Perpustakaan Digital ITB

Alternative medicine is any healing practice other than conventional medicine. The approaches of alternative healing is believed to be safer and more natural than that of conventional medicine. Acupuncture, homeopathy, biofeedback and aromatherapy are the most popular alternative medicines. Aromatherapy is a practice of using essential oil taken from plants, flowers, fruits, seeds, and roots. Aromatherapy can affect our mood and emotional behaviours by its direct effect on the brain via limbic system. The study was conducted to investigate four types of aromatic oils on blood pressure on heart rate. Subjects were assigned to inhale the aromatic oils and the affecting blood pressure and heart rate were observed. A total of forty healthy volunteers were chosen in this study. From the results were found that all four types of aromatic oils such as sandalwood oil, lavender oil, ylang ylang oil and rosemary oil significantly decreased systolic blood pressure, whereas as for heart rate, sandalwood oil have capability to decrease, and no significant differences shown in diastolic blood pressure. The changed in blood pressure and heart rate were controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The biggest decrease in systolic blood pressure (p= 0.0009), and heart rate (p= 0.0094) shown by sandalwood oil. Therefore these oils are potential to be used as adjunctive treatment for mild or moderate hypertension. However these aromatic oils should be used under proper guidance.