Have you heard about a magical herb from the mint family called spearmint which when consumed would provide us with numerous benefits? Sounds unbelievable right!! This spearmint or mentha spicata is not only known for its refreshing aroma and mild flavour is used in culinary but it is known for its medicinal benefits too. It is superb to note that spearmint is commonly found in toothpastes, chewing gum etc. Previously it was mostly found in Asia and Europe. These days, it is seen growing all over the world. Numerous health benefits of spearmint are Eases digestive discomfort: For a long time, spearmint has been used to treat digestive issues such as nausea, bloating, indigestion and gas etc. It is believed that carvone present in spearmint would relax the digestive tract muscles. This would ease cramping and discomfort. Those patients with IBS or irritable bowel syndrome who consumed spearmint reported improvements in bloating and pain etc. Full of antioxidants: Our body would get protected from free radical damage by intake of spearmint containing many antioxidants. It is known that oxidative stress due to free radicals would lead to serious issues like cancers, heart diseases etc. Other antioxidants like rosmarinic acid, limonene, flavonoids etc in spearmint also do superbly in preventing oxidative stress in us. Supports hormonal balance in women: Hormones would get regulated in women (having hormonal issues like PCOD etc) due to spearmint. It is worth noting that drinking spearmint tea would increase female hormones like LH and FSH etc and by this ovulation as well as reproductive health would get better. Might reduce excess facial hairs in women: Presence of male hormones would lead to excess hairs on the face of a woman. This would make them feel sad and disappointed etc. It is true that drinking spearmint tea with androgenic properties would help women to overcome this excess facial hair issue. Boost memory and heap in brain function: It was brought to light by some research studies that intake of spearmint would support brain health in the older adults. The older adults showed superb memory power.  Lowers blood sugar levels: It is noteworthy that spearmint tea intake would lower blood sugar levels. This spearmint irea intake cannot be a substitute for medication in lowering the blood sugar levels but it could complement blood sugar management in the coming years. Lowers stress and anxiety in us: These days, stress and anxiety has become common and many of us have these issues and find it difficult. There are various reasons for these mental health issues in us. It is believed that intake of spearmint would improve our stress and anxiety in us. This would boost our sleep also. Reduces joint pain due to arthritis: Spearmint tea high in rosmarinic acid would reduce joint pain due to arthritis issues. The anti-inflammatory properties of spearmint play a role here Lowers blood pressure or BP: A compound carvone present in spearmint would relax the blood vessels in us. By this, our blood pressure or BP would get reduced.

Do you get upset while standing in front of the mirror due to acne on your chin, you are not alone!! It is worthy to note that when pores around the chin get blocked by excess oil, dead skin cells etc, then we could get chin acne. Many suffer from this chin acne and find it difficult. People of all ages can get this issue but mostly chin acne is witnessed in women. Chin acne can be caused due to several reasons. These are Hormonal imbalance: Hormonal fluctuation is a major reason for chin acne. Excess oil production in the skin would be stimulated by androgens or male hormones present in both men and women. This oil would clog the pores leading to acne. It is noteworthy that women would notice chin acne mostly during their pregnancy time or during menstrual cycle or due to the presence of conditions like PCOD etc. Stress: Stress can lead to many health issues in us. Chin acne can also be due to stress but not directly. Point is that stress would increase cortisol in us and this could lead to more oil production that would clog the pores. By this chin acne is possible. Dietary factors: Hormone levels would get influenced and inflammation would become more if we consume certain foods like refined sugars, dairy products etc. It must be noted that some people report clear skin after they have reduced their consumption of such kinds of foods. Poor skin habits etc: Chin acne can also be possible if we touch our face often or use the same facemasks again and again without washing etc. Use of helmets etc: Not many know that by constantly using helmets also we can get chin acne. Point is that friction and trapped sweat in the chin area could aggravate the skin. Underlying medical conditions: Underlying medical conditions such as PCOS or adrenal imbalance etc can also result in chin based acne. It is essential to meet a dermatologist or skin doctor if acne on the chin is severe. Managing chin acne: It is necessary to wash the face twice or thrice daily using gentle cleanser and this would remove oil and clogging of pores etc. Try to avoid sleeping with makeup on.  Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is important for managing acne on the chin.

If you are suffering from an allergic rhinitis issue, then this article would throw some light on how pollution outside could worsen this health issue!! Allergic rhinitis refers to a condition that would cause inflammation in the nose due to overreaction of the immune system due to the allergens such as pollen, dust etc present in the air. Point is that this issue has become a growing health concern across our country. Persons with allergic rhinitis would show several symptoms like nasal blocks, sneezing, running nose, itchy eyes/nose/throat, coughing, clogged ears etc. Some persons with this issue would have reduced sense of smell also. There are 2 types of allergic rhinitis such as seasonal allergic rhinitis that occurs at specific times in a year and perennial where allergic rhinitis would occur throughout the year. Strong association between pollution and allergic rhinitis: According to some research studies conducted in recent times it has been brought out that there is some strong connection between the pollutants present in the environment and allergic reactions in us. Truth is that air pollution caused by emissions from several vehicles has increased respiratory allergies such as allergic rhinitis. It is worthy to note that various pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10), sulphur dioxide etc could make respiratory diseases such as allergic rhinitis worse. The shocking piece of information is that in India about 77% of the population are exposed to PM 2.5 levels higher than what WHO or World Health organisation recommends. Since 2019 onwards, urban areas have been affected with Mumbai having 2.6% increase in toxic PM 2.5 levels. It must be noted that a 20% increase in the upper respiratory infection cases has been witnessed in Hyderabad. Severe rhinitis symptoms are witnessed in those persons who have been exposed to PM 2.5 and PM 10. It is true that air that is present inside the houses can also be responsible for allergic rhinitis issues. Point is that indoor pollutants like pet hairs, mould, skin flakes and harmful chemicals released from household products etc could result in allergic reactions in us. This is mostly witnessed in kids and in the senior persons etc who are very sensitive to allergens. How pollution can worsen allergic rhinitis? When the air that has been polluted enters our body through our nose, our breathing system would get affected. Some particles get filtered by our nose but small particles would slip through. The particles could then go to different parts of airways depending on their sizes. Larger particles or PM19 would stay y in the nose, windpipe throat etc. Finer particles or PM 2.5 could reach deeper into our lungs and ultrafine particles or PM0.1 could travel into the air sacs present in our lungs. It is noteworthy that ultrafine particles PM 0.1 are more dangerous when compared to larger particles as they would go deeper into our lungs.  They can lead to symptoms like sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose etc in us. Our symptoms can worsen when PM 2.5 combines with allergens such as pollen, dust mites etc. Our allergy risk would be increased by pollution by increasing allergen levels leading to weak immunity, inflammation, irritation etc and would make the present conditions worse. Managing allergic rhinitis: Conventional medications might not be able to fully control symptoms due to pollution and due to this it would be difficult to manage the allergic rhinitis symptoms in a polluted environment. Therefore, addressing this issue would need a combination of medical management, lifestyle and societal changes to reduce exposure and to improve the life quality of the affected persons.