A runny nose and nasal congestion is a condition that everyone has experienced at least once in a lifetime. Some are tormented constantly and are ready to use any means, just to get the opportunity to breathe normally. Especially popular are inexpensive nose drops that have a vasoconstrictor effect.
Known for many years is the drug "Naphthyzinum". These are the cheapest drops, and for only 30-40 rubles you can get rid of nasal congestion. It is believed that "Naftizin" is safe, so many people use it constantly and even drip it to children. But not everyone knows that this drug is highly addictive. And only after it turns out that a person cannot breathe without these drops, he begins to look for an analogue of "Naphthyzin". Therefore, before you start using any tool, you need to study the instructions for it and consult a doctor.
The composition of "Naftizin" and the features of its action
The main active ingredient of the drug is naphazoline. It belongs to the group of alpha-adrenergic agonists. This substance relieves swelling and redness of the mucosa, reduces the amount of blood passing through the capillaries, and reduces the secretion of mucus. Thanks to this, nasal breathing improves almost immediately after instillation of the drug. Its ability to quickly and efficiently remove swelling of the mucous membrane and narrow vessels allows you to use drops for rhinitis, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and the state after surgical interventions.
But you need to know that the action of "Naphthyzin", although instantaneous, but rather short-lived. Without special
medicine for the common cold , an increase in the dose of drops is required. This can lead to vascular atrophy of the mucosa, vasomotor rhinitis and naphthyzine dependence. And this is not just easy addiction, the condition is so serious that getting rid of it is quite difficult.
"Naphthyzine" addiction
You can often meet people who always carry a bottle of drops with them. And some regularly, several times a day, drip Naphthyzinum. Addiction to the drug develops gradually and is usually completely invisible to the patient. There was a runny nose, they dripped “Naftizin” - it became easier. Another time, the same thing.
And after some time, a person can no longer breathe without a drug and has to use it constantly. The vessels of the mucous membrane lose their ability to taper without "Naphthyzinum", you have to drip it several times a day, otherwise the nose is blocked. Because of this, many people who are addicted to the drug are tormented: their voice may change, their ability to recognize odors, irritability and fear of skipping instillation may appear. This dependence arises due to improper use of the drug. You need to know that "Naftizin" is not a
cure for the common cold. It only helps relieve swelling and facilitate nasal breathing. Very quickly, the vessels of the nasal mucosa adapt to the drug and stop responding to it. Therefore, to relieve congestion, it is necessary to increase the dose and the number of instillations.
How to get rid of addiction
"Naphthyzinum" is dripped into the nose by many, even without a doctor's prescription. An important role is played by its accessibility and practice of use for many years. In pharmacies, the drug is often sold without instructions for use and many do not even suspect that it can be dangerous. Some people, especially the older generation, are unaware of the existence of more modern drops, preferring to use the familiar Naphthyzinum. Its price is such that you can buy and drip it often - a bottle can be purchased for 30-40 rubles. Therefore, people become addicted to the drug, which is then very difficult to get rid of.
Most often it is recommended to simply abandon the drug and 3-5 days, until the vessels wean from the drops, endure a stuffy nose. In complex cases, even surgical intervention may be required. Therefore, it is better not to allow serious dependence and use the drug correctly. Sometimes it is also recommended to use some analogue of "Naphthyzinum", gradually reducing the dose. To restore the damaged nasal mucosa, you can drip the herbal preparation Pinosol.
Folk recipes for easier breathing
To get rid of "naphthyzine" dependence, you can use various home remedies. They are not suitable for everyone, so often you have to try many recipes before you find an effective one. But it's still better than depending on a bottle with drops. So what can replace "Naftizin" from folk remedies?
1. Squeeze the juice from a large sheet of aloe, add the tablets of Levomycetin and Diphenhydramine, crushed into powder, and shake well. This remedy needs to be dripped 5-6 times a day and after 2-3 days there will be an improvement.
