Air Fragrance Oils: Alzheimer's Culprit Or Coincidence?

Aromatherapy is the use of fragrant essential oils from plants to improve physical, mental, or spiritual well-being. Essential oils are clear liquids that can be found in every part of a plant, including the flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds. These substances are primarily responsible for a plant's scent and can be extracted from a raw plant using techniques such as distilling and cold-pressing.

Aromatherapy has been studied as a cognitive health therapy for people with dementia. Medications for dementia are not always effective at relieving symptoms such as problems with thinking, behaviour, mood, and sleep. Aromatherapy is an attractive option for treating these symptoms as it is often thought to have a low risk of side effects.

Aromatherapy may be beneficial for people with dementia, as the olfactory sense is the only sense that has direct access to the memory centres of the brain. However, there is no consensus that essential oils improve memory or cognitive performance.

Essential oils such as lavender, rosemary, and peppermint might enhance memory and cognitive function. These oils are generally safe, smell pleasant, and may help people feel more alert. More evidence is needed, however, to know if aromatherapy can really boost memory.

Aromatherapy for dementia patients in memory care communities

Memory care communities may use aromatherapy to counter common dementia behaviours like agitation, aggression, and apathy. Aromatherapy has been proven to reduce agitation, improve sleep patterns, boost mood, and even increase appetite. Scents used in aromatherapy for the elderly include herbal scents for stress, gourmand fragrances for loss of appetite, lavender or chamomile for trouble sleeping, and citrus for lack of focus or motivation.

Aromatherapy for Alzheimer’s patients at home

Consider your loved one’s personal history as you select scents to explore. For example, if your mother was a gardener, consider the smell of freshly turned earth or tomato leaves as aromatherapy for memory. If your father was a chef, the scent of roasting meat could recall days spent creating in the kitchen.

• Mowing the lawn on weekend mornings with a glass of cold lemonade
• A game of catch with children on the lawn
• Spending time in a warm, welcoming kitchen with family
• Sneaking bites of sweet dough as you cut it into shapes
• The excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning beneath the tree
• Bundling up to take a stroll through a moonlit, winter forest
• Family vacations to the beach, building sandcastles in crisp, salty air
• A romantic honeymoon to a seaside resort
• Waking up to a piping-hot cup of coffee before work each morning
• Lingering weekend breakfasts with a newlywed spouse
• Playing cards with friends into the night as a young adult
• Sitting on a father’s lap for evening radio programs as a child
• Climbing into the cool sheets of a comfortable bed
• Hanging freshly laundered sheets to dry in the sun
• Spending time in a backyard garden, nurturing plants
• Coming home to a bouquet on a birthday or wedding anniversary

How to use aromatherapy for memory safely

Once you’ve chosen fragrances to explore, you can try these readily available aromatherapy items for elderly loved ones at home:

• Strong incense, especially for people with a compromised sense of smell
• Essential oil blends
• Pre-made scent kits designed for seniors with dementia

While properly administered aromatherapy doesn’t appear to have any significant adverse effects, it’s important to note that scents and essential oils aren’t FDA approved. Just because a fragrance is naturally derived doesn’t mean it’s safe. Some natural products can be respiratory allergens, like oils derived from cinnamon and cumin. Others may cause skin irritation if used topically, and the majority can be toxic if ingested by people or pets. Make sure your loved one doesn’t react negatively to a scent or an oil, and stop use if they do.

Physical and mental benefits of aromatherapy for dementia patients

Aromatherapy is a natural, holistic way to ease symptoms of dementia using concentrated essential oils from flower, plant, and herb extracts. While aromatherapy cannot cure Alzheimer's or dementia, it can help enhance the physical and emotional well-being of people living with dementia.

