Even if the dietary supplement, herb or essential oil you’re planning to use is generally considered safe, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe for you.

Some supplements, herbs and essential oils may be unsafe for people who have particular medical conditions. Some examples are:

• it’s not safe for people with hemochromatosis (a hereditary disease in which too much iron builds up in your body) to take iron supplements
• it’s not safe for people who use daily Aspirin 81mg to use Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) essential oil as they are both metabolized by the liver into the same identical enzyme, salicylic acid, so can cause an overdose
• it’s not safe for people that use birth control pills to use St. John’s Wort as it makes the birth control pill ineffective

Some supplements, herbs and essential oils may cause problems if you have surgery. They can act as coagulants and may increase the risk of bleeding or affect your response to anesthesia.

Some dietary supplements, herbs and essential oils interact with different ages and even genders differently. For example, the essential oil Eucalyptus globulus, the most commonly found Eucalyptus essential oil, may cause Central Nervous System (CNS) and breathing problems in young children. Safety experts caution against using Eucalyptus Globulus Oil on or near the face of children under 10.

Although supplements, herbs and essential oils are natural, and have been around for thousands of years, there are many that present issues for pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children. Therefore, it is essential to use them safely and seek advice from certified integrative health professionals.

Communication Is Crucial

Let’s chat for a moment about the importance of telling all of your integrative health team —both conventional and complementary health professionals, about everything you’re doing to manage your health conditions, your pain, and/or your everyday wellness goals including both conventional and complementary approaches. It’s especially important to tell them about any dietary supplements, herbs or essential oils you use and to seek advice on these prior to using them. These products may have special considerations in relation to medications you are currently on or existing health issues.

Sharing is Caring and Makes Health Safety Sense

Bring along an index of conventional and complementary professionals that you see to your appointments and share this information with your health care providers. This will ensure seamless integrative care and allow them to work together as a team for your health and wellness goals! Keep them all abreast of changes:

• health status
• medications
• natural health products

This will keep you in the best possible position to receive the best care possible for your unique health and wellness situation or goals!

Natural does not translate to safe each and every time, so stay in the drivers seat on your own health journey and keep making Health Safety Sense a top priority!