You should avoid using eucalyptus oil internally unless you are under the supervision of a licensed health professional. The reason behind this advice is the instances where people have developed severe toxic reactions to eucalyptus oil when drinking it. If you have ingested eucalyptus oil and begin to suffer from vomiting, nausea and/or stomach pain you should seek immediate medical attention. High doses of eucalyptus oil can cause bleedings, seizures and heart problems. Severe eucalyptus oil poisoning can even lead to coma and death. Animal tests show that ingested eucalyptus oil will affect the blood sugar levels, but more studies must be carried out if we want to know for sure whether or not this is true for humans as well.
Eucalyptus oil is a popular ingredient in many mouthwashes, and such mouthwashes should therefore be kept out of reach for children and pets. If a person swallows large amounts of eucalyptus oil mouthwash, the toxics can cause multi-organ failure and affect the cardiovascular system. Such problems have however only been reported in patients that swallowed really large amounts of eucalyptus oil mouthwash. Swallowing a very small amount of eucalyptus oil mouthwash when you are gurgling is much less dangerous, but should of course be avoided. Do not let children use eucalyptus oil mouthwash unless it has been prescribed by a licensed health professional. Children are more sensitive to toxics and the risk of them swallowing mouthwash is also higher.
Eucalyptus oil is an important part of many aromatherapy treatments. Adding eucalyptus oil to baths are very popular, but some people have reported laboured breathing, wooziness and drowsiness after taking long and hot baths with eucalyptus oil. It is of course hard to know whether this was caused by the long and hot bath, or by the eucalyptus oil, or by the combination of both, but caution is still recommended when using eucalyptus oil for the first time. Start by taking a shorter bath with a small amount of eucalyptus oil to test your sensitivity. Another problem linked to long and strong eucalyptus oil baths are skin irritation.
Applying eucalyptus oil directly to the skin is a common treatment for a wide range of skin problems, but you should keep in mind that the strong eucalyptus oil can cause skin irritation, especially if the skin is already injured by eczema, burns or similar. A painful burning feeling can develop, sometimes combined with skin rashes. Try the eucalyptus oil on a piece of healthy skin to test your sensitivity before you proceed to treat upset skin.
