Lymph nodes play a critical role in supporting your immune system. For instance, lymph nodes work as filters for harmful substances like pathogens, infected cells, and toxins. Moreover, lymph nodes harbor immune cells that destroy harmful substances carried in the lymph fluid that passes through the lymph nodes.
In this post, we have discussed the common conditions that affect your lymph nodes, and into the bargain, we have scrutinized some of the essential oils for lymph nodes that can help you manage the conditions as well as eliminate immune stagnancies that could be increasing your risk to lymph node- related problems.
Common Lymph Node Problems
• Swollen Lymph nodes
Swelling or inflammation is one of the most common problems associated with lymph nodes. According to health experts, your lymph nodes may swell due to bacterial, viral & fungal infections, use of certain medications, injury, or some types of cancer like leukemia and lymphoma.
Some of the lymph nodes that are prone to inflammation are those near your ear, underarms, neck, and groin and in most cases, only one group of the lymph nodes may swell at a time. However, some severe infections like rubella, mumps, cytomegalovirus, Lyme disease, syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus, or Hodgkin’s disease can cause swelling at several lymph nodes.
According to an article posted on WebMD, a swollen lymph node is a clear indicator of an infection or injury. For example, swollen lymph nodes in the groin area are an indication that your foot, leg, or genitals are infected.
• Lymphatic obstruction
Lymphatic obstruction is another common problem associated with lymph nodes. In this condition, your lymph nodes and other related tissues malfunction to prevent the normal movement of lymph within the lymph vessels. As a result, the retained lymph fluid in the vessels makes your arms or legs to swell.
Lymphatic obstruction is divided into two categories, primary lymphatic obstruction, and secondary lymphatic obstruction. Primary lymphedema is an inherited condition, and one is born with it. The secondary type results when a lymph tissue is removed from your underarm in the event of removing a cancerous breast.
The use of specific essential oils is one of the most effective ways to manage pain, suffering, and the discomfort resulting from swollen or obstructed lymph nodes. What essential oil can you use on your lymph nodes? Below, is a comprehensive list of oils to choose from.
Essential Oils for Lymph Nodes
1. Frankincense essential oil
For quite an extended time, this essential oil has been used to address multiple conditions like relieving indigestion, boosting wound recovery, treating cold, and fighting wrinkles. Its health benefits can be attributed to its chemical compounds like alpha- pinene, myrcene, phellandrene, limonene, linalool, camphene, and geraniol.
This essential oil helps your swollen lymph nodes in multiple ways. Firstly, the essential oil can be applied topically to slow down hypersensitivity, increase the production of cytokines, and increase T- cell interactions. This support helps your body’s defense system to fight pathogens that could overpower the immune cells on lymph nodes.
Secondly, massaging frankincense oil mixed with carrier oil can help your body to fight against inflammation and pain.
2. Peppermint essential oil
Peppermint essential oil is a natural remedy that has been used successfully to treat medical conditions like stomachache, nausea, and respiratory ailments. Its healing effects can be attributed to its nutrient-rich profile containing vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, manganese, potassium, copper, folate, calcium, and magnesium.
Applying the essential directly on swollen lymph nodes can help you manage different can potentially eliminate the disease-causing bacteria on the infected lymph nodes. Moreover, the essential oil can soothe the inflamed area to minimize pain.
3. Wintergreen essential oil
Wintergreen essential oil is prepared from Gaultheria procumbens, a medicinal plant that has been used since the ancient times to treat fatigue, respiratory conditions, sinus, and lung infections.
Some research shows that Wintergreen essential oil is a rich source of Methyl Salicylate, a compound with excellent antiseptic, analgesic, inflammation fighting, and anti-arthritic qualities.
When used topically, the essential oil numbs the affected part to reduce pain. Besides numbing the inflamed part, the wintergreen essential oil also promotes blood circulation to the area around swollen lymph nodes, thereby reducing pain and irritation.
4. Bay Laurel essential oil
Also known as Laurel leaf essential oil, this oil is extracted from the leaves of Pimenta racemosa. This essential organic oil contains eugenol, eucalyptol, myrcene, limonene, chavicol, and ternipen 4- ol, chemical compounds that can reduce lymph node inflammation in multiple ways.
To begin with, bay laurel essential oil is an excellent antimicrobial and antifungal that helps your defense system to fight infections, thereby reducing the load on lymph nodes. Also, bay laurel essential oil has been reported to help fight cancer especially breast cancer.
If you want to reap these benefits, health experts suggest that you add four drops of the essential oil in an ounce of carrier oil like jojoba oil and then massage the affected lymph nodes.
5. Ginger essential oil
Ginger essential oil is derived from a ginger root, a favorite spice in the culinary realm. Research shows that ginger contains more than one hundred in chemicals that can support your chemicals that collaborate to enhance your overall well- being.
Some of the essential compounds found in ginger essential oil include camphene, linalool, geranial, nerol, pinene, cineole, zingiberene, and n terpineol.
For instance, the gingerols found in ginger essential oil break down the toxins in your organs and lymph nodes thereby reducing the accumulation of toxic substances that can trigger lymph node inflammation.
