Essential Oils Can Trigger Health Risks

Essential oils have been found to trigger various health risks including heart problems, eye ulcers and convulsion, according to a recent study.

Parents have previously been warned of the possible dangers of 'highly toxic' essential oils by a doctor who claims they can cause serious health risks. Essential oils such as eucalyptus, clove and peppermint are typically found in decongestant products like Olbas Oils and used by parents on children suffering from colds and coughs in the winter. These oils are normally sprayed on children's pillows and tissues and are used in giving baths.

However, pediatric consultant, Hester Yorke, who works at the emergency department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, says she has dealt with a string of cases wherein children and babies have required hospital treatment after drinking or ingesting harmless-sounding oils. Dr. Yorke, 39, is calling on manufacturers of such oils to put a child-proof cap on the bottles to reduce the number of patients in need of urgent treatment for simply misusing the product.

"In the last five years, we have seen at least 38 children, and probably more, who have presented having ingested, put in their eyes or up their nose some kind of essential oil-containing substance. These included Olbas Oil, Karvol, room diffuser liquids, liquid air freshener, citronella oil and other aromatherapy oils, and of these 38 children, six had significant clinical findings." Dr. Yorke said all 38 children were admitted to the ward for observation or required observation for at least six hours."  Dr. Yorke also claimed that she has heard cases where ingestion of essential oils had caused death but admitted that she had no direct evidence to prove this claim.