Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Essential Oils

Unfortunately, foot ulcers often become a common result of diabetes. Once there is an open wound on the foot, it also becomes prone to complications that can result from infection.

Infection prevention can be achieved through the use of antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral essential oils such as tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is also a commonly recommended essential oil that has historically helped with the recovery of foot ulcers for various reasons.

First, tea tree oil has an unusually high concentration of terpinen-4-ol, an alcohol that makes up as much as 35% of the best quality tea tree oils. Research indicates that Terpinen-4-ol successfully helps the body achieve normal levels of inflammation, as indicated in an Australian study from November 2003. Inflammation occurs naturally whenever the body responds to trauma within the body . Inflammation causes redness, swelling, increased body temperature, and pain. Therefore, reducing inflammation may result in a reduction in discomfort associated with the ulcer. Also, tea tree oil is used for foot ulcers because tea tree oil contains a unique blend of constituents that cannot be found in this combination anywhere else in nature. In 1978, G. Swords and GLK Hunter wrote an article titled: ‘Composition of Australian Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)’ in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (vol. 26, 1978, pp. 734-9). This article noted that tea tree contains viridifloren, present at 1%, B-terpineol (0.24%), 1-terpineol (trace), and allyl hexanoate (trace).

Second, tea tree oil has been reported to have strong antiseptic properties. An antiseptic is defined as an antimicrobial substance that is applied to living tissue or skin to reduce the possibility of infection, septicemia (defined below), or putrefaction (defined below).

Septicemia is defined as a serious medical problem, resulting from the immune response to a serious infection, where harmful bacteria enter the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the entire body can be under attack. In severe cases it can result in organ failure and death. According to sepsis.com, “Early diagnosis and proper treatment can greatly improve survival rates.” Unfortunately, “as of November 21, 2001, an estimated 4,804,000 people have developed severe sepsis and 1,377,000 have died.”

An entirely different problem that many people with foot ulcers sometimes face is the strong, pungent, foul odor that foot ulcers can produce. Putrefaction describes this and is defined as the breakdown of animal protein, accelerated by bacteria that feed on that protein, allowing meat to rot or spoil, sometimes resulting in a putrid odor.

A small list of additional essential oils have also been noted to help with ulcers:

Frankincense (Boswell carteri),

Rose (Rosa dmascena),

Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea),

Lemon (Citrus limonum) and Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)

Two processes are suggested for the application of essential oils to an open wound. First, you may choose to put a drop or two of the essential oil directly onto a cotton ball or cotton swab. Then simply dab the sore with the cotton ball. Second, you can choose to make a compress. A compress can be hot or cold. A cold pack is usually used in the presence of fever, severe pain, or swelling. You may choose to alternate between hot and cold packs until you can determine which produces the best results. You may even find that a combination of hot and cold packs used at alternate times is the best option.

To make a compress, place 6 drops of essential oil in a small bowl of water. Then dip a piece of absorbent material into the mixture. The material can be literally anything that contains the liquid, such as a towel or washcloth. Do not remove the piece of material until it cannot hold one more drop of the liquid mixture. Then remove the material and rotate it until the excess liquid drains from the material. This is done simply to prevent excessive spillage. After the excess fluid is drained, the cloth can be applied to the open wound. The compress must remain on the wound for at least 2 hours. However, leaving the compress on the wound overnight can be even more beneficial.

In short, tea tree oil is an outstanding antiseptic and can work very well to reduce microbial invaders trying to attack the body through the open wound of a foot ulcer. Tea tree oil can establish a barrier so strong that it is able to keep bacterial and viral invaders out of the bloodstream. This antimicrobial function of tea tree oil may also be the necessary component that results in a reduction or total elimination of the unpleasant odor that diabetic foot ulcers sometimes produce. In addition to these benefits, tea tree oil is also believed to possess qualities that can help the body with the inflammation created by the body in reaction to ulcer trauma. This benefits the body as the pain and swelling associated with inflammation are normalized or reduced.