Today, the use of oxolinic ointment in the nose is one of the common and popular methods of treating colds, runny nose and pathologies of ENT organs. It is also used to increase the body's defenses. But not all doctors recommend using this drug. Why is the ointment not so harmless as is commonly thought? Does oxolin ointment really help with a cold?
Description and description of the medication
Oxolinic ointment in the nose is a popular cold remedy that is used by adults and children during the season of infectious and colds. Today, this drug is overgrown with a lot of myths and misconceptions.
According to the instructions for use, oxolin ointment for children and adults contains oxolin, paraffin and mineral oil. One gram of ointment may contain 0.25 or 3% oxolin (tetraoxo-tetrahydronaphthalene). The drug is placed in tubes with a capacity of 10 or 30 grams.
Oxolinic ointment helps? The instructions indicate that the drug is used to treat and prevent such pathologies:
- viral rhinitis;
- flu;
- diseases of the skin and organs of vision of viral origin;
- herpetic eruptions;
- shingles;
- warts;
- dermatitis Dühring;
- molluscum contagiosum;
- scaly lichen.
The drug belongs to antiviral and antimicrobial agents. But according to medical data, oxolin is a tool that has unproven effectiveness. The drug is used only in the countries of the former USSR, in other states it is not registered.
Details on the composition
The antiviral oxolin ointment for the nose is the subject of many discussions, as many consider the drug ineffective and useless. Many are advised to pay attention to the composition of this drug.
So, the medication contains tetraoxo-tetrahydronaphthalene (oxolin), which acts as an irritant, causing a person to sneeze. It also dries the nasal mucosa, making it unhealthy. Sometimes dryness provokes the development of nosebleeds, especially when used in childhood and senility. Therefore, some doctors answer the question of whether it is possible to smear the nose of an infant with oxolinic ointment, in the negative.
Paraffin and mineral oil or petroleum jelly, which are also part of the drug, on the contrary, contribute to moisturizing the nasal mucosa. But they make it sticky, so dust particles and even causative agents of viral infections can safely stick to the mucous epithelium. We can conclude that the drug does not protect against viruses.
Drug action
Oxolin manufacturers claim that this substance has a virucidal effect, it is able to block the process of binding of viruses to the surface of the membranes, which stops their introduction into healthy cells. Therefore, they can no longer spread and reproduce in the cells of the body.
Oxolinic ointment has different indications, due to the sensitivity to oxolin of adenoviruses, herpes viruses, herpes zoster, infectious warts and molluscum contagiosum, conjunctivitis pathogens.
The medication is non-toxic, the active substance in the body does not accumulate. The ointment does not have an irritating effect if it is used in prescribed dosages, as well as the integrity of the skin and mucous membrane.
According to the instructions for the use of oxolinic ointment for children and adults, when applied to the skin, only 5% of the drug is absorbed into the blood, and when applied to the mucous epithelium - 20%. During the day, oxolin is completely excreted by the kidneys.
Thus, the use of the drug provides an increase in local immunity and creates an obstacle to the penetration of viruses into the body.
Oksolinovaya ointment for the nose: instructions
In medical practice, two concentrations of ointment are used - 0.25 or 3%. Each of them is used to treat different diseases.
0.25% ointment is used as a prophylaxis for the SARS and influenza epidemic, as well as for the prevention of viral conjunctivitis. At this concentration, oxolinic ointment in the nose is used, as well as for the treatment of organs of vision. It is applied to the mucous membranes of the nose or under the eyelid with suspected conjunctivitis two or three times a day. The amount of the drug should be such that it uniformly covers a thin layer of mucous epithelium. The course of prevention is one month. Before smearing the nose with oxolinic ointment, it is necessary to clean the nasal passages.
But the drug can not eliminate an already progressing disease, the manufacturer claims that it is effective only as a prophylactic.
Oxolinic ointment (3%) is used to treat skin diseases. It is applied to the skin for the treatment of warts, lichen, mollusk. The amount of the drug should be such that it uniformly covers the affected area with a thin layer. Use the medication two or three times a day for two or three months.
Many doctors say that there are more effective drugs for the treatment of skin diseases.
When an oxolinic ointment is placed in the nose, pinching and mucus secretion in a small amount may occur. Such phenomena do not require drug withdrawal, they pass on their own within two minutes.
Usage restrictions
Like all medications, the ointment has some contraindications:
- High susceptibility to the components of the drug.
- Tendency to allergic reactions.
- The use of alcoholic beverages.
- The presence of injuries and wounds on the skin and mucous membranes.
The drug can be used during pregnancy and during breastfeeding. But you must use the minimum dosage of the medicine.
According to the instructions, the use of ointment during the period of the epidemic of influenza and SARS by pregnant women is advisable, it is also recommended that it be used by those who have placenta placenta, and blood clotting. According to numerous reviews, this drug has been used in such cases for more than a dozen years.
