Page 169 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2021. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo / Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
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use of essential oils in complementary medicine posterji | poster presentations
Lidija Dornik
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Essential oils are highly concentrated, volatile and aromatic liquids
obtained from various parts of plants: seeds, shells, bark, leaves, stems, roots,
flowers, fruits. They are obtained mostly by distillation, solvent extraction and
also by hydrofusion or pressure. Plants use essential oils for protection from
sun, protection against temperature extremes, to repel insects, to treat them-
selves after injuries by animals that feed on them, to attract animals for pollu-
tion, repel microbes and use them for protection for long periods with less nu-
trients. The purity of essential oils is determined by the chemical constituents
of each oil, which are influenced by various factors. These factors are the dif-
ferent parts of the plants used in the production of the essential oil, the soil in
which the plant grew, other plants with which the plant grew, fertilizers, geo-
graphical regions, climate, altitude, pollination, harvest periods and methods,
and finally distillation method.
Methods. The research was based on a qualitative research approach with a de-
scriptive research method. The scientific literature in the field of medicine was
used in the research project. The literature was accessed via an electronic link
in the Celje library. Material for the research paper was collected online in the
EBSCO and MEDLINE databases, and monographs were also used. The key
phrases were: “essential oil”, “patient” and “medicine” in English language. The
restrictive search criteria were in the period January 2015 to January 2020. We
searched for the full text of the articles.
Results. In order to narrow the data, restrictive criteria were used: peer-re-
viewed articles, full text, year of publication, English, if available for download,
and scientific journals. Search found 44 articles. After the review, we excluded
14 articles that did not contain inclusion and exclusion criteria, were not pub-
licly available, or were other types of articles. The online review was limited to
30 articles, which we reviewed, read, and included in the survey 9.
Discussion and conclusion. Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways such as
topically, aromatically and internally. Before we decide to buy and use essen-
tial oils, we must be well acquainted with the purity, therapeutic labels, manu-
facturers and sellers, and finally, about how to use the essential oil. The essen-
tial oils of lavender, orange or peppermint have been used in many studies and
show good results in supportive therapy for patients. In our study, we wanted
to find out if essential oils can help people with different diagnoses and symp-
toms. We have found that a huge number of studies are being conducted with
essential oils, yet they are difficult to compare with each other. Researchers al-
so note that studies should be larger, more organized, and repeated in order to
determine the true and evidence-based effectiveness of essential oils.
Keywords: essential oils, complementary medicine
167
Lidija Dornik
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Essential oils are highly concentrated, volatile and aromatic liquids
obtained from various parts of plants: seeds, shells, bark, leaves, stems, roots,
flowers, fruits. They are obtained mostly by distillation, solvent extraction and
also by hydrofusion or pressure. Plants use essential oils for protection from
sun, protection against temperature extremes, to repel insects, to treat them-
selves after injuries by animals that feed on them, to attract animals for pollu-
tion, repel microbes and use them for protection for long periods with less nu-
trients. The purity of essential oils is determined by the chemical constituents
of each oil, which are influenced by various factors. These factors are the dif-
ferent parts of the plants used in the production of the essential oil, the soil in
which the plant grew, other plants with which the plant grew, fertilizers, geo-
graphical regions, climate, altitude, pollination, harvest periods and methods,
and finally distillation method.
Methods. The research was based on a qualitative research approach with a de-
scriptive research method. The scientific literature in the field of medicine was
used in the research project. The literature was accessed via an electronic link
in the Celje library. Material for the research paper was collected online in the
EBSCO and MEDLINE databases, and monographs were also used. The key
phrases were: “essential oil”, “patient” and “medicine” in English language. The
restrictive search criteria were in the period January 2015 to January 2020. We
searched for the full text of the articles.
Results. In order to narrow the data, restrictive criteria were used: peer-re-
viewed articles, full text, year of publication, English, if available for download,
and scientific journals. Search found 44 articles. After the review, we excluded
14 articles that did not contain inclusion and exclusion criteria, were not pub-
licly available, or were other types of articles. The online review was limited to
30 articles, which we reviewed, read, and included in the survey 9.
Discussion and conclusion. Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways such as
topically, aromatically and internally. Before we decide to buy and use essen-
tial oils, we must be well acquainted with the purity, therapeutic labels, manu-
facturers and sellers, and finally, about how to use the essential oil. The essen-
tial oils of lavender, orange or peppermint have been used in many studies and
show good results in supportive therapy for patients. In our study, we wanted
to find out if essential oils can help people with different diagnoses and symp-
toms. We have found that a huge number of studies are being conducted with
essential oils, yet they are difficult to compare with each other. Researchers al-
so note that studies should be larger, more organized, and repeated in order to
determine the true and evidence-based effectiveness of essential oils.
Keywords: essential oils, complementary medicine
167
