Effects of Aroma inhalation on Blood Pressure, Pulse Rate, Sleep, Stress, and Anxiety in Patients with Essential Hypertension

Purpose: This experimental research explored the effects of aroma inhalation on blood pressure, pulse, sleep, stress, and anxiety in patients with essential hypertension who are taking antihypertensive medication. Methods: A pilot survey, pre-test and post-test were conducted. The data were collected from August to October, 2009. The participants were 44 patients randomly assigned to an experimental group (22 people) and a control group (22 people). The experimental group received individual instruction for aroma inhalation, which lasted for 3 minutes. They inhaled blended oils of Lavender, Majoram and Ylang Ylang (The mixed ratio was 4:3:3), three times a day, for two weeks. Data from 36 patients were used for the final analysis (20 from the experimental group, 16 from the control group). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13.0. Results: Sleep disturbance decreased in the experimental group (t=-2.258, $p$ =.030). Blood pressure, pulse, stress, and anxiety were not significantly different between the two groups ( $p$ >.05). Additional analysis of the experimental group showed that physical stress and psychological stress were significantly lowered. Conclusion: Aroma inhalation is an effective paramedical intervention for patients with essential hypertension.