Turn dizziness on its head: How to use essential oils for vertigo
If the world suddenly starts spinning, you feel dizzy and you have problems hearing and focusing, you’ve probably got vertigo!
A surprisingly common condition, vertigo can be slightly inconvenient or it can be debilitating. Either way, it’s an unpleasant sensation that’s most unwelcome.
And the treatment options aren’t that much better. Chemical-filled medication such as prochlorperazine and antihistamines and canalith repositioning are just some of the remedies.
However, there is an alternative.
If you are looking for an effective natural vertigo treatment, essential oils may be what you’re looking for.
Evidence suggests that certain essential oils can help alleviate the symptoms of this uncomfortable condition with little risk of adverse side effects, making them a far more appealing option than pharmaceuticals.
Ready to stop vertigo from turning your world upside down?
Content/Quick links
- What is vertigo and what causes it?
- The best essential oils for vertigo
- Peppermint essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Lemon balm essential oil
- Ginger essential oil
- Chamomile essential oil
- How to use essential oils for vertigo
- Diffusion
- Steam inhalation
- Massage
- Roller
- In the bath
- Create a room spray
- Scientific findings
- Peppermint oil’s effect on nausea
- Ginger as a natural remedy for nausea
- Use of lavender oil to reduce stress and anxiety
- Lemon balm soothes and destresses
- Chamomile’s efficiency in quelling nausea
- The best essential oil recipes for vertigo
- Roll Vertigo Away
- Stress Away
- No-No Nausea
- Stress Less
- FAQs
- Which essential oil for vertigo is the best?
- How do I make essential oil blends for vertigo?
- Are natural remedies for vertigo safe for children?
- Can I use essential oil recipes for vertigo when pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Find natural remedies for vertigo at Volant
What is vertigo and what causes it?
Vertigo is a common condition that causes persistent dizziness and makes you feel as though you – or the world around you – are spinning around in circles. There are a wide range of potential causes, including inner ear issues and problems with balance. About 40% of the population will experience vertigo at some point in their lives.
There are two main types of vertigo: peripheral vertigo and central vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo is caused by problems with the inner ear specifically, such as an infection or trauma, while central vertigo can be caused by infections, traumatic brain injuries, strokes or aneurysms and even brain tumours in some cases. Most vertigo attacks will last from a few seconds to a few minutes in duration, but in more severe cases, attacks can last for hours, days or even weeks and months.
Vertigo can occur in people of all ages but is more prevalent in people who are over the age of 65. Women are more prone to experiencing vertigo attacks than men, and many women experience vertigo during pregnancy.
With so many people suffering from this condition, it’s easy to see why all-natural remedies are in demand.
The best essential oils for vertigo
Although there are no conclusive studies specifically on the use of essential oils to alleviate vertigo completely, there is evidence to suggest that these oils can help to treat symptoms of the condition. Many people have reported finding success in using these oils to treat the headaches, nausea and dizziness that accompany an attack of vertigo.
The following are the essential oils that are believed to be most effective in addressing and alleviating these symptoms.
Peppermint essential oil
Not only is peppermint essential oil one of the most popular and widely used essential oils around, but it may also hold promise in treating the symptoms associated with vertigo.
Peppermint, which is the result of cross-breeding between spearmint and water mint, can reduce headaches, vomiting and nausea.
Lavender essential oil
Lavender essential oil offers some medicinal properties, including the ability to promote relaxation and alleviate stress and anxiety – two conditions that vertigo can cause in many people. It may also be able to assist with sleeping issues.
Ginger essential oil
With its zingy freshness, ginger essential oil may help you to experience fewer episodes of dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting. Ginger has long been used as a remedy to quell nausea and is an excellent natural alternative to an antiemetic.
It’s suggested that ginger essential oil can be used in a diluted form and applied to the temples, neck and chest to relieve your vertigo symptoms.
Chamomile essential oil
Chamomile contains potent antioxidants like phytochemicals and polyphenols that make it an excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, mild astringent and healing medicine.
Many people have also found chamomile essential oil to be helpful in treating motion sickness, nausea and digestive complaints, along with stress, anxiety and sleeplessness – all of which can be present during vertigo attacks.
How to use essential oils for vertigo
There are many ways that you can use essential oils as a vertigo treatment. However, just remember that if these oils are going to come into contact with your skin, they need to be diluted with a carrier oil. Jojoba oil, grape seed, sweet almond, virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil are all popular choices, so you can choose the oil that best suits your needs and preferences.
As vertigo can cause nausea, you may find that you need to try a few different essential oil blends for vertigo before you settle on the one that works just right. You may also find the way you use these natural remedies for vertigo has varying outcomes, so it’s a great idea to experiment to find the one that benefits you the most.
Here are some of the most popular ways of using essential oils for vertigo.
Diffusion
By diffusing essential oils in a high quality diffuser, you’ll fill the room with tiny particles that are full of beneficial properties. You can lie on your bed and gently inhale the diffused scent, or you can use your diffuser while you’re sleeping. This may help you to recover from a vertigo attack overnight.
Steam inhalation
You can also diffuse your essential oil blends for vertigo by adding a few drops of oil to a bowl of hot water and inhaling the steam. Cover your head with a towel and spend a few minutes inhaling the healing properties of the oils you’ve chosen.
Massage
Try pairing an essential oil for vertigo with your favourite carrier oil and massage it into your skin. Combine a few drops of essential oil with a large volume of your preferred carrier oil (we recommend a dilution of up to 10 drops of essential oil to 125 ml of carrier oil) before massaging a few drops of this diluted mixture onto your forehead and temples, the back of your neck, your chest or your shoulders.
