Aromatherapy With Peppermint Oil Beneficial After Heart Surgery
MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Use of aromatherapy with peppermint oil after open-heart surgery attenuates pain and improves sleep quality, according to a study published online Aug. 3 in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
Mahla Maghami, from Kashan University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and colleagues conducted a double-blind trial involving 64 patients to examine the effect of inhaling peppermint essence on pain relief and sleep quality after open-heart surgery. Participants were randomly assigned to aromatherapy or placebo in a 1:1 ratio and received inhaled aromatherapy using peppermint essence or distilled water, respectively. The researchers utilized the Numeric Pain Rating Scale and the St. Mary’s Hospital Sleep Questionnaire (a 14-question tool with lower scores indicating better sleep quality).
The researchers found that the mean severity of pain was 3.22 ± 0.88 and 4.56 ± 0.90 in the aromatherapy and placebo groups, respectively, which represented a statistically significant difference. After the intervention, the mean sleep scores were 20.10 ± 4.90 and 25.76 ± 6.36 in the aromatherapy and placebo groups, respectively, on day 1 and 18.63 ± 5.56 and 22.62 ± 5.69, respectively, on day 2; the differences were statistically significant.
"Considering the effect of peppermint essential oil inhalation on pain and sleep quality of patients after open-heart surgery, it can be concluded that this herbal product can be safely used as a complementary treatment in relieving pain and making patients comfortable after heart surgery," the authors write.
Related Posts
Aumentan las muertes en los hogares de ancianos de EE. UU. mientras la Delta se propaga
LUNES, 4 de octubre de 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Ha habido un aumento...
COVID Vaccine May Temporarily Add 1 Day to Menstrual Cycle: Study
FRIDAY, Jan. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 may...
CT Compared With ICA for Evaluating Stable Chest Pain
WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with stable chest...