Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
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250 <strong>Alternative</strong> <strong>Cardiovascular</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
bance can manifest as depression, anger, frustration, or fear. Mood has<br />
a powerful influence on prognosis after acute MI (36). Despite all the<br />
reassurance that surgeons and nurses can give, most patients who are<br />
awaiting cardiac surgery experience anxiety, and some experience fear.<br />
The fear is mainly about uncontrolled pain. McCaffrey (37) found that<br />
a combination of pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods of<br />
pain control produced the best results. As mentioned in an earlier part of<br />
this chapter, fear and anxiety are governed by the amygdala (38), and the<br />
amygdala is influenced by aroma.<br />
Gentle touch can do much to allay fear and anxiety (39). The effect of<br />
touch is greatly enhanced when the patient learns to associate relaxation<br />
with touch and specific aromas preoperatively (40). Smell and touch are<br />
two powerful nonverbal communicators and may help those patients<br />
who are unable to communicate verbally through lack of language or<br />
other skills.<br />
Roman chamomile and lavender reduced anxiety in a small<br />
noncontrolled pilot British study by Hadfield (41). Eight patients with<br />
primary malignant tumors were given aromatherapy in a hand, foot, or<br />
neck massage during their first follow-up appointment after commencing<br />
radiotherapy. Patients completed Hospital Anxiety and Depression<br />
Scales (HADA) immediately before the aromatherapy and 24 h after the<br />
therapy. The results indicated a statistically significant reduction in all<br />
physical parameters.<br />
Gould et al. (42) reported on the relaxing cardiac effects of chamomile<br />
tea with a group of 12 hospitalized patients who had undergone cardiac<br />
catheterization. They found that there was a small but significant rise in<br />
the mean blood pressure. However, they were more struck that 10 of the<br />
12 patients fell into a deep sleep within 10 min of drinking the tea.<br />
Sleeping was a rarity during this procedure. Patients had not been premedicated<br />
and received no other sedation during the procedure. The<br />
chamomile tea had essentially no cardiac effect. This is not aromatherapy<br />
but a commonly accepted form of aromatic medicine (like coffee and<br />
tea). Essential oils are up to 100 times stronger than an herbal tea. Yamada<br />
et al. (43) found that chamomile essential oil reduced stress-induced<br />
increases in plasma ACTH levels in rats and suggested that essential oil<br />
of Roman chamomile might be useful against stress in humans. Avollone<br />
et al. (44) studied an aqueous extract of German chamomile flowers, and<br />
it behaved as both central and peripheral benzodiazepine receptor<br />
ligands, with anxiolytic effects. However, the compounds responsible<br />
for this action were unknown. Viola et al. (45) attempted to identify the<br />
compound in a further paper. German and Roman chamomile are different<br />
essential oils. Roman chamomile may be more useful in a cardiac