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QueaseEASE is a drug-free, all natural product consisting of a unique blend of pure essential oils. It was formulated to calm the queasiness associated with surgery and anesthesia and is also beneficial for soothing motion sickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy related nausea. The user simply removes the cap, holds the container under their nose, takes a few deep breaths of the aromatic aroma, and replaces the cap tightly after each use. This can be repeated as often as necessary with no worry of unwanted side effects or unpleasant interactions with other medications. QueaseEASE is provided in a unique container designed for safety, ease of use and portability.

Essential Oil Therapy

The Perfect Blend of Art and Science

How it Works

Through simple olfaction, the pleasant aroma of the blend sends a chemical message to the olfactory bulb where the impulses are processed and passed along to the limbic system in the brain. The limbic system receives the sensory input from the olfactory tract and transmits it, through reflex action, to the central nervous system.  This is one reason why essential oils can produce immediate physical effects, such as rapid relief from queasiness.

Safety

The safety record of Essential Oil Therapy is outstanding!  The only adverse outcomes reported involve skin reactions or illness from excessive oral intake of essential oils.  Since QueaseEASE was developed for use in hospitals with sedated patients, safety of the delivery system was a top priority.  For this reason QueaseEASE is provided in an inhalation only portable container that prohibits skin or mucous membrane contact. This safety feature provides the user with a 100% pure and natural drug-free product that can be used to provide relief from queasiness anytime-anywhere! (TOP)

Background

Wendy Nichols, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), has been providing anesthesia in a variety of settings for 18 years. Ms. Nichols� frustration with the lack of effective non-drug treatments available in hospitals to treat nausea caused her to search for a product that was inhaled, free of side effects and pleasant to smell. �he product I was looking for needed to be immediately effective, safe and easy to administer� Wendy stated.  �t had to be in a delivery system useable in the OR, recovery room, all the way to discharge. I envisioned something the patient could use in the car on the way home, or on the stretcher ride to their hospital room. She knew that Essential Oils had many therapeutic benefits and decided to look for such a product to offer to her patients.

Ms. Nichols searched exhaustively and found no product on the market that met her criteria. She began to research essential oils and over the next several months studied numerous books, articles, and websites for specific references to essential oil use in treating nausea. Wendy found that there was enough compelling scientific evidence to suggest 4 Essential Oils were beneficial in the treatment of nausea; Lavender, Ginger, Peppermint and Spearmint. She felt strongly enough about the potential benefit of this type of therapy that she developed the product QueaseEASE, an aromatic blend of pure Essential Oils that provides a safe, portable, all natural effective treatment for nausea. (TOP)

What are Essential Oils?

What is the difference between aromatherapy and Essential Oil Therapy?

The term aromatherapy can mean the use of essential oils or more commonly in the US, means the use of a fragrance that smells like an essential oil. For example, if a large company wanted to mass produce lavender �romatherapy candles�, they would use one of the compounds found in lavender, the alcohol linalol, which is responsible for its distinctive smell. This compound would be diluted with additional chemicals to produce a consistent aroma, and would be much cheaper to obtain. 

By contrast, �ssential oil therapy� means that the oil is used without any alteration or manipulation, pure and whole. It is widely believed that the synergy of all the molecular compounds working together, quenching undesired effects and enhancing desired ones, produce the essential oils� healing benefits.

High quality, medical grade essential oils are produced using organically grown plants, and processed by meticulous distillers who check the final product with mass spectrometry to verify therapeutic compound levels.(TOP)

Which essential oils relieve nausea?

A note about why these four EOs are thought to work better in combination:

Apart from the obvious benefits of utilizing each EOs contribution to relieving nausea, the complex aroma produced will help prevent the unwanted side effect of conditioned aversion. In a study involving children undergoing chemotherapy and using peppermint oil for nausea relief, researchers found that the readily identifiable and ubiquitous nature of peppermint caused the patients to experience nausea whenever they smelled peppermint toothpaste, gum, mints, etc (Post-White, 2004).(TOP)

How do essential oils work?

It is known that EOs can be absorbed by the body through topical application to the skin, oral ingestion and by inhalation. The fastest, safest and simplest method is inhalation. EOs have a measurable effect at very low concentrations (Jori, Bianchelli, 1969) and affect research subjects while asleep, even if they lost the ability to smell (Badia, Boecher, 1991).

