significantly reduce toxins in your body, especially your digestive system. Add whole-food nutrients, like Raw foods. Essential oil massages can be very beneficial as well.

Symptoms:

Eczema can show up anywhere on the body, but eczema often appears as a rash on the;

• Insides of elbows
• Backs of knees
• Face, often on the cheeks
• Behind the ears
• Buttocks
• Hands and feet

Eczema symptoms often appear as skin patches that can be:

• Very itchy
• Red
• Dry
• Swollen
• Sore

With time, an eczema rash often becomes crusty and scaly. Some types of eczema can also blister, weep, crack, or peel. An infection or too much scratching can make eczema symptoms worse. Over time, scratching can even make the skin become thick and leathery. Sometimes, you may have other skin changes along with eczema, such as small raised bumps or hives. Or, there may be an extra fold of skin under the eyes.

Although Eczema can be itchy and irritating, avoid scratching if possible, Scratching too much can cause a break in the skin, which allows bacteria or viruses to enter and can lead to infection. Sometimes, long-term use of medications to control eczema can also cause complications.



Suggestions, using Essential Oils:
In-home procedures suggested as part of an overall plan involving your health care professional as indicated in an authoritative home health care directory:

NOTE: anyone who suffers from allergies may have much stronger reactions to essential oils applied on the skin, even if they are of the highest quality. The first way to manage this condition is through internal purification. Those who may be allergic or sensitive should apply these procedures first on the feet, then on a small part of the infected area for at least 24 hours before using them generally.

• Begin by making needed adjustments to your dietary habits according to the suggestions given earlier. Skin problems will often recur if dietary adjustments are not made. Eat a healthy diet containing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and heart-healthy oils.

• You may need more water (1/2 gallon a day) and exercise (2 mile walk per day) to improve circulation and flush toxins from the body. The body needs an average of half your body weight in ounces, of water.

• Examine your emotional life and reduce toxic build-up of unresolved conflicts, selfishness, resentments, criticism, etc. Calming therapies, journaling and massage will help significantly, but problems will recur if emotional issues are not resolved.

• Incorporate daily stress-reducing activities such as meditation while diffusing 5 to 10 drops of lemon or Balsam fir.

• Use daily relaxing massage on the feet, hands, abdomen, ears, or joints with 3 to 4 drops of lavender, geranium, lemon diluted in a tablespoon of vegetable mixing oil.

• Eliminate any unsafe addictions such as smoking, drugs, or alcoholism.

• For persistent skin conditions, it may be essential to do one or more of the cleanses —liver, digestion, immune strengthening, or mind/body—over at least a year’s time. Do the liver cleanse every morning. 1 drop Lemon oil, 1 drop Peppermint oil, and 1 tsp. Fresh lemon juice.

For actual Skin help, do one of the following:

• Mix 4-5 drops of lavender, geranium, or per la Pain blend (anti-inflammatory), in 1/2 cup Epsom salts. Be sure to mix the oils in the Epsom salts first, then add the salts to the bath water. (Take warm baths, not hot.)

• After your bath or shower, apply 4 to 5 drops of lavender, geranium, or the soothing (anti-inflammatory) Pain blend mixed in a tablespoon of mixing oil to the affected areas. (Coconut oil, Olive, and Jojoba oils are very healing)

• Can also mix 15-20 drops each of Lavender and Geranium to a fragrance free, non-toxic, synthetic-chemical-free lotion. (Eucerin lotion is also good). Apply to infected areas after each bath or shower, and wash your hands each time. If you wish to make your blend up each time, mix 2-3 drops each of the essential oils into 1 Tbl. Lotion.

• Tea tree oil is known to be very effective with eczema or any other skin condition.

• 1 drop Oregano oil and a 1oz. Carrier oil mixture, rubbed on lesions 2x daily, is great for extreme cases. If irritation occurs, just take internally 2x a day, in a gel capsule.

There is no need to do all of these options. Just pick one, and try it. For acute problems, try the bath and lotion.

Consider a Salve:

If you don't want the hassle of baths or putting your own moisturizer together, then consider a salve.