• Increase cognitive function: Essential oils like lemon and rosemary can "activate the sympathetic nervous system, improving concentration and memory".
• Help with mood changes and decrease depression and anxiety: Essential oils stimulate olfactory receptors connected to the hypothalamus, the region of our brain that controls hormones and affects sleep and emotional regulation. Stimulating the hypothalamus releases neurotransmitters like serotonin, the mood-stabilizing hormone that creates feelings of happiness.
• Help people with dementia sleep better: Scents like bergamot, lavender, and chamomile may help if your loved one can’t get a good night’s rest.
• Ease anxiety: Scents like rosemary and lavender reduce cortisol, the body’s response to stress.
• Stimulate appetite: Scents like citrus, peppermint, and spearmint can help with reduced appetite, a common issue for people living with dementia.
• Ease muscle aches and stiff joints: Essential oils can be massaged into the skin, added to a hot bath, or used with a cold compress to relax tired muscles.
• Stimulate memories: Essential oils stimulate the hippocampus, the part of your brain that governs memory. Scents may trigger distressing memories, so it is important to use aromatherapy in small amounts to see if it has a positive effect.

Aromatherapy for Alzheimer’s patients at home

Aromatherapy for Alzheimer's Patients at Home

Aromatherapy is an ancient practice that uses fragrant plant extracts to improve physical, mental, or spiritual well-being. Essential oils, which are easily evaporated liquids found in every part of a plant, are commonly used in aromatherapy. These oils are believed to improve memory and brain function, and have been studied as a cognitive health therapy.

Aromatherapy for Alzheimer's patients can be done at home in several ways:

• Indirect Inhalation: Using a spray bottle or electric diffuser to disperse tiny aromatic airborne particles through the room.
• Direct Inhalation: Smelling fragrance directly from an open bottle, tissue, or cotton ball, or by rubbing it onto the palms of your hands and inhaling.
• Steam Inhalation: Mixing essential oil into boiling water and inhaling the scented steam.
• Aromatherapy Massage: Diluting essential oils into a massage or body oil and rubbing it into the body.

When selecting scents for aromatherapy, consider your loved one's personal history. For example, if they were a gardener, you could use the scent of freshly turned earth or tomato leaves. If they were a chef, you could use the scent of roasting meat.

• Mowing the lawn on weekend mornings with a glass of cold lemonade
• A game of catch with children on the lawn
• Spending time in a warm, welcoming kitchen with family
• Sneaking bites of sweet dough as you cut it into shapes
• The excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning beneath the tree
• Bundling up to take a stroll through a moonlit, winter forest
• Family vacations to the beach, building sandcastles in crisp, salty air
• A romantic honeymoon to a seaside resort
• Waking up to a piping-hot cup of coffee before work each morning
• Lingering weekend breakfasts with a newlywed spouse
• Playing cards with friends into the night as a young adult
• Sitting on a father's lap for evening radio programs as a child
• Climbing into the cool sheets of a comfortable bed
• Hanging freshly laundered sheets to dry in the sun
• Spending time in a backyard garden, nurturing plants
• Coming home to a bouquet on a birthday or wedding anniversary

While aromatherapy has been shown to have physical and mental benefits for people with Alzheimer's, it's important to note that not all studies have produced consistent results. Additionally, the reliability of these findings is limited by small sample sizes.

It's also important to use aromatherapy safely. While properly administered aromatherapy doesn't appear to have any significant adverse effects, scents and essential oils are not FDA-approved. Some natural products can be respiratory allergens, like oils derived from cinnamon and cumin. Others may cause skin irritation if used topically, and the majority can be toxic if ingested by people or pets. Make sure your loved one doesn't react negatively to a scent or an oil, and stop use if they do.

Aromatherapy for elderly adults with advanced Alzheimer's should always be supervised: candles and incense are fire hazards, while wax melts or essential oils may seem edible.

How to use aromatherapy for memory safely

Aromatherapy is an ancient practice that uses fragrant plant extracts to improve physical, mental, or spiritual well-being. Aromatherapy has been studied as a cognitive health therapy, and some research suggests that essential oils may improve your memory and help keep your brain sharp. Essential oils are most commonly inhaled, but they can also be applied to the skin when mixed with a carrier oil.

