First Aid tip

[charonred]

Just thought I'd pass on a couple of tips; apart from carrying a triangle bandage & a couple of scalpel blades around in my bike kit, I also keep a couple of small 15 ml bottles of essential oil with me.

• Lavender – absolutely the best thing to treat burns with (apply asap cause it seems to draw the heat out of the burn), it's also a good anti-septic/anti-bacterial treatment, and has a calming effect when inhaled.
  
• Peppermint – great for insect bites and stings (for after you've done the mad roadside undress for wasp stings etc), and strangely it's very calming too – a few deep breathes is a good treatment for palpitations.

Make sure you only use 100% pure essential oils from health stores etc; not the cheap, couple of dollar 'fragrant oils' from the markets which are synthesised and have camphor added to boost the scent. And whenever you use oils, wash your hands afterwards; you'll know all about it if you rub your eye after handling them, especially peppermint (like chilli, but instead of fire under your eyelid, it's more like ice).

Obligatory WARNING – always seek advice from a suitably qualified health professional.

amendment - this is just my personal advice/opinion, so don't take this as 'official medical advice'

[Desmogod]

Fucking hippies.

[panic]

i wouldn't go applying undiluted essential oil anywhere let alone a burn

[charonred]

Lavender works like you wouldn't believe; been using it for 16+ years as have many other friends including a panel beater and coded welder who swear by it for treating burns.

Hey but if you think it's bunkem, that's your perogative, but keep in mind most of our medicines are derived from plant sources - oils are just a more direct source.

amendment - this is just my personal advice/opinion, so don't take this as 'official medical advice'

[Milo]

Another absolutely great garden jobbie is... Aloevera Plant. The raw stuff.
Great for anything from sunburn, scalds to a cut that just wont heal 100%
What i do is cut a leaf off the plant, cut the skin of so you havea 'jelly' block then bandaid/strap the jelly to the area overnight. then next morning take it of...
If you dont believe me try it.
Every mate that i have done it for has then asked for a cutting of our Aloe plants to grow at least one plant at their house.

[Graelin]

About ten yrs ago a girl at work got around $100-00 from me and I came home a 'sensitive new age guy' with a purple hold all of essential oils and candle burner kit.

I had also recieved lavender bath salts from Mum in Tassie.

What could go wrong you ask?

Read on.

I read a few pages of a book on this subject and looked for oils that redused stress. Been a hard day, alarm jammed on cops and neighbours banging on door where my only clothes were by!!! yes I was getting changed!!
Every time I moved a dam sensor went off again.

Now this is a man thing and if a little is good a lot must be better!

I set the candle alight placed a few extra drops in the burner and filled the Spa Bath in the Ensuite.

Ok a lot of this and a lot of that in the bath. Get out my Medicine Woman CD --- SEEE I was serious!

Some candles for effect and the music playing softly.

Then I remebered the bath salts, silly me what better place for these than in spa bath.

I Poured the lot in and set the jets going and sat down.

Fully relaxed in my new found pursuit I felt an itch on my right cheek, then the left cheek.

AHHHHH PAIN PLUS -- then the burning started I jump to feet pull the plug and jet cold water on to each cheek as Mrs Lin comes in to join me.

"Get out!!" I yell this stuff dangerous!!!

Now if you have ever seen the Baboon cage at perth Zoo you have some Idea of the condition Chemical Burns did to my rear end.

Spent the night with it sticking out of bed and air conditioner on full directed appropriately.

Please read and follow the instructions and I am sure you will fare OK. A little is sufficient.

Graelin

[mekon]

+1 for Aloe Vera for sunburn..

I'd give the oils a miss for any serious burn and maybe seek medical help.
Mind you if I was injured in a crash and heard, "Let me through I'm a medical professional, I'm an aromatherapist!" I'd sew my own legs back on and get the fuck out of there.

[charonred]

Ok, I had no intention of prattling on about this, it was just a simple post that may have been of interest to some; but to clarify...

Graelin is correct - use according to instructions. It's not just a male thing; it's a human thing to think if a little is good, a lot must be better - WRONG in this case; and is the reason why TGA has classified some oils as poisonous - use with common sense, and according to instructions and they're all ok; and generally oils shouldn't be used undiluted, but there are exceptions too. And no oil is a cure all for all people; some people get a better response with a different oil for a particular ailment.

For general use in a bath or for massage application (in a carrier oil); use no more than a maximum of 6-8 drops of oil, whether by itself or as a blend of oils - I remember a mate doing likewise to Graelin; he had a bath and put 8 drops each of 3 different blends in...after about 10 minutes he couldn't get out and to the dunny quick enough; he was 'detoxing' too rapidly and was spewing, shitting and pissing all at the same time...sure cleaned him out in a hurry - after that he used oils with more caution, and according to instructions.

A little is all that is needed for most ailments, stronger doses can be used for severe conditions, but always with caution.