There is no data on the use of the drug in childhood, but many use the ointment to prevent SARS and influenza in children.
The drug does not affect the speed of psychomotor reactions, so the drug can be used while driving a car or other mechanisms.
With the simultaneous use of adrenomimetics, overdrying of the nasal mucosa is possible.
Side effects
Typically, the drug is well tolerated by patients. It is necessary to study information on how often to smear nose with oxolinic ointment in order to prevent the development of undesirable consequences. When using the medicine, a burning sensation of the mucous epithelium may occur. If the medicine enters the damaged skin, burning and irritation also appear. Sometimes such adverse reactions may develop:
- rhinorrhea;
- discoloration of the mucous membranes.
With the manifestation of negative symptoms, you should no longer use the medication, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Excess doses
In medical practice, no cases of drug overdose have been recorded. Theoretically, exceeding the permissible doses can lead to the appearance of such symptoms:
- irritation at the site of application of the ointment;
- rhinorrhea.
If such signs occur, rinse off with warm water. If ointment enters the stomach, you need to contact the clinic. It is also recommended to rinse the stomach, take a sorbent. Therapy is symptomatic.
The disadvantages of the drug
Many people know why oxolinic ointment helps. But, despite the popularity of the drug, he has many critics whose arguments are well-founded. The main disadvantage of the drug is its unproven effectiveness. This medication is used only in the countries of the former Soviet Union, it has no analogues. Nevertheless, ointment is popular and annually bought up in the country's pharmacies.
Also, opponents of this medication focus on the fact that viruses penetrate the human body not only through the nose, but also through the oral cavity, so the drug can not prevent the development of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.
The use of a medicine against skin diseases is considered to be impractical, since warts and other pathologies are successfully treated with other medicines, as well as celandine and laser, and herpes and lichen are eliminated by more advanced drugs.
Some doctors compare the effectiveness of the ointment with the placebo effect. In addition, oxolin is an inducer of interferon - proteins produced in response to a virus attack, thanks to which the body resists infections.
According to the instructions, the drug makes the body synthesize interferon. But the mechanism of its synthesis is quite complex, with some types of herpes, these proteins can only do harm. Virus-infected cells interacting with oxolin will attempt to produce interferon, but to no avail. Under the influence of the drug, they will try again, in the meantime, the disease will progress and may lead to the development of complications.
In many states, interferon inducers are prohibited. According to WHO, with prolonged use of such substances, resistance to them is formed. Over time, even the simplest surgical procedures, such as cesarean section, can endanger a person’s life.
The appearance of the drug and storage features
Oksalinovaya ointment is produced in tubes:
- 0.25% ointment in an amount of 10 grams.
- 3% medicine - 30 grams.
The ointment should normally be milky, sometimes with a yellow tint. If it is stored for a long time, it acquires a pink tint. When applied to the skin, it can become bluish. After applying the drug, a greasy residue remains on the skin, it is not completely absorbed.
Store the medicine in a dry, dark place where the air temperature is not more than ten degrees. It is recommended to store it in the refrigerator, but it is forbidden to freeze it. When storing a long period of time, the medicine in the room in the summer is not recommended to use the drug during the cold season. Shelf life is three years from the date of release, then the medicine must be disposed of.
What to look for?
Many confuse oxolin, which is part of the ointment, with oxolinic acid. The latter is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, it is part of the medication for the treatment of infections of the genitourinary system. Do not confuse these two substances, as they are completely different.
Cost and purchase of medication
You can buy Oksolinovaya ointment at any pharmacy in post-Soviet countries. In other states, such a drug is not produced or sold. He is released without a doctor’s prescription. The cost of the medicine is about thirty rubles per tube of ointment 0.25%. For 3% ointment will have to give about three hundred rubles.
Analogs
Many doctors say that oxolinic ointment in the nose is a drug of the last century. Nevertheless, it is constantly sold out in the country's pharmacies during the cold season. Medicine cannot confirm the benefits of this medication; it has no analogues. But doctors recommend the use of other drugs that have a similar therapeutic effect, which have proved their effectiveness. These include:
- "Albucid" and "Tobrex" from viral conjunctivitis.
- Feserol and Verrucacid from warts.
- "Interferon" and "Amoxiclav" for viral rhinitis.
For the prevention of influenza, vaccination is recommended. You can also take "Amiksin" or "Immunal" for preventive purposes.
Reviews
Most doctors do not recommend the use of the drug, since it has not been tested, its effectiveness has not been proven. However, a large number of people claim the opposite. They constantly use medication during the cold season and the flu epidemic. They also use the medicine to treat children, lubricating their nasal passages when leaving the street.
This drug was released for the first time in the 70s of the last century, since then its popularity has not waned. Ointment continues to be used for the treatment and prevention of viral diseases. Its cost is relatively low. Recently, the drug is rarely used in the treatment of skin pathologies of viral origin.