Worldwide, essential oils– extracts of plants containing compounds that capture the “essence” of their scent – are found in over-the-counter medicine for treating minor ailments. Their use has also increased as part of the Western cultures’ health and wellness movement, in personal care products for aromatherapy, sleep aids, stress relief, and even childbirth.
In many cases, the sellers make bold claims about their oils’ efficacy and benefits but have little to no robust evidence backing them up. This doesn’t mean all essential oils are harmful. For example, animal studies involving peppermint have shown that it can help aid digestion.
However, some of these oils can be very dangerous, including eucalyptus and camphor, which have pro-convulsant properties. This means they can induce seizures and convulsions by acting within the nervous system, which can be a severe problem for people with epilepsy. Despite this, these oils are commonly found in products available to purchase, often without warnings of their potential side effects.
In a new study, a group of Indian neurologists has found evidence suggesting that these oils could be responsible for seizures in a significant number of patients admitted to four different south Indian hospitals for seizures. Once instructed to avoid these oils, the patients saw a dramatic improvement in their condition.
The research is the largest-ever case study of essential oil-related seizures in adults and one of the first to study the impacts of these oils on seizures in adults and not just children, as previous research has observed. Professor Thomas Mathew, the head of the neurology department at St. John’s Medical College Hospital in Bengaluru, India, and his colleagues published their findings on March 26 in Epilepsy Research.
To verify whether convulsant essential oils are involved in first seizures or breakthrough seizures of patients with epilepsy and epilepsy syndromes, the team monitored four different hospitals. During four years, the researchers observed people who checked into these hospitals for their first seizure or a breakthrough seizure (a breakthrough seizure occurs after a person with epilepsy has not experienced a seizure for an extended period.) These patients were asked several questions, such as:
- Descriptions of the seizure
- Whether they had used essential oils recently
- Any other medications they were on
The results revealed that out of 350 patients, 55 (15.7%) had seizures that may have been induced by the ingestion, inhalation, or topical use of essential oils. These oil-related seizures were split into subcategories:
- Oil-provoked seizures (EOPS), of which there were 33
- Oil-induced seizures (EOIS), of which there were 22.
The team found that the most commonly implicated oils were those of camphor and eucalyptus.
Mathew and his colleagues recommended that physicians inquire about the exposure to these oils in patients experiencing their first seizure and those with breakthrough seizures, and epilepsy and seizure patients should be aware of potential side effects.
While the study reveals a strong correlation, the authors point out that further research is needed before knowing whether these essential oils are causative or associated with seizures. “The essential oils appear to be provoking these seizures, but whether they are truly causative or associative must be clarified by further evidence from larger blinded studies,” concluded the study’s authors.
For now, the team is investigating the effects of these essential oils on different disorders and diseases, and their early results show that many people are addicted to the oils and use them without valid reasons.
