Name: Anxiety and aromatherapy
Creator: Dr Karen Martin
Published: 2023-02-27T09:25:46.142Z

There are many studies that confirm that certain scents can influence brain activity and enhance certain mood states. Those known for improving mood are those of lavender, rosemary, frankincense, jasmine, and lemon. Aromatherapy can be a useful "drug-free" add-on to any other therapy but is not enough to treat low mood by itself. 

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Depression and anxiety: Any natural remedies to try?

Life can sometimes become difficult – stresses in your relationship, a heavy workload, or an exam or interview looming. Tension and negative thoughts can set in, even feelings of panic or gloom. You might want to try something yourself before getting a doctor's opinion, and non-medical products can be a good choice for mild symptoms – our pharmacist is here to advise you.

Anxiety is when someone feels under threat or [stress](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/stress-563). It is a natural response that has helped with the survival of humans across the ages, but in today’s world it becomes a problem if it stops us from living our everyday life to the full and we can’t get things done. We all get anxious from time to time – such as before a job interview or an important meeting - and this is normal, but some people find that anxiety is constant and affects their everyday life.

Anxiety can cause symptoms of feeling worried, tense or panicky and physical symptoms can develop, such as a feeling of the heart beating hard or fast, sweating, shaking, [dry mouth](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/treatment/managing-dry-mouth), feeling sick, breathing fast and heaviness in the chest.

These occur in response to your body releasing adrenaline when it feels under threat. Everyone will experience this feeling at points in their life, but anxiety can also be problematic at times. If anxiety occurs without a reason, if it persists after the threat or stress is over, if the level of anxiety is out of proportion to the threat, or if it affects your day-to-day life, this might be reason to seek help.

Anxiety disorder is an ‘umbrella’ term for many related conditions. People are affected with anxiety in many different ways but some of the more well-known or common anxiety disorder conditions include:

- generalized anxiety disorder, which is near-constant anxiety about lots of different things in life
- panic disorder, where regular panic attacks occur without a specific reason
- social anxiety disorder, which is severe anxiety around social situations or the thought of social situations
- post-traumatic stress disorder, where severe anxiety occurs after a traumatic event
- obsessive compulsive disorder, known as OCD, where severe anxiety causes repetitive thoughts or actions
- phobias, which is severe anxiety around a specific thing or situation

Dr Kandi - Anxiety

Rosacea is a common condition that causes redness on the cheeks and across the nose, and is sometimes accompanied by more persistent red bumps, known as papules or pustules if they have a yellow center. Its full name is actually acne rosacea. Episodes of flushing may precede a more persistent redness.

Certain triggers are thought to cause blood vessels just under the skin to widen, becoming more visible and causing the redness, but the underlying cause is not well understood. It is common in those aged 30 to 60, and in fair-skinned/blue-eyed people. The exact cause remains unknown, but triggers for its development include sun damage, leaky tiny blood vessels under the skin, a skin mite called Demodex folliculorum, and a family history of rosacea. It is not contagious, so you cannot catch it from someone else.

Acne vulgaris, also known as pimples, acne, spots, or zits, is very common, usually starting in the teenage years and continuing up to the age of 30.  

It coincides with the hormonal changes of puberty, and women may suffer into adulthood with hormonal changes in their menstrual cycle. Hormones affect the amount of oil (sebum) produced by glands next to hair follicles – these follicles then become blocked and inflamed.  

Acne can cause blackheads, whiteheads or pustules, or more inflamed lesions, including red and sore cysts and larger nodules, which are more likely to cause long-term scarring. Acne usually affects the face - the T-zone is typical in teenagers (forehead, nose, and chin), or the muzzle distribution in early adulthood, which includes the upper lip, chin, jawline, and neck.

Recognizing depression and knowing where to turn for help

The first thing to know is that you are not alone in feeling low. [Depression](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/depression-87) is extremely common, with up to 5 in every 100 people suffering around the world. The second thing to know is that it is treatable, so you should seek help when you first notice the signs – we'll talk you through what to look out for. And finally, we'll outline where to go for treatment, even when things have spiraled, and you're in a severe depression or have thoughts of ending it all. If any of this rings true for you or a loved one, please read on.

Emollients are moisturizing treatments applied directly to the skin to soothe and hydrate the skin. They cover the skin with a protective film to trap moisture and protect the skin. Emollients are often used to help manage dry, itchy or scaly skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. They are available as creams, ointments, lotions, gels and sprays. Some emollients can also be used as soap substitutes in the bath or shower.  All emollients are safe for babies, the elderly and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

[Anxiety](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/anxiety-77) can set in ahead of big events such as an interview or an exam, or you may just be feeling a bit on edge without any particular cause. Some pharmacy products are known to calm mild anxiety and that panicky feeling that can rise up. Let’s take a look at some of them on the market.

Anxiety can set in ahead of big events such as an interview or an exam, or you may just be feeling a bit on edge without any particular cause. Some pharmacy products are known to calm mild anxiety and that panicky feeling that can rise up. Let’s take a look at one of them on the market in more detail. 

Anxiety

[Anxiety](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/anxiety-77) occurs when we feel under threat or [stress](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/stress-563) and is a normal part of life – it's actually helped our survival in the past. These days some mild anxiety can help us achieve (a bit of adrenaline may help us perform well in an exam or spur us on in a job interview) but it becomes a problem if it gets in the way of us going about our everyday life and stops us from doing things we’d like to do.

It’s common to feel anxious: you may feel worried, tense or panicked. Feelings can vary in intensity and you might get physical symptoms such as your heart racing, breathing quickly, a heavy feeling in the chest, feeling sick or shaky, sweaty and getting a [dry mouth](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/treatment/managing-dry-mouth).

You often then start to avoid situations that make you feel like this but if it stands in the way of you leaving the house or stopping you from doing certain things, it has started to become a problem.

Dr Karen Martin

Pharmacist and Head of US Content

[Anxiety](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/anxiety-77) can set in ahead of big events such as an interview or an exam, or you may just be feeling a bit on edge without any particular cause. Some pharmacy products are known to calm mild anxiety and that panicky feeling that can rise up. Let’s take a look at one of them on the market in more detail.

Anxiety and aromatherapy

Doctor’s advice

Next steps

Related topics

Depression and anxiety: Any natural remedies to try?

Anxiety

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Recognizing depression and knowing where to turn for help

Emollients

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