Take caution when applying any essential oil blends for vertigo to your face, as facial skin can be particularly sensitive and prone to irritation. Most essential oils pose a small risk of skin irritation, so perform a patch test on your inner arm first to determine whether or not your essential oil recipe for vertigo can be used safely on your face and other delicate areas.
Roller
Mix one of the best essential oil blends for vertigo and dilute it with a carrier oil before pouring it into a bottle with a roller top. When a vertigo attack strikes and you’re out and about, you can simply use your roller top bottle to roll the essential oil blend on your temples and pressure points to potentially offer some relief.
In the bath
A soothing session in the tub can do wonders for your well-being. Add 5-20 drops of oil with a tablespoon of carrier oil to your bath water to enjoy all the benefits of natural remedies for vertigo while you unwind.
Create a room spray
If you want a more subtle vertigo treatment, mix up a room spray with a few drops of essential oil and water in a spray bottle. Spritz the air around you and relax while your limbic system processes the positive properties of the oils. You can also mist your pillow or sheets, making your bedding smell lovely and fresh. If you’re suffering from nausea, the fresh smell can be extra welcome.
Scientific findings
Essential oils have been used for centuries to alleviate all kinds of conditions and to promote well-being. Now, the science behind these uses is catching up. Although there haven't been any specific studies on essential oils for vertigo as yet, there is plenty of scientific evidence that shows which oils could help to alleviate the symptoms.
Peppermint oil’s effect on nausea
A scientific study conducted in 2021 on peppermint essential oil found that patients experiencing ongoing nausea and vomiting while hospitalised experienced relief from this nausea after using the oil. The study noted that the majority of its participants reported a reduction in their nausea and vomiting after inhaling this oil.
Ginger as a natural remedy for nausea
A study conducted in 2013 found that inhaling ginger essential oil alleviated the frequency of patients’ episodes of nausea and the severity of each episode and even reduced their reliance on prescription drugs to treat their discomfort.
Use of lavender oil to reduce stress and anxiety
Vertigo can also cause significant stress and anxiety in its sufferers, especially if they experience ongoing or severe attacks. A meta-analysis of lavender oil published in 2019 found that the inhalation of this essential oil can reduce anxiety levels across all validated scales, and that massage with the oil also appears to be effective in alleviating stress.
Lemon balm soothes and destresses
Lemon balm essential oil may be able to reduce the anxiety associated with experiencing vertigo attacks too. A study published in 2004 noted that a 600 mg dose of lemon balm extract reduced the negative mood effects experienced by patients who were stressed using a simulator in a laboratory.
The patients reported increased self-ratings of alertness and calmness, which was evidenced by an increase in their mathematical processing speeds. These effects on the brain and nervous system may also be produced by inhaling a high quality lemon balm essential oil.
Lemon balm essential oil aromatherapy has also been found to reduce agitation in nursing home residents and is used in some folk medicines as anticonvulsant therapy for epilepsy, showing it has calming effects on the brain.
Chamomile’s efficiency in quelling nausea
Scientific data from the NIH suggests that German chamomile and its essential oil may be helpful for treating gastrointestinal complaints like nausea and upset stomach, insomnia and even generalised anxiety disorder.
The best essential oil recipes for vertigo
Essential oils may prove to be effective natural remedies for vertigo, as long as you use them in the correct concentrations. These are our favourite essential oil blends for vertigo to help you create your own natural vertigo treatment.
Roll Vertigo Away
- 6 drops peppermint essential oil
- 6 drops ginger essential oil
- 2 drops chamomile essential oil
- 1 tablespoon carrier oil
Peppermint, ginger, and chamomile essential oils are the best options for you if you are experiencing nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Mix well and transfer into a clean 10 ml roller bottle. Replace the bottle cap, shake well and apply to your forehead, temples and neck after performing a spot test to ensure that you will not experience any skin irritation.
Stress Away
- 4 drops peppermint oil
- 4 drops ginger oil
- 4 drops lemon balm or lavender essential oil
- 1 tablespoon carrier oil
This essential oil recipe for vertigo promotes relaxation and calmness. Follow the same instructions as above to create your aromatherapy roller bottle.
No-No Nausea
- 4 drops peppermint essential oil
- 2 drops ginger essential oil
- 2 drops chamomile essential oil
If you are suffering from persistent nausea, add this recipe to your diffuser along with the recommended amount of water.
Stress Less
- 3 drops peppermint essential oil
- 3 drops of ginger oil
- 2 drops of lavender or lemon balm oil
Add these oils to your diffuser to make the most of the anti-anxiety benefits of the lavender and lemon balm oils.
FAQs
Which essential oil for vertigo is the best?
The best essential oils for vertigo include peppermint, ginger, lavender, lemon balm and German chamomile essential oils.
How do I make essential oil blends for vertigo?
You can either dilute essential oils in a carrier oil to make a massage oil for vertigo or add them to a diffuser. In both cases, you should take care to dilute your essential oils sufficiently to minimise any risk of irritation or allergy.
Are natural remedies for vertigo safe for children?
Always chat with a medical professional before using any essential oils on children and babies. While some essential oils may be safe for children, you will need to use an adjusted dosage, and a healthcare professional will be able to advise you further.
Can I use essential oil recipes for vertigo when pregnant or breastfeeding?
We recommend using caution if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, as many essential oils can cause complications. Speak to your healthcare provider before using any essential oil blends for vertigo or any other conditions you are experiencing.
Find natural remedies for vertigo at Volant
Volant offers a wide range of stunning essential oil diffusers and pure, 100% certified organic essential oils that may make excellent natural remedies for vertigo. All of our non-toxic vegan oils are made from quality ingredients obtained from natural sources, offering maximum benefits.
If you’re looking for natural relief from the symptoms of vertigo, look no further! Essential oils could help you to keep your world spinning the right way up.