Vitruvian Natural Health now offers a Herbal Healing Salve that can be used every day for an over all healing moisturizer. Read more about it here: http://www.theresanoilforthat.com/herbal-healing-salve.html

Help with Hearing Challenges-Using Helichrysum EO

My son has hearing damage from playing the drums, is there an Essential oil that can help that?

Linda, CA.


HELICHRYSUM
Helichrysum italicum is a sub-specie of the more commonly known plant Everlast or Immortal. The essential oil distilled from it has a distinct fragrance and a unique chemical composition. Its traditional uses include nervine, anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, antitussive, cicatrizant, febrifuge, antiseptic, antihematoma, anticoagulant, cholagogue, fungicidal, hepatic, diuretic, emollient, mucolytic, splenic, cytophylactic, and expectorant.


Helichysum italicum will be the oil of choice to help with Hearing Challenges, because of its ability to regenerate damaged nerves.




About the Ear
With in the ear canal or the cochlea, there are Hair Cells that Amplify sound waves and transduce auditory information to the Brain Stem. When these hair cells are underdeveloped, broken, or damaged by loud noises, ear wax, or infection, decreased hearing sensitivity can result.
Loud noises can break the hair cells. Ear wax keeps the hair cells together and from vibrating. Age causes a degeneration of these hair cells. Also, some people are born with underdeveloped hair cells. Helichrysum italicum can help all of these problems, and may restore hearing. (It can not help if there is a bone deformatey with in the ear. )




Helping Hearing Challenges
Before beginning the application, review the steps.
Check the condition of the recipient’s hearing (#14)

1. Put 2-3 drops of Helichrysum onto the palm of the hand.
2. Hand the oil bottle to the recipient to sniff and hold. See #10.
3. Using finger, apply to ear canal, rubbing it lightly around the canal.
4. AVOID dropping oils directly onto the eardrum at anytime! See caution below.
5. Then, follow along the mastoid bone outside the ear and on down and around towards the center of the neck.
6. Repeat in the other ear.

   

   "Rock" the ear in all directions.

7. Put fingers in both ear canals, push in, and “rock” fingers pulling up, down, and back in the canal several times. See Image>>
8. Tug on ear lobes.
9. Repeat steps 1-8 using the Geranium essential oil. (Only if there is an emotional attachment to the hearing loss.)
10. The recipient should hold the bottle just below the nostril and inhale deeply. (at least 3 times on each side). Holding the bottle is another connection to the oil.
11. It is important to balance the applications of any oils you use, so do both ears even if only one is affected.
12. After the ears have been treated, have the person “rest”. The person should sit quietly for a moment and then walk around the room.
13. You may have to apply Geranium to ease the emotions that can swell up from the experience of sudden sound. An emotional reaction (emotional or irritable) is okay and should be handled with Geranium.
14. After a minimum of 5 minutes, test the hearing.

• Speak softly behind the damaged ear. Avoid speaking towards the good ear.
• Rub your fingers together behind the damaged ear.
• Determine how far away you should be by how severe the hearing loss is.
• If there is no noticeable improvement in the hearing, repeat steps #1-9.

Restored hearing may be minimal; it’s a process that takes time.
Let the recipient know that his/her hearing can improve more if they will repeat the process twice a week for as long as they feel it is necessary to gain optimum hearing.

CAUTION: If you accidentally drop helichrysm in the ear drum, IMMEDIATELY add carrier oil to dilute the helichrysum. There is potential for the ear drum to blister, but if you're cautious in application, no problem should arise.



For Ringing in the Ear (Tinnitus)
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a ringing, swishing, or other type of noise that seems to originate in the ear or head. In many cases it is not a serious problem, but rather a nuisance that eventually resolves. It is not a single disease, but a symptom of an underlying condition. Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this disorder. In almost all cases, only the patient can hear the noise.

What causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus can arise in any of the four sections of the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear, and the brain. Some tinnitus or head noise is normal. If one goes into a sound proof booth and normal outside noise is diminished, one becomes aware of these normal sounds. We are usually not aware of these normal body sounds, because outside noise masks them.
Anything, such as wax or a foreign body in the external ear, that blocks these background sounds will cause us to be more aware of our own head sounds. Fluid, infection, or disease of the middle ear bones or ear drum (tympanic membrane) can also cause tinnitus.
One of the most common causes of tinnitus is damage to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear. Advancing age is generally accompanied by a certain amount of hearing nerve impairment, and consequently tinnitus.

