Peppermint

It can be taken in many different forms, including candies, teas, tinctures, extracts, and oils, and has several pharmacologic properties including analgesic, ...

[sore muscles](https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/essential-oils-for-sore-muscles#how-to-use), dilute 4-10 drops of peppermint oil in a carrier oil and add to a warm bath after it's finished running. Peppermint oil must also be avoided in infants, children, and people with a condition known as achlorhydria, where there is an absence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. You can also [prepare a cold compress](https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/essential-oils-for-sore-muscles#how-to-use) for achy muscles by adding a few drops of diluted peppermint oil onto a cold, damp washcloth and placing it on the affected area (per [Food](https://www.food.com/recipe/peppermint-compress-112124)). [Today](https://www.today.com/style/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits-beauty-health-home-cleanliness-t145583). [Healthline](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peppermint-tea#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5)). [2015 study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878535211000232) published in the Arabian Journal of Chemistry stated that "the distilled concentrations of essential oil inhibited the growth of microorganisms and the results were comparable with those of antibiotic gentamycin. Firstly, peppermint works at the immune level, fighting the viruses and bacteria that may lead to sinus infections in the first place due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, according to [Healthline](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peppermint-tea#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5). Since peppermint also has vasoconstrictive properties, meaning it [causes blood vessels to shrink](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21697-vasoconstriction) and constricts blood flow to a degree, this may explain in part why it reduces swelling. This means that peppermint essential oil may be similar in strength to certain broad-spectrum [antibiotics](https://www.healthdigest.com/814472/things-you-might-not-know-about-antibiotics/), such as gentamycin. [2016 study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27333231/) published in the journal Nursing showed that inhaling peppermint oil after a procedure reduced postoperative nausea. Although catheterization is not a major procedure, it does involve the drawing of a catheter through a blood vessel into the heart to help treat or identify various heart conditions like cardiac arrhythmias or blocked arteries (per [Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cardiac-catheterization/about/pac-20384695)), and could understandably induce anxiety and some pain (though usually mild). Most of the available evidence for peppermint for nausea is related to postoperative nausea only, and not other forms such as pregnancy or chemotherapy-induced nausea.