By smelling the aromatic vapor of an EO, the molecules travel up the olfactory tract to the limbic system, which in turn, transmit the input to the central nervous system. This is, in fact, how all smells are processed, whether they are molecules given off by baking bread or flower gardens.

A second aspect of aroma processing occurs in the amygdala and hippocampus. These areas store and recall the emotional memories of a specific smell. Odor cues produce memories with greater intensity of emotions than any of the other senses  (Herz, 1996).

This is an important factor to understand when using EO therapy for nausea. With one deep breath through the nose, a person will not only transmit the beneficial molecules from the EO to the CNS, they will instantly recognize if the smell is pleasant or familiar and what memories it evokes or creates  (Savic, 2001).

An example of this would be when an isopropyl alcohol pad is used to treat nausea, the patient may experience relief of the nausea, but the smell may remind them of unpleasant experiences, such as injections, IV insertions or dental visits, producing a negative emotional reaction.

Smelling pleasing aromas is known to enhance the emotional memory of events, even when inherently unpleasant.

Another aspect of odor processing involves the trigeminal nerve. Located within the lining of the nose, the stimulation of this nerve by aromatic vapor can produce sensations such as warming or cooling. These nerve fibers can also affect the perception of nasal airflow during breathing (Savic, 2001). This is the mechanism thought to produce the deep cooling breaths experienced when inhaling peppermint or spearmint EOs.(TOP)

What are the safety considerations of essential oil therapy?

Inhaling essential oils is very safe. The majority of side effects reported in the literature are skin rashes or skin irritation, with the remainder due to excessive oral intake (Price, Price, 2002). For use in a hospital setting, with sedated patients recovering from anesthesia, the safest method is to provide the EO in an unbreakable, hand held container such as QueaseEASE that prevents skin or mucous membrane contact. There are no contraindications to the 4 essential oils listed, even during pregnancy.  Small children can safely use these EOs with supervision.(TOP)

Can essential oil therapy be used for other types of Nausea?

Any type of nausea can be relieved by essential oil use. The following is an explanation of the major causes of nausea and how QueaseEASE, the unique blend of 4 essential oils can help.(TOP)

MOTION SICKNESS

Motion sickness is a condition caused by exposure to unfamiliar motion that ranges from mild discomfort to continual vomiting. It is thought to be caused by a conflict in the brain; between input from the eyes and movement sensed by the inner ear. A typical sufferer would be someone below the deck of a boat in rolling seas, unable to view the horizon, or someone trying to read in a car.

It can occur on any type of moving vehicle - a boat, automobile, plane, train, amusement park ride or even when playing virtual reality games. The more dramatic symptoms start with a feeling of queasiness followed by excessive mouth watering, cold sweating and vomiting. Other symptoms include drowsiness, dizziness, loss of appetite, excessive yawning, headache, and an overall feeling of misery.

Infants appear to be highly resistant to motion sickness. Susceptibility increases with age, peaking at 10 � 12 years old, after which it begins to decrease. Females are more prone to motion sickness than males, especially during times of increased hormonal activity, such as menstruation and pregnancy. From one third to one half of airline passengers will experience some degree of motion sickness when encountering heavy turbulence, and it is estimated that 90% of all travelers, including seasoned sailors, experience motion sickness at some point in their life. Even 70% of Space Shuttle astronauts suffer from a form of motion sickness.

QueaseEASE could prove to be of great benefit in easing motion induced nausea. The fact that it is inhaled and not ingested will be appreciated by those suffering from motion sickness. QueaseEASEis provided in a container ideally suited for travel; small, portable and discreet, easily fitting in a pocket or around one� neck on a convenient and accessible lanyard. Since QueaseEASE is drug-free; side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth are avoided, allowing the user to get the most from their travel experience.(TOP)

MORNING SICKNESS or NVP

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), commonly called morning sickness, affects 50 - 90% of pregnant women, approximately 3 - 5.5 million per year in the United States.

The exact cause is unknown, but is probably due to a number of factors such as increased hormone levels, stress, fatigue and a higher sensitivity to odors.

It doesn't necessarily occur only in the mornings, it can strike at any time of day.