2. Three times a day you need to insert tampons in each nostril soaked in Vitaon oil solution. It is advisable to keep them for at least half an hour. The treatment should be carried out for 10 days and during it drink “Fenkarol” twice a day.
3. Mix the lemon twisted in a meat grinder with the same amount of linden honey. After a day, drain the liquid and instill in each nostril 2-3 times a day for a quarter of a teaspoon.
4. If you mix camphor oil, propolis tincture and olive oil in equal parts, you get pretty unpleasant but effective drops in the nose. They need to be applied dropwise three times a day.
5. Celandine juice helps well. Although it is difficult to cook, but after five days of use, a person can breathe freely. A plant scrolled through a meat grinder should be squeezed well through cheesecloth and infused with juice for a week, shaking and releasing the accumulated air daily. Only after that the product is ready for use. But you need to drip it no more than one drop 2-3 times a day.
A solution of tea tree oil helps others to get rid of the “naphthyzine” dependence, others callananchoe juice or sea buckthorn oil. This process can take 1-2 weeks, but after that the nose will breathe without drops.
How to replace "Naphthyzin"
To quickly facilitate nasal breathing, you can use drugs containing the same active substance - this is "Sanorin" or "Naphazoline." They have been known for a long time and belong to inexpensive medicines. What to replace "Naphthyzin" with? In recent years, safer vasoconstrictor drugs have appeared. They do not apply to direct analogues of "Naphthyzin", as they have another active substance in the composition. The most commonly used drops are based on oxymetazoline: Xylen, Xylometazoline, Tizin, Nazivin, Rino Stop, Nazol, Snoop and others.
Of course, the analogue of Naftizin and the drug itself are cheaper than these drops. But they are much less likely to cause side effects and addiction.
The best analogue of "Naphthyzin"
Drops having the same composition and having the same effect - this is "Sanorin." It costs more than Naftizin - from 60 to 100 rubles, and is available in several forms:
- drops for children from two years old contain half the adult dose of naphazoline;
- drops or spray for adults with 0.1% of the active substance;
- the emulsion "Sanorin" contains eucalyptus oil and liquid paraffin.
The drug should not be used without a doctor’s prescription, as it has contraindications and can cause some side effects. It can not be used for longer than a week, and for children longer than three days. Sanorin can cause headaches, high blood pressure, nausea, or allergic reactions.
Reviews on its use
Despite the fact that drugs based on naphazoline are highly addictive, they are still popular. And the point is not only in their many years of application. They really quickly and effectively relieve swelling and facilitate nasal breathing. Because of its low price, Naftizin itself is very often bought for the treatment of the common cold without a doctor's prescription. Patients note that the drug quickly and effectively relieves nasal congestion. In addition, even children are dripped in cases where no other drugs help.
The most famous analogue of "Naphthyzin" - "Sanorin" is also popular. Although it costs more, it also quickly copes with nasal congestion. And an emulsion containing eucalyptus oil also relieves inflammation. Therefore, many people like to use it for colds.
Other vasoconstrictor drops in the nose
Due to such a frequent occurrence of side effects from the use of "Naphthyzine" and its analogues, it is better not to start using them at all. And in the presence of addiction, stop dripping the drug as soon as possible. To relieve swelling of the mucosa, it is recommended to use any substitute for "Naphthyzine" based on oxymetazoline. There are a large number of drugs of different price categories, and anyone can choose an affordable and safe medicine.
How to apply such drops
- All vasoconstrictors, and especially those that include naphazoline, cannot be used for longer than 3-5 days. Otherwise, the mucous membrane ceases to respond to them and addiction appears.
- It is forbidden to use the majority of vasoconstrictors for children under one year old, with diabetes and hypertension, as well as for chronic colds.
- Most of these drugs are not recommended for use during pregnancy and lactation. In this case, you need to rinse your nose with saline solutions or drip Pinosol.