Myth: Cineole is a skin irritant
1,8-cineole is also known as
eucalyptol since it is the major component of some
Eucalyptus essential oils. Several scientific
publications have shown that it is not a skin irritant.
Myth: TTO works better in the
presence of blood and pus
Many antimicrobial agents work less
effectively in the presence of blood and pus or other
organic matter. So the suggestion that the activity of
tea tree oil will actually increase is appealing.
However laboratory work has shown that the activity of
tea tree oil is either unaffected or may be reduced by
the presence of some organic matter. It is not improved.
Myth: TTO is completely safe because
its natural
Nothing is completely safe and this
includes TTO. TTO is poisonous if ingested and should
only be used topically. A small number of people are
allergic to the oil and will experience a skin reaction
even at low concentrations. Others may experience an
irritant reaction if they use the oil at high
concentrations. Irritant reactions usually subside if
more dilute oil is used.
Myth: TTO can be taken orally
TTO is toxic if ingested in large
enough quantities. Apart from data gleaned from the few
cases of poisoning that have been reported in the
medical and scientific literature, there are no oral
toxicity data for TTO and humans so we do not know if,
or how much TTO can be ingested safely. In the absence
of data clearly showing that something is safe to
ingest, the convention in medicine is to recommend that
it not be ingested. Since there are no such data for TTO
it cannot be recommended. The TTO contained in oral
products such as toothpastes and mouthwashes is not
considered problematic since it is expelled from the
mouth and not swallowed.
Special consideration needs to be
given to the use of TTO during pregnancy and
breast-feeding. There are no data showing that topical
application of TTO is safe during these times and as
above, in the absence of data showing that something is
safe to use, it is generally not recommended.
Myth: TTO can cross-sensitise to or
cross-react with colophony (colophonium)
Colophony is one of the compounds in
a standard dermatology patch test. In some reports of
allergy to TTO, patients have also reacted to colophony.
This does not prove that TTO sensitised them to
colophony or that colophony cross reacts with TTO.
Myth: If TTO inhibits or kills an
organism in the lab, it will be effective in the body
Activity in the lab does not always
translate to effectiveness in the body. The best way to
determine if a treatment is effective in the body is to
test it in a randomised, double-blind, controlled
clinical trial.
Myth: TTO can cure MRSA infections
MRSA are Staphylococcus aureus
bacteria that have become resistant to several
antibiotics including methicillin. MRSA can infect
people and cause disease, or can simply colonise the
skin of healthy people without doing them any harm. MRSA
infections are often serious and life-threatening while
MRSA colonisation is not usually a problem for the
carrier. However, if the MRSA carrier happens to pass
their MRSA to a person who is already unwell or who has
a wound, they may become very ill. In hospitals and
other healthcare settings, much effort goes into
reducing MRSA carriage by decolonising carriers in order
to reduce subsequent MRSA infections. Decolonisation
plays an important role in infection control.
We know that TTO can inhibit and kill
MRSA in the lab. There is also mounting evidence that it
may be useful for eliminating the topical carriage of
MRSA. On the current evidence, it is unlikely that TTO
will be used to treat systemic MRSA infections although
it may find a use in treating wounds infected or
colonised with MRSA.
Myth: TTO is so effective it may completely replace
antibiotics
TTO has antimicrobial properties which may make it
suitable for the treatment of some topical infections.
However, it is toxic if ingested and can only be used
topically. It will never replace antibiotics that are
used systemically. In fact, making direct comparisons
between TTO and such antibiotics is not appropriate.
Myth: TTO is one of the most powerful antiseptics
There are many antiseptics and
disinfectants that have greater antimicrobial activity
than TTO, however, none of them are natural. Also, it is
unlikely that any of them have the same unique range of
properties that TTO has such as antimicrobial activity,
anti-inflammatory activity and putative skin penetrating
capacity.
Myth: TTO will be registered as a medicine
When medicines are registered with
regulatory authorities such as the Australian
Therapeutic Goods Administration or the US Food and Drug
Administration, they are registered as treatments for
specific conditions. Each registration requires relevant
clinical data and covers only that use. There is no
general registration to cover all applications and since
there is no such category, TTO can't be registered in
it. However, when there are suffcient data, TTO will be
registered as a treatment for specific conditions. For
example, as a treatment for cold sores, as a treatment
for impetigo or as an agent to decolonise MRSA carriers.
|
