Lavender inhalation eases dialysis headaches and anxiety, study finds
NCT ID NCT07299617
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether inhaling lavender oil can reduce headache severity and anxiety in people undergoing hemodialysis. 62 patients were split into two groups: one inhaled lavender oil during dialysis sessions for 4 weeks, while the other received standard care. Researchers measured headache pain and anxiety levels using standard scales to see if the lavender group improved more.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia) inhalation
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to ease headaches and anxiety during dialysis sessions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 62 participants. The results may not apply to all dialysis patients, and the effect might be due to relaxation rather than the oil itself.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
62 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2018
- Finished
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Aug 2019
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Those who are 18 years of age and over, * Able to understand and communicate in Turkish, * Receiving hemodialysis treatment three times a week for at least 3 months, * Not pregnant and not planning a pregnancy, * Having a pain intensity of 3 or more on the Visual Analog Scale, measured twice, * Headache that develops during dialysis, * Headache worsening throughout the dialysis session, * Headache resolves spontaneously within 72 hours after dialysis ends, * No visual or hearing impairment, * Individuals who could take painkillers when they had pain were included in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Those who are allergic to or uncomfortable with the smell of lavender oil, * Having any obstacle to smell, * Having a history of asthma, * Individuals who used other complementary integrative medicine methods during the treatment process were excluded from the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Erciyes Univercity
Kayseri, Turkey (Türkiye)
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