What are the effects of chamomile?
The flowers of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and the essential oil isolated from them (chamomile oil) are considered traditional herbal medicines. Their healing power is used for various health complaints and diseases:
Internally, chamomile is used medicinally for gastrointestinal cramps and inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastritis and gastric ulcers.
- bacterial skin diseases
- bacterial diseases of the oral mucosa and gums
- superficial skin injuries, “open leg” (deep, poorly healing wound on the lower leg, ulcus cruris), pressure ulcers due to bedsores (decubitus), burns, surgical wounds, sunburn, chilblains, skin damage due to irradiation
- Diseases in the anal and genital area
- respiratory infections and irritations of the airways
How to use the chamomile?
Many people rely on home remedies with chamomile, for example, in the form of tea or full baths. However, ready-made preparations based on the medicinal plant are also used, as well as chamomile essential oil in aromatherapy.
Chamomile as a home remedy
Whether as a tea, bath additive, overlay or poultice: chamomile is popular as a household remedy and has many uses.
Chamomile tea
Gargle and mouth rinse solution with chamomile.
In addition, you can use chamomile tea for gargling or as a mouth rinse. Used several times a day, this can help with inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat, for example, sore throat and gum inflammation.
Bath or sitz bath with chamomile
Chamomile envelope
Overlay with chamomile tea
In case of abdominal cramps (e.g. during menstruation), flatulence or restlessness (e.g. in children), a hot and moist compress with chamomile tea can be helpful. For such a steam compress (abdominal compress) proceed as follows:
- Take a cotton cloth and place it between two hot water bottles or on the heater to warm it up. It will later become the outer cloth of the abdominal compress.
- Now take a second cotton towel (or a linen cloth) as the inner towel of the abdominal compress and fold it to a size suitable for the abdomen.
- Unfold a towel (it will then serve as a wringing cloth) and roll the folded inner cloth in it.
- Now you need to dip this roll in the chamomile tea preparation or pour it over it (it should soak up).
- Next, unwrap the inner towel and wrap it between the preheated outer towel.
- Now place this vapor compress carefully but quickly on the abdomen. Caution: If it is found to be too hot, remove it immediately and let it cool down a bit!
- Leave the chamomile vapor compress on the abdomen for 5 to 15 minutes. If necessary, you can repeat the application the next day. In total, such a steam compress may be used for several days, but only once a day.
Chamomile sachet
Home remedies based on medicinal plants have their limits. If your symptoms persist for a long period of time, do not improve or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
Chamomile in aromatherapy
The essential oil of chamomile bears the name “chamomile blue”. It is used externally for the (supportive) treatment of various ailments and diseases, for example in the form of compresses, massages, baths or inhalations.
Overlay
For example, an overlay or compress with chamomile oil is recommended for skin diseases (such as acne, neurodermatitis, eczema), wounds (e.g. cuts, scalds), joint and muscle inflammation and cystitis. How to prepare:
Make sure that the hot compress is not too hot. Otherwise there is a risk of burns!
Massage
A massage with chamomile oil can relieve, for example, indigestion, flatulence, nervous tension, insomnia and stress. Such a massage can also be good for skin problems, muscle tension, joint pain and menstrual cramps:
Bath
A bath with chamomile oil can also help with indigestion, flatulence, nervous tension, insomnia and stress. For a full bath, mix two to three tablespoons of honey with four to eight drops of chamomile oil. Then stir the whole into the bath water. The honey serves as a so-called emulsifier: it ensures that the essential oil, which is not soluble in water, mixes with the bath water.
Inhalation
For on the go or quickly in between, the “dry inhalation” with chamomile oil is suitable, for example in case of nervousness, stress or insomnia: Put one to two drops of chamomile oil on a (paper) handkerchief and smell it every now and then. You can also put it on the nightstand or next to your pillow (away from your eyes) in the evening.
Ready-made preparations with chamomile
There are various ready-to-use preparations based on chamomile. These include, for example, fluid extracts in the form of drops for ingestion, dry extracts in dragées, and alcoholic extracts in ointments, creams and baths. In addition, chamomile oil extracted from the flowers is processed to produce healing ointments, baths and solutions for external use.
What side effects can chamomile cause?
Some people are allergic to chamomile or to the plant family to which it belongs (Asteraceae).
What you should bear in mind when using chamomile
If you have a known allergy to chamomile or other composite plants (such as mugwort, arnica, marigold), you should not use the medicinal plant.
Never apply chamomile to the eye, as it can cause conjunctivitis.
For chamomile oil and other essential oils, use only 100 percent natural essential oils – preferably those derived from organically grown or wild-collected plants.
Interactions
There are indications of possible interactions between chamomile and warfarin (anticoagulant) or ciclosporin (after organ transplantation and in autoimmune diseases). In general, it is recommended to use chamomile as a precaution only after consulting your doctor if someone is taking other medications.
How to get the chamomile and its products
Interesting facts about chamomile
The undemanding chamomile, which belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae), is native to Southern and Eastern Europe and the Near East. Meanwhile, the annual plant is also found in the rest of Europe, North America and Australia.
Nowadays, chamomile is cultivated in large quantities: The flowers (Martricaria flos) are used directly for medicinal purposes (such as a tea) or are used to extract the essential oil (Martricariae aetheroleum).
The Latin genus name “Matricaria” is derived from the Latin word for uterus (matrix) and refers to the folk medical use of chamomile for women’s ailments such as menstrual cramps.
