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Aromatherapy and the Olfactory System
Olfactory System page 2
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The autonomic system reacts automatically to the different stressors whether they be mental, or physical and initiates a complex series of neurophysiological and biochemical changes within the body. These are known as neurochemicals or neurotransmitters which communicate with different organs of the body and bring about chemical changes.

For instance mood enhancers like serotonin , endorphins and enkephalin are all hormones that are released by the hypothalamus's affect on the pituitary gland.

The hypothalamus and the endocrine systems play a critical role in the development of psychosomatic illness. More than half of the patients that walk into a doctor's office have diseases of a psychosomatic nature.

Does this mean it is all in their head, that it is not real? By no means, what it does mean is that their minds are affecting the way their bodies are reacting.

Doctors are realizing more and more that we cannot separate man into separate compartments. Man is a holistic being comprised of body, soul, and spirit and when one of these areas are out of balance the whole man suffers.

This is why Aromatherapy works. It brings balance to mind, body and spirit which in turn brings harmony to the whole person.

Now that we have looked at how the mind affects the body let us look at the second channel through which aromatherapy works, through application to the body. This is known as the physiological effects of aromatherapy.

As mentioned earlier, Essential Oils are minute molecules and are therefore easily absorbed through application to the skin. This is known as transdermal absorption. Essential Oils do not dissolve in water but dissolve in fat therefore they eagerly attach themselves to the natural body fats and fluids in our body and gain access to the lymphatic and blood systems through the connective and lymphatic tissues.

Here they can affect physical changes usually in about 10-20 minutes, and indirectly stimulate or sedate the immune system and other various body systems.

Unlike other treatments which are taken internally, aromatherapy works more effectively because it has direct access to the various body systems and does not have to pass through the stomach where gastric juices could deter its effectiveness.

In fact, internal digestion is NOT RECOMMENDED and generally not used in aromatherapy as some Essential Oils can be TOXIC IF TAKEN INTERNALLY.