Sinusitis and Eucalyptus Oil

An extract of eucalyptus oil, cineole, is thought to thin mucous characteristic of sinusitis.

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A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 152 people found that eucalyptus oil could be helpful for viral sinusitis (which is essentially a "head cold").² The dosage was two 100-mg capsules of cineole taken 3 times daily. By day four, symptoms were significantly less in the treatment group as compared to the placebo group; the difference was even greater at day seven.

Another study found benefit using a combination therapy that contains cineole. This product, called essential oil monoterpenes, contains, in addition to cineole, d-limonene from citrus fruit and alpha-pinene from pine. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study of about 300 people, use of this product markedly improved symptoms of acute viral sinusitis as compared to placebo.³

2. Kehrl W, Sonnemann U, Dethlefsen U. Therapy for acute nonpurulent rhinosinusitis with cineole: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Laryngoscope. 2004;114:738-742.

3. Federspil P, Wulkow R, Zimmermann T. Effects of standardized Myrtol in therapy of acute sinusitis—results of a double-blind, randomized multicenter study compared with placebo. Laryngorhinootologie. 1997;76:23-27.