Regardless of social class, people from different parts of the world have been affected by the coronavirus. People belonging to the middle or lower class are also having difficulty due to the high cost of COVID19 medications. The agony for those who have been diagnosed with coronavirus is still ongoing for some, even though the pandemic has slowly subsided because there are people who are still being diagnosed with post-coronavirus syndrome. These people are not only having challenges with their health, but they are also having difficulty financially due to the expensive treatments.
Hence, complementary treatments that are safe and affordable for post-covid syndrome patients are being researched. As of now, there is an undersupply of clinical trials and studies that proves that natural treatments including oils can bring healing. However, it’s a good thing that a Turkish pilot study has proven that eucalyptus essential oil or eucalyptus globulus can help in improving the condition of those people who are suffering from post-coronavirus syndrome.
The signs and symptoms of the post-COVID syndrome, which is also known as long-term COVID are consistent with that of COVID-19. (1) People may have it during or after active COVID infection, and its symptoms could stay up to more than 12 weeks. (1) Fatigue, headache, dyspnea, joint and muscle pain, anxiety, cognitive impairment, depression, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal complaints are just some of the post-COVID syndrome symptoms. (1) Treating these symptoms would typically require different medications, however, it’s a good thing that Eucalyptus essential oil can help in improving the major symptoms of post-coronavirus syndrome.
Clinical trial proves the efficacy of eucalyptus essential oil
Inhalation of eucalyptus essential oil is proven to be effective in recovery from post-COVID syndrome symptoms such as dyspnea, back pain, and anxiety. A Turkish pilot study has confirmed the impact of Eucalyptus essential oil on the abovementioned post-COVID syndrome. Fifteen (15) patients that are over 18 years of age and were diagnosed with post-COVID syndrome were enrolled in the study. They were outpatients in a clinic at Adana City Training and Research Hospital. The patients were recommended to do eucalyptus inhalation aromatherapy. They were instructed to dilute 1 ml of eucalyptus oil into 10 ml of olive oil. The oil blend was advised to be applied topically on the patient’s wrist and inhale it from a two-centimeter distance for five minutes, twice a day. The patients were evaluated before and after eucalyptus oil application. Before the intervention and four weeks after it, the patients’ post-COVID syndromes symptoms such as dyspnea, back pain, and anxiety were evaluated. A significant decrease in dyspnea, and back pain, and a medium effect on anxiety were reported in the eucalyptus oil application post-treatment than in the pre-treatment evaluation.
Eucalyptus essential oil’s active ingredient and its therapeutic effect on post covid syndrome
Due to eucalyptus essential oil’s properties, it has been used in treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Various studies have shown that it has antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities, hence can help manage COVID-19 symptoms. Eucalyptus is known to be rich in monoterpene 1,8-cineol which is more commonly known as eucalyptol.
1. Antiviral and lung health
Eucalyptus’ main component, 1,8-cineol has an antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and mucolytic mechanism that can be used in the treatment of COVID-19. Effective inhibitors of coronaviruses enzymes such as main protease or Mpro which is responsible for viral replication and transcription, (2) can help control COVID-19. Hence, drugs and alternative treatments that can act as Mpro inhibitors or targets Mpro are needed to treat COVID19. Research suggests that essential oil components, especially 1,8-cineol which can be found in eucalyptus can serve as a potential inhibitor without toxicity. Hence it can be used in the treatment of COVID-19.
2. Pain
Aside from 1,8-cineol, eucalyptus also has alpha-pinene. These compounds are both antioxidants with radical scavenging activity. It’s been documented that 1,8-cineol can inhibit cytokine release from T-lymphocytes, hence can reduce inflammation and pain.
3. Anxiolytic effect
Eucalyptus lipophilic property enables its component 1,8-cineol to affect neuronal enzyme and receptor activities in the central nervous system as it can cross the blood-brain barrier. 1,8-cineol can be used in the treatment of anxiety as it can prevent acetylcholinesterase activity which triggers the chemical reaction of acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, is responsible for arousal, attention, learning, memory, and involuntary muscle movement. (3)
May this pilot study about eucalyptus essential oil motivates us to search for more antiviral oils that can be used to treat post-covid19 syndrome. This will help people who are affected by this harmful virus, especially those who struggle in paying for high-cost medications.
Remain motivated to research effective oil application treatments ❤
References:
- (1) Öztürk Yaşa G, Safçi Berik S. Effects of Eucalyptus Essential Oil in Post-COVID Syndrome: A Pilot Study. Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology 2022;7(4):82-87 DOI: 10.58854/jicm.1223171
- (2) Jin, Z., Du, X., Xu, Y., Deng, Y., Liu, M., Zhao, Y., Zhang, B., Li, X., Zhang, L., Peng, C., Duan, Y., Yu, J., Wang, L., Yang, K., Liu, F., Jiang, R., Yang, X., You, T., Liu, X., Yang, X., … Yang, H. (2020). Structure of Mpro from SARS-CoV-2 and discovery of its inhibitors. Nature, 582(7811), 289–293. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2223-y
- (3) Cleveland Clinic. Acetylcholine (ACh). Date retrieved: 3/22/2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24568-acetylcholine-ach
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