Mint oil inhaled through hookah no cure for Covid-19: Experts

KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of websites have published video clips that say smoking mint oil  with hookah is effective in curing Covid-19 but medical experts and the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) rejected the claim as rumor and said inhaling any type of smoke is harmful.

Hookah is used for smoking tobacco and some other plants.

Special hookah is effective in curing Covid-19: Internet users

Tasnim News, an Iranian website, published a video clip titled ‘Special hookah’ which says that the hookah can boost the performance of lungs and respiratory system.

In the video description, the website says that HussainKhairAndish, an Iranian medical expert, suggested a simple method for strengthening the lungs, reducing effects to lungs and reducing respiration disorder in patients infected by Covid-19 by using ‘Special hookah’.

The article says that Dr. Ahmad MusaviNijad, a traditional medical experts in Mashhad, Iran, about whether using hookah without using tobacco is helpful for curing Covid-19, said, “Yes, but only if tobacco which is always harmful for lungs is avoided.”

The source said that people infected by Covid-19 can include the oil of mint plant or the oil of other soothing plants to the water of hookah and inhale their steam.

“Mint steam and soda bicarbonate are useful for throat and nose and it cleans the respiratory system, it also boosts the body’s immune system,” the article said.

Aparat website also in a video clip titled, ‘Prevention and treatment of Covid-19 with mint powder, mint oil used in hookah.’

The video description says, “Do you know that you can get immune from being infected with coronavirus by inhaling mint or mint’s oil in hookah?”

The clip has also been posted on many other websites and people are asked to share it with others.

Ramin Arman, a social media user, said that he also tried the method and got good results. He asked people to share the video clip with others.

What medical experts say about the efficiency of hookah and mint oil to cure Covid-19.

Dr. Hashmatullah Faizi, trainer of Covid-19 and quality control in charge at Afghan-Japan Hospital in Kabul, said, “In medical herbs, only fig and ginger are proved to be helpful in treatment of the virus, mint itself can also be helpful, but hookah is harmful and its efficiency is only a rumor.”

He advised people, particularly those infected by the virus, to follow health guidelines and do not believe in rumors.

Keeping a two-meter distance, washing hands with soap, using mask, avoiding participation in crowds and disinfecting living place are the main ways to prevent coronavirus, he said.

Dr. HakimullahSaleh, a medical expert, said, “There are a lot of issues published by social media platforms, they have no any scientific and accurate basis, in medical profession, anything should be based on research and evidence as well as the research should be approved by health organizations.”

He said that such rumors are spread seeking popularity. He said that anything not proven by health organizations was not acceptable from the point of view of medical profession.

Dr. Shirzad, a former MoPH advisor who currently lives abroad, also rejected the rumors and said, “At least 82 poisonous chemical materials have been detected in the smoke of hookah, even if the smoke goes through water, but the chemicals are harmful…”

He said that torching wood ember which used for igniting tobacco in hookah can have more health risks because the smoke produces carbon monoxide, metals and other dangerous chemicals.

“The materials in hookah are nicotine which is addictive which can cause harmful impacts permanently on the minds of youths and associated with unwanted health consequences for fetus…,” he said.

MoPH spokesman, JavidHajir said, “The efficiency of mint oil used in hookah for treatment of coronavirus has not been proved yet; the Ministry of Public Health also does not prove it.”

“Herbal treatment was effective for ages but mint oil is only effective for healing stomach pain, be we reject its efficiency in treatment of coronavirus, the mint oil can also be useful for healing flu,” he said.

mds/ma

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