Tea tree oil fumes to treat sickness: crazy?
October 17, 2012 6:06 AM Subscribe
Is there any danger associated with inhaling steam from tea tree oil extract?
My partner has some sort of sinus infection she's treating by inhaling tea tree oil... i'm all for minimizing the use of drugs and so forth, and she says it works... but something about this makes me nervous.
Is there any hard evidence that this is a good and safe solution to treating a sinus infection?
My partner has some sort of sinus infection she's treating by inhaling tea tree oil... i'm all for minimizing the use of drugs and so forth, and she says it works... but something about this makes me nervous.
Is there any hard evidence that this is a good and safe solution to treating a sinus infection?
This is a thing, sort of, for the treatment of bronchitis with plausible though not properly proven effecacy but not really for sinus infections. There is presently no meaningful evidence whatsoever for the inhaling of tea tree oil as an effective treatment of rhinosinusitis (PDF). It does sort of make sense that it could work, maybe, but the treatment of sinus infections in particular is really counterintuitive in a lot of ways and it probably doesn't do anthing.
There are however very significant safety issues related to both the development of allergies to tea tree oil, which up your nose would seriously fuck you up real fast, and the fact that just about any preparation of tea tree oil you would find would not be designed to the safety standards necessaary. This is a pretty terrible idea to do outside of the supervision of a competant physician who can properly asses the risks and benefits for your friend - which on the balence of things looks pretty stupid, particularly when there are as many effective treatments for sinus infections as there are.
posted by Blasdelb at 6:52 AM on October 17, 2012
There are however very significant safety issues related to both the development of allergies to tea tree oil, which up your nose would seriously fuck you up real fast, and the fact that just about any preparation of tea tree oil you would find would not be designed to the safety standards necessaary. This is a pretty terrible idea to do outside of the supervision of a competant physician who can properly asses the risks and benefits for your friend - which on the balence of things looks pretty stupid, particularly when there are as many effective treatments for sinus infections as there are.
posted by Blasdelb at 6:52 AM on October 17, 2012
I think she'd have better luck with Eucalyptus oil as that is an anti inflammatory as well as good at treating infections. Also I have read, though not in medical papers but in alternative medicine sites that both oils can aggravate asthma in people susceptible to it and both can poisonous if too much is swallowed though adults can handle Eucalyptus oil better than kids can . Also seconding what Blasdelb said allergic reactions can happen with both oils. Make sure she is using no more than 5 or 6 drops in a steam bath and not inhaling the neat oil or putting it neat on her skin.
Wikipedia has some good info on both Eucalyptus oil and Tea tree Oil. .
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posted by wwax at 8:03 AM on October 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Wikipedia has some good info on both Eucalyptus oil and Tea tree Oil. .
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posted by wwax at 8:03 AM on October 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Some people are allergic to teatree oil. I have heard good things about it, but I don't remember specific uses because I am allergic, so I don't have much experience with it.
Steam treatments can also scald the sinuses, which are kind of sensitive anyway, doubly so when infected.
I used to do a lot of alternative stuff that involved steamy hot water. My apartment was constantly muggy. When I moved on to other things, I did better overall. I suspect the constantly muggy air was fostering mold and mildew, making my sinus problems worse. Nonsteamy treatments were more effective for me, once I found them.
posted by Michele in California at 9:33 AM on October 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Steam treatments can also scald the sinuses, which are kind of sensitive anyway, doubly so when infected.
I used to do a lot of alternative stuff that involved steamy hot water. My apartment was constantly muggy. When I moved on to other things, I did better overall. I suspect the constantly muggy air was fostering mold and mildew, making my sinus problems worse. Nonsteamy treatments were more effective for me, once I found them.
posted by Michele in California at 9:33 AM on October 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
mateuslee: i'm all for minimizing the use of drugs and so forth,She's using a drug. It simply doesn't come from a doctor, but the human body doesn't care about that. Please, this is an important concept, and not just some grammar-policing bullshit: everything you put in your body for purposes of producing a physiological effect is a drug. Remember this.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:47 AM on October 17, 2012 [4 favorites]
Seconding the suggestion to use Eucalyptus oil instead. Tea tree oil is a known endocrine disruptor.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 6:22 PM on October 17, 2012
posted by HiroProtagonist at 6:22 PM on October 17, 2012
Response by poster: @IAmBroom: I'm all in favor of this strict definition -- but it's unclear if tea tree oil has any physiological effect, in which case it is not a drug.
posted by mateuslee at 11:18 PM on October 17, 2012
posted by mateuslee at 11:18 PM on October 17, 2012
Neither Eucalyptus oil nor Tea Tree Oil have any meaningful evidence of efficacy behind them for the treatment of rhinosinusitis whatsoever. Rhinosinusitis is a condition that has been really well studied and has really safe and effective treatment strategies. Your friend's doctor will be able to provide real medical care.
"I think she'd have better luck with Eucalyptus oil as that is an anti inflammatory as well as good at treating infections."
This is a profoundly irresponsible statement. Eating Eucalyptus oil has some weak evidence for efficacy in non-purulent sinus infections, but that is not the same as snorting the steam. Your friend seems like they do not know if they have an infection at all, if the infection is bacterial, fungal or viral, if bacterial purulent or non-purulent, gram+ve or gram-ve, what sinuses are infected/affected, if they have an osteal obstruction, or ciliary dysfunction, superantigen stimulation of the immune system, allergy, or immune deficiency.
There are a fuck of a lot of things that a competent physician will be able to notice within minutes that will indicate what kinds of treatments are actually a good idea. An appointment with either their GP or an urgent care facility would be appropriate.
Incidentally, IAmBroom is right, Tea Tree Oil can be defined both pharmacodynamically and Pharmacokenetically, even if the intended effects are not a part of those pharmacodynamics, and is not alive, therefor it could be considered a drug - if a stupid one to take.
posted by Blasdelb at 12:53 AM on October 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
"I think she'd have better luck with Eucalyptus oil as that is an anti inflammatory as well as good at treating infections."
This is a profoundly irresponsible statement. Eating Eucalyptus oil has some weak evidence for efficacy in non-purulent sinus infections, but that is not the same as snorting the steam. Your friend seems like they do not know if they have an infection at all, if the infection is bacterial, fungal or viral, if bacterial purulent or non-purulent, gram+ve or gram-ve, what sinuses are infected/affected, if they have an osteal obstruction, or ciliary dysfunction, superantigen stimulation of the immune system, allergy, or immune deficiency.
There are a fuck of a lot of things that a competent physician will be able to notice within minutes that will indicate what kinds of treatments are actually a good idea. An appointment with either their GP or an urgent care facility would be appropriate.
Incidentally, IAmBroom is right, Tea Tree Oil can be defined both pharmacodynamically and Pharmacokenetically, even if the intended effects are not a part of those pharmacodynamics, and is not alive, therefor it could be considered a drug - if a stupid one to take.
posted by Blasdelb at 12:53 AM on October 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by ndfine at 6:50 AM on October 17, 2012