The benefits of aromatherapy for dementia patients

Aromatherapy can be used to treat common dementia symptoms like agitation, aggression, and apathy. It can also be used to minimize agitation, improve sleep patterns, boost mood, and even increase appetite.

Scents used in aromatherapy for the elderly

• Herbal scents like lavender, cedarwood, marjoram, and rosemary may have a calming effect on loved ones experiencing anxiety, which can lead to agitation, aggression, and confusion.
• Gourmand fragrances like grapefruit, cloves, and blends like hot apple pie or sugar cookie can help stimulate your loved one’s appetite.
• Bergamot, lavender, and chamomile may help if your loved one is experiencing trouble sleeping.
• Citrus scents can help increase focus and motivation in seniors with dementia.

Aromatherapy for Alzheimer’s patients at home

Consider your loved one’s personal history as you select scents to explore as these will be most likely to inspire recollections of times past.

• Use strong incense, especially for people with a compromised sense of smell.
• Try essential oil blends or pre-made scent kits designed for seniors with dementia.
• Always supervise aromatherapy for elderly adults with advanced dementia: Candles and incense are fire hazards, while wax melts or essential oils may seem edible.
• Combining sensory therapies can create a more fully evocative experience. Try using props, real scent sources, and additional sensory cues.

Combining sensory therapies

Sensory stimulation therapy is a method that can help people with Alzheimer's disease to express themselves and may even spark pleasant memories and emotions. This form of therapy uses everyday sounds, foods, objects, and other items to awaken the senses and elicit a positive response or feeling.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is an ancient practice in which fragrant plant extracts are used to improve physical, mental, or spiritual well-being. Essential oils are clear liquids that can be found in every part of a plant, including the flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds. These substances, which evaporate easily when exposed to the air, are primarily responsible for a plant’s scent. Essential oils can be used in aromatherapy, which has been studied as a cognitive health therapy.

Benefits of Aromatherapy

Some research suggests that essential oils may improve memory and help keep the brain sharp. The sense of smell may be linked to brain health. Declines in cognition, whether due to aging or disease, often parallel declines in the sense of smell, suggesting a dynamic neural connection between smell and cognition.

Aromatherapy has been studied as a remedy for various conditions, such as depression, insomnia, and nausea, but results have been mixed. Aromatherapy might be of particular use as an intervention for people who are confused, have little or no preserved language function, or for whom verbal interaction is difficult.

Essential Oils and Alzheimer's

Essential oils have been studied as a remedy for Alzheimer's disease, with some studies suggesting they can improve memory and cognitive functioning. For example, one study found that nightly aromatherapy significantly improved the memory of older adults. This experiment asked healthy men and women between the ages of 60 and 85 to use an aromatherapy diffuser for two hours every night, rotating through seven different essential oils: rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender. After six months, those who had been exposed to the essential oils overnight scored 226% higher on a word list recall than those in a control group.

However, there is no consensus that essential oils truly improve memory or cognitive performance. In a systematic review of essential oil experiments, researchers could not find “any convincing evidence that aromatherapy (or exposure to fragrant plant oils) is beneficial for people with dementia.” The quality of evidence was poor, and results of different studies did not agree with one another.

Other Sensory Therapies

Other non-drug therapies may be offered to help manage common symptoms of dementia like depression, anxiety, or agitation. These therapies include cognitive behavioural therapies, music therapy or dancing, animal-assisted therapy, and multi-sensory stimulation.

Music therapy can soothe agitation, engage the mind even in the disease’s later stages, and improve eating in some cases. Toe-tapping beats and up-tempo dance tunes can help stimulate both mental and physical activity in Alzheimer's patients. Easy listening can also ease anxiety and frustration felt by many people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Art therapy, such as painting and drawing, can help people with Alzheimer’s disease express themselves. Expression through art can become especially important as a person becomes less able to communicate through words.

Frequently asked questions