Furthermore, ginger essential oil is excellent for lymph nodes because it reduces the pain associated with inflamed nodes. Health experts say that the gingerols in ginger act on vanilloid receptors to minimize discomfort.
Apart from breaking down the toxins and reducing pain, the ginger essential oil helps your body defense system to fight bacterial diseases, fungal infections, cancer, and arthritis. Some of these disorders are associated with lymph node swelling.
6. Grapefruit essential oil
Grapefruit essential oil is prepared from the peel of a grapefruit rather than the pulp. The essential oil is useful in the management of inflamed lymph nodes because it is a rich source of limonene, a natural chemical that helps your immune system to fight against disease-causing inflammation. Other critical chemical compounds found in grapefruit essential oil are sabinene, myrcene, linalool, pinene, and terpinene.
Moreover, Grapefruit’s limonene, myrcene, pinene, and vitamin C assist your body in fighting against tumors and cancer cells that can cause lymph node swelling. In the bottom line, grapefruit oil can help your liver to get rid of toxins and waste from your body, and it can activate your lymphatic system.
7. Lemon essential oil
Like grapefruit, lemon essential oil is rich in chemical compounds that help the liver and other tissues to eliminate toxins. Besides its detoxifying capability, lemon essential oil also stimulates lymph drainage to reduce the inflammation resulting from lymphatic system blockage.
Some of the potent chemical compounds found in lemon essential oil are nerol, sabinene, camphene, neral, myrcene, pinene, and bisabolene.
In addition to the above benefits, lemon oil essential oil can also help your immune system to fight against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. In fact, a research posted in the international journal of food microbiology reports that lemon essential oil could be one of the most potent antimicrobial essential oil. These diseases can cause lymph node swelling if they overpower your immune system.
8. Mandarin essential oil
Mandarin essential oil’s benefits can be attributed to its powerful antispasmodic, tonic, and antiseptic qualities. For instance, an article posted on Quintessence Aromatherapy reports that mandarin essential oil can be used to manage fluid retention.
Furthermore, mandarin essential oil is a rich source of camphene, beta pinene, limonene, terpineol, and alpha-pinene. These phytochemicals work synergistically to eradicate lymph node inflammation, cancer cells, and inflammation. Besides fighting inflammation, mandarin essential oil can also prevent lymph node inflammation b helping your body to fight against viral, bacterial, and fungal infections.
9. Fennel essential oil
Like most essential oils, fennel oil is a reliable antimicrobial that helps your body to fight against bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases that can cause lymph node inflammation if they overpower your immune system. Fennel essential oil’s health benefits can be attributed to its chemical compounds like phenylpropanoid, limonene, fenchone, and Estragole.
For lymph node swelling that is associated with a wound, you can apply the fennel seed essential oil on the wound to prevent it from becoming septic. When taken orally alongside carrier oil, fennel essential oil will help your liver and other tissues to get rid of various toxic substances that could get into your lymphatic system.
10. Carrot seed essential oil
Carrot seed oil is a rich source of palmitic acid, linoleic acid, petroselinic, calcium, magnesium, manganese, carotol, beta selinene, and sabinene.
Carrot essential oil is a rich source of antioxidants that help your immune systems to fight free radicles that could otherwise accelerate the formation of tumors, and cancerous cells. Carrot essential oil’s also serves as a detoxifier, disinfectant, and an antiseptic.
11. Cypress essential oil
Cypress essential oil is derived from the needle-like leaves and twigs of the Cupressus sempervirens tree. The oil is rich in essential chemical compounds like myrcene, Linalool, sabinene, alpha-pinene, camphene, and cadinene.
Like most essential oils that we have examined in this post, cypress essential oil supports your lymph nodes in several ways. Firstly, it works like an antiseptic that accelerates wound healing alongside preventing the wound from becoming septic.
Secondly, the cypress oil is an excellent detoxifier that helps your body to flush out toxins like salt, water, and cholesterol from the liver and other tissues. This essential oil is applied topically.
12. Geranium essential oil
Geranium essential oil is derived from the stem and leaves of a geranium plant. Some of the compounds that make geranium oil an excellent remedy for lymph nodes are pinene, limonene, myrcene, citronellol, and menthone.
The compounds found in this oil help your body to fight against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, thereby giving your lymph nodes and the general lymphatic system an easy task in fighting diseases.
In addition to the antimicrobial effect, geranium essential works like a painkiller when applied on swollen lymph nodes. It worked efficiently when mixed with coconut oil and massaged on affected lymph nodes.
13. Orange essential oil
Orange essential oil is prepared from the peels of the orange fruit. This oil is rich crucial compounds like decanal, myrcene, linalool, limonene, pinene, geranial, sabinene, and acetaldehyde.
Limonene is a powerful antioxidant that protects your body against cancer cells, tumors, and other radicles. The other compounds collaborate to help your body fight against bacteria and other disease-causing organisms. When applied topically, the orange fruit essential oil helps reduces pain and inflammation in swollen lymph nodes.
References
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/tc/swollen-lymph-nodes-topic-overview#1
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713511005561