NVP usually develops between the 4th and 6th week of pregnancy and in half the cases, ends by the 14th to 16th week of pregnancy. It can have quite a negative impact on a woman� ability to work: 47% of women with NVP feel their job efficiency is reduced, 35% lose work time, averaging 62 work hours per woman, per pregnancy (Arsenault, 2002).

Current recommendations for women with NVP include increasing rest and eating whatever appeals to them during the first trimester of pregnancy. Alternative therapies such as ginger tablets (in doses no more than 1 gm) and acupressure bands have been found to be beneficial. When conservative methods fail, drugs can be cautiously given, with Dicletin found to have the greatest safety and efficacy.

The use of QueaseEASE for treating NVP has not yet been formally studied. Responses to our surveys suggest that it has been used safely and effectively by a number of pregnant women who suffer from NVP, helping the majority feel less nauseated and less stressed. A few respondents indicated it was the only thing that helped ease their nausea.

No evidence exists that suggests any of the essential oils used in QueaseEASE are unsafe for use in pregnancy, and the fact that they are inhaled, rather than applied or ingested, give them an extra degree of safety. Peppermint, Spearmint and Ginger essential oils are found in common items such as mints, toothpaste, chewing gum and food products, with no restriction placed on their use during pregnancy. Lavender is also one of the most commonly used essential oils, found in candles, air freshener body lotion and perfumes, none of which are contraindicated during pregnancy. (TOP)

POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING (PONV)

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) affects at least 30% of the 35 million patients undergoing surgery and anesthesia in the United States each year.

It can range from minor queasiness to sustained vomiting, prolonging a patient� recovery room time or leading to unplanned hospital admissions.

Patients rank PONV as the most distressing aspect of their surgical experience, rating it more unpleasant than pain.

The additional costs incurred by a nauseated patient can be substantial. These charges include additional medication, prolonged recovery room stays and unplanned hospitalizations for outpatients. One study found the additional costs to be approximately $415 per patient experiencing PONV; another study estimated the cost of PONV for an average outpatient surgery center could be as high as $1.5 million per year.

The cause of PONV is complex and involves many factors. The nausea and vomiting center of the brain lies in the medulla and receives input from multiple sources such as the GI tract, central nervous system and inner ear, each having the potential to be activated during surgery and anesthesia. In addition, pain, anxiety and dehydration all increase the incidence of PONV, as do individual patient characteristics. These include being female, having a history of motion sickness or PONV, being a nonsmoker and receiving narcotics postoperatively.

A variety of drugs are available to prevent and treat PONV in the hospital or surgery environment. They work with varying degrees of success, have a number of adverse effects and can be quite expensive. The drugs used in a hospital usually have to be administered by a registered nurse, via injection, and can have side effects such as interaction with pain medication resulting in breathing difficulties and excessive drowsiness that require close observation by the nursing staff.

With over 60% of surgeries occurring on an outpatient basis, PONV after discharge presents an additional challenge. This can happen in over 35% of patients up to the 5th post-op day. A German study showed that 14% of outpatients experienced nausea traveling home. This aspect of PONV is particularly distressing due to the lack of effective over-the-counter (OTC) treatments.

QueaseEASE was developed for use in treating PONV by a nurse anesthetist. It was designed to be used in the OR, recovery room (PACU), hospital room or even in the car on the way home. It can be used anywhere, anytime queasiness strikes. The portable container is safe and easy to manage for a medicated patient, and even with repeated use, should last at least 6 months. Because it is drug-free, interactions with pain killers and other sedatives are not a factor.(TOP)

CHEMOTHERAPY INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING (CINV) 

It is estimated that if not treated with anti-emetic medications prior to chemotherapy, 60-80% of patients will experience nausea and/or vomiting.

Among the most serious effects of prolonged CINV are dehydration and electrolyte imbalances which can affect the function of the heart. Prolonged

CINV can lead to malnutrition and weight loss which could adversely affect the patients survival.

A class of anti-emetic drugs called the 5-HT3s has greatly decreased the occurrence of vomiting in patients experiencing CINV, but has been less successful with treating nausea.  

The drug-free and all natural aspect of QueaseEASE adds additional benefit for the patient receiving chemotherapy. Often, multiple medications are being taken to treat the symptoms experienced by the cancer patient, sometimes causing drug interactions.

A drug-free product such as QueaseEASE can provide relief without the unwanted side effects.(TOP)