Alternative Solution to Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy: Lemon Aromatherapy

Nausea and vomiting, one of the most common complaints during pregnancy, affect 50% to 80% of pregnant women. Although this problem during pregnancy varies, it usually begins between the first and second missed menstrual cycles and resolves between 14 and 22 weeks. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy have a negative impact on women's physical health and psychosocial performance. Loss of work days, lack of energy, fatigue, irritability, lack of enjoyment of life and unpreparedness for birth can cause serious stress in women. This condition during pregnancy is actually the result of a syndrome that cannot be called a disease. Such conditions are called pathophysiological disorders, and since the pathophysiology of pregnancy nausea is not well understood, many current treatments are prescribed only to reduce symptoms. Depending on the symptoms experienced by the pregnant woman, this treatment can range from changes in diet and lifestyle to hospitalization. According to a 2010 database review, vitamin B6 and antiemetic (anti-vomiting) medications are used to relieve mild to moderate nausea. Apart from this, acupressure (a relaxation method performed by applying pressure to the hands and feet) was listed as a non-pharmacological method. However, there is no confirmed significant effect of acupuncture use in pregnant women.

Due to concerns about drug side effects in early pregnancy, pregnant women have an increased tendency to use herbal products today. Since pharmacological methods are limited and their side effects are worrying, "aromatherapy" is quite suitable and effective to prevent nausea during pregnancy and to continue daily life as smoothly as possible. "Aromatherapy, a branch of herbal science, is the sum of methods for the skillful and controlled use of essential oils to improve physical, emotional and psychological health." Lemon oil is one of the most commonly used herbal oils during pregnancy. A study conducted in Iran with 100 pregnant participants is investigating the effects of aromatherapy on this problem. The participants were 6 to 16 weeks pregnant and experiencing mild to moderate nausea with or without vomiting. In addition, none of them were at risk of miscarriage, had any illness and had not used any antiemetic (preventing vomiting) medication in the last 24 hours. They answered a questionnaire designed for this subject called PUQE-24 to score the severity of nausea they experienced. Accordingly, those with scores between 3 and 12, i.e. those experiencing mild to moderate nausea and vomiting, were included in the study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: experimental and control groups. The experimental group received aromatherapy with lemon essential oil, while the control group inhaled a placebo. Most importantly, participants were not told which group they were in. The experimental group was given 10 cc bottles of lemon oil and almond oil as a carrier oil. The control group was given a mixture of carrot and almond oil to give the impression of lemon oil. Again, participants were unaware of the contents of the containers.

Both groups were given lifestyle changes and dietary advice that have been proven to control nausea and vomiting. All participants were asked to follow these advice and, when they felt nauseous, to put two drops of essential oil on a cotton ball given by the researchers, hold it 3 cm from the nose and inhale deeply three times, and repeat after 5 minutes if necessary. Data collection continued for 10 months. Analysis of the data obtained showed that nausea and vomiting decreased in both the experimental and control groups. The decrease was much greater in the experimental group. The researchers say that the decrease in the control group was due to adherence to the advice on diet and lifestyle. No side effects were observed in either group due to aromatherapy. Scents can trigger the human body to produce physical and psychological responses. When aromatic substances are inhaled, the odor molecules they emit are transmitted through receptor cells in the nose. It stimulates the olfactory region of the brain by sending signals directly to it. This region is connected to other systems that control memory, emotion, hormones, sex and heart rate. The impulses caused by stimulation are activated and cause hormone release, creating effects such as calming or soothing in the person, leading to physical and mental changes. In this study, this effect was achieved with lemon aromatherapy and it was shown that it can reduce nausea and vomiting experienced during pregnancy without causing any side effects. Aromatherapy, thanks to its holistic effects, relieves this discomfort while also being good for the person's physical and psychological health. For all these reasons, it offers a viable and safe alternative approach to the treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

SOURCE
The Effect of Lemon Inhalation Aromatherapy on Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial PUQE-24