Aromatherapy And Herpes – One Person’s Success Story
Herpes Simplex is a tough one – a supposedly ‘incurable’ viral infection leading to painful lesions. The lesions come and go, more often for some folks than others, and are somewhat precipitated by stressful conditions where one’s immune system may be compromised. Modern medicine does not as yet offer a ‘cure’ for a herpes infection, only medicine that must be taken on a regular basis to keep outbreaks from recurring (and some medicines that can shorten the duration of outbreaks as well). Incurable, painful, not-so-pretty, and to top it off, depending on the type of virus, the illness is labeled ‘oral/labial’ or ‘genital’ – a little embarrassing to say the least!
I’ve been through this personally – for many years, I had painful outbreaks that began with extremely painful cold sores on the roof of my mouth, then regularly manifested as smaller sores on my lips and gums. I’ve struggled with how to break the news to female partners, who, thankfully, never made it as big a deal as it seemed to me. Still, I often had those couple of days of feeling like I had a flu, followed by an outbreak – and at what always seemed like the worst of times. Being an athlete, heavy training also provided the ‘heavy stress’ conditions for an outbreak to come on, making it twice as hard to recover from hard workouts.
Would I have to go through this forever? Would I always be taking prescription drugs to keep the virus at bay? I tried some natural routes; Lysine – an amino acid – seemed to help, but not all the time, and not unless I took it (and a LOT of it) before the outbreaks would occur. I used significant amounts of lip balm, as sun overexposure would again bring it on. I have a lot of years left! Will this always be a factor in my life?
I then stumbled upon some research being done using an oil commonly found in aromatherapy – Melissa essential oil, also known as ‘Lemon Balm’. The oil was being investigated in Europe for it’s positive effects combating the Herpes virus. One German pharmaceutical company had even made a preparation utilizing the oils active components (though nowhere was it noted that the oil itself was any less effective).
Perhaps the most heartening news was delivered by Dr. Dietrich Wabner, a German scientist who had worked with Melissa and herpes sufferers – the Doctor reported that a one time application of the essential oil lead to a complete remission of outbreaks in some individuals. WOW, a CURE! It seemed a bit expensive for what was apparently such a small amount of liquid, but really not so when compared to any other medicine, especially if I had to take any other medicine for the rest of my life!
Further research gave me a better idea of a protocol; direct application of the essential oil may not lead to a complete remission in one application – though healers were finding success with the oil’s regular use through the course of several outbreaks. One drop of Melissa directly applied a few times a day throughout the outbreak, and for the next several times an outbreak was surfacing, might lead to remission of the disease. The regemine was to begin as soon as one felt an outbreak coming on – some folks get an odd sensation at the location where the lesion may occur, and many will feel a general malaise. My outbreaks tended to occur on my tongue at that point – I would get the flu/fatigued feeling, then a few tasted buds would swell and sting, with the occasional cold sore showing itself (and yes, this had been medically confirmed as HSV early on when the sored almost completely covered the roof of my mouth). So I started on the Melissa, placing just one drop in my mouth and ‘swishing’ it around a few times a day. It’s a powerful oil, but I actually liked the taste…
Well, I wasn’t one of the fortunate one’s with a complete remission on the first try. But it did help – the outbreaks were shorter, and then seemed to occur less frequently. THEN something WONDERFUL happened – the outbreaks stopped all together. And believe me, my life has been no less stressful – more so if anything. But no matter how hard my days were, how heavy my weight training sessions or other athletic endeavors, the outbreaks have not returned! No more unexplained low-level flu symptoms or sore spots in or on my mouth. I can’t remember the last time this happened, and don’t even keep the bottle around anymore just in case – though I do recommend it to those in a similar position.
For more sensitive skin (I do not have direct experience with the genital variety of the disease – however, the liturature does not make a distiction as the oil’s efficacy) Melissa can be diluted in a carrier oil like Hazelnut or Rosehip Seed. The dilution can be down to 10% (or even much less say some practitioners) of the total concentration and still be just as effective. PLEASE NOTE: taking any essential oil orally, and undiluted certainly, should be done with caution – pay attention to your own reaction and proceed accordingly. However, used in a carrier oil or directly, the protocol should be followed as closely as possible – apply just enough oil to cover the area a few times a day as soon as you feel an outbreak looming, and continue use until the lesions have completely healed. Repeat this the next several times an outbreak is imminent. There are no guarantees, but others have reportedly also had complete remission of the outbreaks using this method.
For sufferer’s of Shingles, another Herpes virus variety causing lesions of the skin, Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica, or ‘True’ Ravensara) oil has been used. Individuals have found relief using Ravensara in a 50-50 blend with Tamanu Nut oil. The Tamanu Nut sooths the skin during the healing process and keeps the Ravensara in contact with the sores. I have not heard of this offering a complete cure, but I have heard of this blend really helping relieve discomfort of this condition.
So if you choose to use aromatherapy oils like Melissa or Ravensara yourself (or to a recommendation), find a trusted source for the essential oils. Find ‘true’ varieties of each – Melissa is often adulterated, and the real thing is generally priced between $10 and $20 per milliliter (about 25 drops, which actually goes a long way); Ravensara should be of the ‘Ravensara aromatica’ variety. Be conservative with direct application – remember that diluting the oil has not been reported to reduce efficacy. Yes, I liked the Melissa oil straight, and never had a problem – but others I’ve known have had sensitive reactions – though this may have been related to UV exposure. Be good to yourself and listen to your body – may you achieve healing success!
About the Author
The author has made available much information about aromatherapy, such as using
Clary Sage oil
and other
organic essential oils
.
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