Today, loud noise exposure is a very common cause of tinnitus, and it often damages hearing as well. Unfortunately, many people are unconcerned about the harmful effects of excessively loud noise, firearms, and high intensity music. Some medications (for example, aspirin) and other diseases of the inner ear (Meniere's syndrome) can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus can in very rare situations be a symptom of such serious problems as an aneurysm or a brain tumor (acoustic tumor). http://www.medicinenet.com/tinnitus/article.htm



To help with Tinnitus or Ringing of the ear, follow the same procedure as above for hearing.

• For a mild case, just apply with your finger, 1-2 drops Helichrysum inside the bowl of the ear and around the ear. (Do not drop straight oils inside the canal)

My blood results show that I have high Trigycerides, is there a natural way to lower them?
Brian, Montana



Lowering TriglyceridesTriglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. They are a major source of energy and the most common type of fat in your body.


When you eat, your body uses the calories it needs for quick energy. Any extra calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in fat cells to be used later. The excess calories are stored as fat regardless of what kind of food you eat-fat, carbohydrate, or protein. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you may have high triglycerides.


In normal amounts, triglycerides are important to good health. When triglyceride levels are high, it is not clear whether these high levels directly increase your risk for heart disease. But high triglycerides are often part of a group of conditions called metabolic syndrome


Metabolic syndrome is the combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, too much fat around the waist, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, and high triglycerides. This syndrome does increase your risk for heart disease as well as for diabetes and stroke.


Triglycerides are measured as part of a blood test that measures your cholesterol. Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. High levels are 200 or above.


Causes of high triglycerides:Conditions that may cause high triglycerides include:· Obesity.
· Poorly controlled diabetes.
· An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
· Kidney disease.
· Regularly eating more calories than you burn.
· Drinking a lot of alcohol.


Certain medicines may also raise triglycerides. These medicines include:
· Tamoxifen.
· Steroids.
· Beta-blockers.
· Diuretics.
· Estrogen
· Birth control pills.


Certain types of high cholesterol and high triglycerides are caused by genetics.

Symptoms to watch for with high Triglycerides:High triglycerides usually do not cause symptoms. Sometimes it is genetic, but that is not common.


In rare cases, people who have very high levels of triglycerides may develop inflammation of the pancreas. This can cause sudden, severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and fever.


Lowering your high triglycerides:If you are overweight, losing weight may be the best way to lower triglycerides. You may be able to lower your triglycerides by eating fewer calories and increasing your activity.

Limit fats and limiting or not drinking alcohol. Excess sugar should also be avoided, as it is converted to glucose and in turn triglycerides much the same way as carbohydrates are. Also, lower your carbohydrate intake.


According to a publication by P.K. Reissell's group at Harvard in 1966, it was clearly established that Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin C, combined with a low carbohydrate diet, can dramatically reduce your triglyceride levels. Omega 3 fatty acids can help with cholesterol as well.

• Take about 1 teaspoon - of Omega 3 / DHA-rich oil (Fish oil) straight or mix with salad dressings or with bean, guacamole, or salsa dips, etc. 2-3 times a day

Essential oils that may help:Over all, a lifestyle/ diet change that is needed. A Liver cleanse will put you on the right path.

• Liver Cleanse: 1 TBL. Fresh lemon juice, 1 drop Lemon oil, 1 drop Peppermint oil. Take every morning, upon arising for 28 days on, then 7 days off. Continue until problem is cleared up.

For energy (to help with exercising)

• Diffuse Lemon oil for awhile, then add 1-2 drops Peppermint oil. (not too much, so as not to irritate the eyes)
• Can also put 1-2 drops Peppermint oil or Orange oil on the back of the neck, at the hairline, a drop on the temples, or under the nose, and breath deeply. *note: orange is photo tonic, keep out of sun, or skin may turn brown.
• Can also use 8 drops Orange oil and 3 drops Peppermint oil, added to water, in a spray bottle, and spray room.