Just 1 personal account - About 12 years ago my then 3yo niece was wrapped in a towel after her bath and backed up against the gas room heater - she got 1st degree burns across her butt, and had safety grill pattern welts across both cheeks. Her mum had the sense to grab some Lavender and smother the burnt area in it (no water used); after 10 - 15 minutes she was asleep. Next day and for a few days after, more oil was added to the area, along with some aloe vera. The burn was healed within a few days (with no pustulating or blistering), and over the next few months the welts gradually diminished - today you wouldn't know she had such a burn, and she can wear a bikini like any other young lady. For 2nd degree burns see a doctor, 3rd degree get to a hospital.

The essential manual for Aromatherapy was written by Dr Jean Valnet; a French doctor who in WWII used natural herbs and oils to treat thousands of injured soldiers because he simply could not get medical supplies to ward off infections. The science of aromatherapy dates back thousands of years, with many 'perfumers' being highly regarded in their society for their ability to treat all manner of ailments.

So aromatherapy is nothing new, it's just not readily accepted by most 'western trained medicos' at the moment; but remember that it was only a couple of decades ago acupuncture was dismissed just as quickly, along with chiropractic, naturopathy & other so called 'new age' practices.

anyhow, enough; you want more info and facts, look it up.


amendment - this is just my personal advice/opinion, so don't take this as 'official medical advice'

[barfridge]

charonred: can you please give us some information about your background, professional qualifications and clinical experiences.

I'm very nervous about unqualified medical advice being posted on here, with the possibility for things to go wrong.

[charonred]

I understand your concern, and is why I included in the original post

Obligatory WARNING – always seek advice from a suitably qualified health professional

I did a course in '91 as part of a massage course I undertook, and have been using & studying essential oils ever since. I don't have any so called 'professional qualifications', though I have a few certificates in this and that; but I have been around 50+ years and didn't stop learning when I left school - Knowledge is not exclusive to those with a few letters placed after their name, nor do those same letters guarantee excellence; some 'professionals' are barely competent in their field, but they are 'qualified'.

[Spock]

Originally Posted by charonred

Just thought I'd pass on a couple of tips; apart from carrying a triangle bandage & a couple of scalpel blades around in my bike kit, I also keep a couple of small 15 ml bottles of essential oil with me.

+1 for the triangular bandage. In a bike 1st aid kit, anything else (apart from maybe a bottle of water) is pretty much worthless however.

[charonred]

But if you are truly concerned about any possible ramifications, then just nuke the post - it was simply some personal advice/information that I thought might be of interest to others in this sub-forum.

[barfridge]

Thanks charonred.

Just be clear that you are giving personal opinion, not medical advice.

[mekon]

Recommend on top of bandages etc, face shield, nothing like someone else's blood in your mouth if resusitating someone roadside, or better still vomit.

[kakashii]

yay vomit

[charonred]

pity you didn't follow the links with an open mind; all you and a few others have done with some of my posts on PSB forum is hurl smartarse derogatory comments - way to welcome a new member !

[Bex]

Nice flaming guys... he was 'trying' to help.

I get you want to validate if the advice is accurate or not, however it's not always what you say but how you say it.

[Cam]

Originally Posted by Bex

Nice flaming guys... he was 'trying' to help.

By suggesting we carry a selection of natures finest in our backpacks? Nah, I'll stick to real first aid training if that's cool.

I get you want to validate if the advice is accurate or not, however it's not always what you say but how you say it.

Pretty sure I said exactly what I meant to

**edit: Well shit, while I'm here... a friend of mine just broke her foot. Is that more of a rosemary thing, or garlic and lemon?

[Bex]

Originally Posted by Cam

By suggesting we carry a selection of natures finest in our backpacks? Nah, I'll stick to real first aid training if that's cool.

Whilst i tend to agree that applying 100% essential oils is not the best idea to apply to a burn, i wouldn't say that it won't assist healing after the inital injury has occured.

However, this is not my point. It's not his advice or lack of that I'm concerned with, it's your response.

Pretty sure I said exactly what I meant to

**edit: Well shit, while I'm here... a friend of mine just broke her foot. Is that more of a rosemary thing, or garlic and lemon?

you dont have to be such an ass about it though... nobody hit your buzzer.

[Cam]

Originally Posted by Bex

you dont have to be such an ass about it though... nobody hit your buzzer.

Somebody needs to balance out the universe.

Post a thread on recovery positions, bandage techniques, the latest advances in burn treatments, five stars, A+ poster, would read again.

Threads like this, kinda the other way.

My proverbial buzzer gets pushed by any kind of snake oil or essentially "wrong" shit. I don't get quite as excited about it as people seem to think, I'm just not in the habit of bottling the opinion either. I don't submit a post and think "Man, I sure showed that guy who was boss OF THE INTERNETS!", I generally just go about whatever else I happen to be doing.

Not that I'm really trying to justify my replies, I admited on page 1 that I was something of a jerk. I'm going for a walk now. Enjoy.