Lavender and nature sounds reduced anxiety scores before cataract surgery
A randomized trial found lower anxiety scores with either brief intervention than with standard care.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Both lavender aromatherapy and nature sounds lowered anxiety scores compared with standard care in people preparing for cataract surgery. Pain scores were also lower after the interventions. The abstract reports no adverse events, but does not establish lasting benefits or show that either approach was superior to the other.
Pain effect sizes and longer-term outcomes are absent. The abstract does not describe blinding or report a direct comparison between the interventions.
What researchers found
Post-intervention anxiety score
Nature sounds versus standard care after a 15-minute presurgical intervention; Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
What was measured
Patients were randomly allocated to lavender, nature sounds or standard care. Anxiety and pain were evaluated with named rating scales after the interventions, providing a focused test in a surgical setting.
Comparing the options
The separate comparisons support lower anxiety scores with each intervention. Numerically different results do not establish which works better without a direct statistical comparison, and scores do not describe every patient's experience.
The original publication
Comparative Effects of Lavender Aromatherapy and Nature Sounds on Anxiety and Pain in Cataract Surgery Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Pourmohammad R, Nasiri-Formi E, Parvizi A et al.
J Integr Complement Med · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41076308
- Record checked
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