Effects of Eucalyptol Inhalation On Pulmonary Function

Abstract

Using the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System which contains over 400,000 citations in over 1,100 health science journals, we found no studies that investigated the effects of breathing eucalyptol vapor on pulmonary function in human beings. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of eight weeks of eucalyptol inhalation on forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume for one second (FEV₁), FEV1/FVC ratio, maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), and peak expiratrrry flow (PEF) of adult health club members. Volunteer subjects (male and female) were divided into two groups: a control (N=7) and a treatment group (N=11). Both groups were pretested in FVC, FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC ratio, MVV and PEF by means of a Collins respirometer and Wright peak flow meter. The control group participated in the regular health club activities with the exception of the use of the inhalation room. The treatment group participated in the regular club activities with the addition of a 10- to 15-minute treatment of eucalyptol breathing in the inhalation room five days a week for eight weeks. At the end of the eight-week period, both groups were posttested in the same five pulmonary variables. Statistical analysis was made by using analysis of variance, multivariate model. A .05 level of significance was selected as necessary to denote statistical significance. Small differences existed between the pre- and posttest means for both the control and treatment groups for all five variables, but none of these differences were significant. It is concluded that pulmonary function is not improved by eucalyptol inhalation for five days a week for an eight-week period.