The hidden dangers of essential oils

If used incorrectly, essential oils can cause unpredictable harm to your health, so be careful.

Dangers from essential oils

Mistakes when using essential oils can cause unpredictable harm to your body.

Essential oils are extracted from natural herbal essential oils such as eucalyptus, star anise, cinnamon, and camphor. Essential oils have a spicy, cool taste and have the effect of reducing fever, inducing sweating, relieving pain, reducing cough, and disinfecting,...

In particular, most liniments and balms contain methyl salicylate (hot oil) and menthol (extracted from peppermint oil). Menthol evaporates very quickly, causing local anesthesia and a cooling sensation (due to stimulating perspiration, lowering body temperature) when applied to the skin.

However, the composition of essential oils contains eucalyptol and camphor, especially camphor is a toxic substance for children if used incorrectly, absorbed into the body through scratched skin or accidentally swallowed in large amounts (about 1g) causing damage to the respiratory system, even respiratory arrest.

According to experts, the allowable amount of camphor in essential oil preparations is only about 3 - 11%. When poisoned, camphor can cause harmful effects with symptoms appearing within 5 - 90 minutes after exposure, depending on the amount of oil. Early symptoms are burning of the mouth, throat, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, followed by convulsions, coma, and severe respiratory failure.

If not treated promptly, it can lead to death. After using or discovering that the child has taken the medicine and has unusual signs, suspecting poisoning, the family should take the child to the nearest pediatric medical facility.

Symptoms of poisoning

According to experts, the allowable amount of camphor in essential oil preparations is only about 3 - 11%. When poisoned, camphor can cause harmful effects with symptoms appearing within 5 - 90 minutes after exposure, depending on the amount of oil. Early symptoms are burning of the mouth, throat, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, followed by convulsions, coma, severe respiratory failure. If not treated promptly, it can lead to death.

After using or discovering that the child has taken the medicine and has unusual signs, suspecting poisoning, the family should take the child to the nearest pediatric medical facility as soon as possible.

According to phunutoday.vn