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The Best Essential Oils for Swelling and Lumps

Inflammation is a healing response, just like fever, to something that is not going right in the body. It activates as a defense against any bacteria, injury or virus and is almost always an uncomfortable and painful experience. Swelling or lumps can be treated or made more tolerable through the use of essential oils that can be inhaled, applied to the body or minimally ingested.

  1. Wintergreen

    • The essential oil of Wintergreen is extracted from evergreen leaves. The oil has properties that are effective in calming respiratory conditions, enhancing breathing and according to HomeRemedyCentral.com, it is listed in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as an aid for rheumatoid arthritis. Wintergreen essential oil has a composition that is similar to aspirin, and according to SelfGrowth.com, a teaspoon of wintergreen has the equivalent effect of 22 adult aspirins, which helps in alleviating swelling, lumps, aches and fevers. It is a toxic essential oil so it should never be taken internally, and it should be diluted if applied topically. The best way to use it is to blend it with other essential oils in massage therapy or in aromatherapy.

    Myrrh

    • Myrrh oil is distilled from dried resin left on the bark of the Myrrh trees. It has been used since the ancient times and, as stated on HomeRemedyCentral.com, was one of the oils that the three wise men gifted baby Jesus. It has many uses and is especially good for reducing swelling. Myrrh oil can also be used for sanitizing and cleaning wounds, cleaning oily skin, killing fungi, treating bed sores and skin disorders. It can be applied through aromatherapy, custom therapy and in massage blends, and when diluted it can be used directly on the skin to alleviate swelling or inflammation.

    Frankincense

    • Frankincense is also one of the oils that the three wise men brought forth to the baby Jesus. Frankincense has properties that reduce excess water retention and thereby reduce swelling. It calms down swollen and reddened skin and the mental state of the person using it. According to SelfGrowth.com, it is the best treatment for arthritis, preventing swelling that often accompanied the disorder. The way to use it is as a massage or bath oil and in vapor therapy. Frankincense resin is also commonly used as incense throughout the Middle East and also in Orthodox and Catholic churches.

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