While menthol has long been utilized as a source of solving several health problems, studies show that there are some side effects associated with the use of this substance. Menthol is an organic compound that is produced naturally or synthesized from a mint. It is characterized by an elastic crystal structure similar to wax and has a melting property at a temperature just above room temperature. Having the medical name of methyl salicylate, menthol is widely known for its refreshing effect and also has the ability to cure various diseases. Therefore, the therapeutic properties of menthol are used in many medicines and in many products, such as creams, ointments, sprays, lotions, etc.
Benefits of menthol
Menthol is widely used to treat muscle and joint pain or pain caused by arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, etc. Menthol basically stimulates cold skin receptors and has a refreshing effect when inhaled or applied to the skin. This substance acts as an anticancer agent, causing superficial skin irritation to reduce inflammation in the deeper layers. This property of menthol has a cooling effect on the skin and therefore the effect of warming. As a consequence, such different sensations that occur on the skin distract the patient’s attention from pain in the muscles, joints, and tendons, which to a certain extent helps to alleviate the discomfort and general conditions of the person. However, menthol does not change the temperature of the skin, but simply gives a feeling of temperature change. Furthermore, it is also used to alleviate a sore throat and cough during cold, flu or allergy. But, like the two sides of the same coin, menthol also has some side effects.
Symptoms of menthol
Like in every single other medicine, menthol has symptoms. Furthermore, albeit some of them are mellow, others can quickly look for restorative help.
Menthol in cream or lotion
Menthol in cream is regularly utilized by individuals experiencing muscle torment and agony because of joint pain or a different disease. Be that as it may, some of them have genuine unfavorably susceptible responses, for example, rashes, tingling, redness, and disturbance when utilizing the cream. However, some genuine reactions with the utilization of menthol creams are recorded such as dyspnoea, the snugness of the chest, swelling in the mouth, lips, confront, and so forth.
Menthol in the Ointment
Similarly, as menthol cream treatment is utilized to calm torment and irritation of muscles and joints. Be that as it may, the most well-known symptoms when utilizing balms are unfavorably susceptible skin responses – rash, tingling, and urticaria. Other negative impacts of menthol salve are shortness of breath, the snugness of the chest, swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, and lips.
Menthol in sprays
A nasal spray of menthol is utilized to briefly reduce nasal clog, hacking and sore throat because of colds, hypersensitivities, sinusitis or other respiratory diseases. In spite of the constructive outcomes, reactions happen in numerous patients after a nasal splash. Such responses incorporate breathing issues, dysphagia, chest snugness, bothering of the nasal mucosa, redness and aggravation for the health are reported by menthol spray utilization.
Attributes of Menthol
Natural menthol, extracted from peppermint, also sometimes causes side effects and their characteristic of side effects when using this plant is imperative. However, negative reactions to menthol are not widespread, and most people have no side effects at all, or they have minor manifestations. Moreover, some of the listed side effects mainly arise due to misuse or application. Therefore, make sure that you have carefully studied the annotation attached to the menthol preparation and do not rush to use the remedy until you carefully study the use and dosage. But, despite taking all the safety measures, if you notice any of the listed side effects, stop using this medication and immediately consult a doctor.
Menthol Cigarette
It is generally believed that cigarettes with menthol cause the body much less harm than normal. But is it really so? Studies have shown that this opinion is false. Studying the behavior of people who prefer conventional menthol cigarettes, scientists have noticed that the soft and cool taste of menthol cigarettes encourages smoking much faster and more often. The aesthetic effect of menthol, in turn, allows fans of “mint” cigarettes to do much deeper puffs, so that cigarette smoke enters the lower zones of the lungs and hits them much more. At the same time, the increased doses of nicotine consumed sharply increase the risk of the appearance of malignant tumors, larynx and lung diseases in people who prefer menthol cigarettes.
Many deceive themselves, believing that in all cigarettes, menthol is something more than the usual flavor additive. First, in most menthol cigarettes, tobacco does not contain any mint at all – only cigarette paper is impregnated with menthol to give taste. Secondly, menthol not only does not reduce the volume of inhaled tar, toxins and carcinogens, but it also irritates the receptors of the oral mucosa, which causes expansion of the vessels of the heart and bronchi. All this leads to stimulation of increased absorption of tobacco tar and nicotine into the blood. In fact, menthol – it’s far from a pleasant addition, designed to diversify the cigarette taste, but a substance that skilfully masks the harmful properties of nicotine and toxic toxins. Perhaps this is the reason why menthol cigarettes are much quicker to addictive to smoking, and to such an extent that it is much harder to refuse from “mint” tobacco products than from conventional cigarettes. Especially susceptible to this addiction, women, and adolescents, who are the main consumers of cigarettes with various flavors.
Relying on all of the above, we can say with confidence that all the opinions that there are harmless tobacco products are nothing more than self-deception. Do not succumb to marketing tricks and think about the next time buying such products.
Author Bio
Laura Holden is an eminent health specialist working in the national healthcare center in the United Kingdom. In this article, she probes the side effects of menthol to eliminate the wrong concept of using menthol in society. Furthermore, she is an amateur educational analyst helps students at assignment writing service UK in their career without any charges.