Viral diseases are sometimes accompanied by conjunctivitis, increased lacrimation, erosive lesions of the eyeball. These symptoms are found in both adults and children. A universal remedy for this problem is eye drops "Sulfacyl sodium." Instructions for use of this tool are presented below. From the article you will learn about the recommended dosage, contraindications and side effects, read reviews of ordinary consumers and doctors.
Dosage form and composition
The main active ingredient of these eye drops is sulfacetamide. The content in one milliliter of the solution is 200 mg. The following excipients are present in the preparation: purified and distilled water, sodium thiosulfate, an admixture of hydrochloric acid liquid.
In the package there is one bottle with drops and instructions for use with Sodium Sulfacyl. Packing of the drug is possible in bottles of 5 ml and 10 ml. Currently, the drug "Sulfacyl sodium" is available in several versions: 10%, 20% or 30%. Thus, in one milliliter of the solution of eye drops "Sulfacil sodium" contains, respectively, one hundred mg, two hundred mg or three hundred mg of sulfacetamide. What specific concentration is needed for the patient is decided by the ophthalmologist after examination and diagnosis.
The principles of drug exposure
Instructions for use with "Sulfacyl sodium" states that these drops are used for the etiotropic treatment of a variety of infectious and inflammatory pathologies of the eyeball. The main goal of therapy is the destruction of infectious pathogens.
Instillation is often accompanied by unpleasant sensations for the patient: pain, burning, tearing. The drug should act this way, since there is an interaction with the causative agents of the disease.
History of creation and pharmacokinetics
Drops belong to an extensive class of sulfa drugs. They have a pronounced antibacterial effect against many microbes. Sulfanilamide preparations were synthesized several years earlier than the usual antibiotics. For decades, pharmacists have studied them and found out the optimal concentration of the active substance for eye diseases. After the era of antibiotics, sulfa drugs were pushed into the background.
Only the most effective of them remained, the adequate replacement of which was not found. "Sulfacyl sodium" is just such a drug. This tool is used alone or as an adjunct in the treatment of infectious diseases of the sclera. The antimicrobial effect of Sulfacil Sodium is the ability to interrupt the work of enzymes that are necessary for the propagation of pathogenic microflora. As a result of such a radical effect, microbes lose their ability to reproduce themselves and simply die after 24-48 hours. As bacteria disappear, the symptoms of the underlying disease also go away, for the treatment of which drops of "Sulfacyl Sodium" were used.
Indications for use
Instructions for use with eye drops "Sulfacyl sodium" recommends the following diseases:
- purulent corneal ulcers;
- conjunctivitis of a bacterial nature;
- blenorrhea;
- eyeball gonorrhea;
- blepharitis of various etiologies.
Contraindications and side effects
Instructions for use with drops "Sulfacyl sodium" recommends refraining from instillation in the presence of an allergic reaction to any of the components of the drops.
The following side effects are possible:
- pain, burning;
- increased tearing;
- redness of the sclera;
- increased intraocular pressure.
If these symptoms are unbearable, stop instillation and consult your healthcare provider for a new drug.
Recommended Dosages
Instructions for use "Sulfacil sodium" for the eyes recommends the following dosages:
- with conjunctivitis, instill in the conjunctival sac two to three drops three to four times a day. The duration of therapy is from seven to ten days;
- with purulent diseases of the cornea, you need to use the drug two milliliters twice a day. At the same time, the recommended duration of therapy is at least ten days (the exact figure will be reported by the observing ophthalmologist);
- with gonorrhea of the eyeball, it is recommended to instill one drop in each eye five times a day, the duration of treatment is at least a week;
- newborns from blenorrhea should be instilled with 30% Sulfacil Sodium. The duration of such therapy is from one day or more;
- for the treatment of infectious eye diseases in children under 12 years of age, use a 20% or 10% solution for no more than ten days.
This information is provided for information, the exact dosage should be determined by an ophthalmologist after examination and an accurate diagnosis.
How to dig in "Sulfacyl sodium"?
The algorithm of actions when instilling yourself or another person:
- Wash hands with soap. If this is not done, there is a risk of aggravating an already complicated bacterial eye disease.
- Shake the bottle with eye drops.
- The patient should take a supine position, tilt his head back slightly so that his chin looks straight into the stream.
- Open the eye (you can hold the eyelids with your fingers if the patient reflexively closes the eye).
- Turn the bottle over and count out the required number of drops.
- If after a drop falls on the mucous membrane, the patient cannot open his eye - it's okay, the medicine has already reached the sclera and has begun its therapeutic effect.
- Repeat the same procedure with the second eye. Remove drops by tightly screwing the bottle cap.
The effectiveness of admission for diseases of the nasopharynx
Otolaryngologists often prescribe patients to instill "Sulfacyl sodium" in the nose to treat and prevent bacterial rhinitis. This condition is characterized by pain in the nose, runny nose with a greenish tint, headache and dizziness. Sulfacyl sodium can really cure rhinitis in the first stage. At more serious stages of the development of the disease, these drops can only be used as an adjuvant, since their action will be small for the destruction of the multiplied pathogenic bacterial flora in the nasopharynx.
Instructions for use with "Sulfacyl Sodium 20" recommends instillation in the nose three to four times a day, one drop in each nostril. The patient should feel relief on the second day of therapy. If the condition does not improve, replace the drops with another remedy.
Feasibility of use in diseases of the ears
The drug showed its best side in the treatment of otitis media in children and adults. Instructions for use with Sulfacyl Sodium in the nose and ears do not indicate contraindications to this method of instillation. You can drip one or two drops into the ear. It is important to correctly diagnose and make sure that the pain is caused by otitis media, otherwise the therapy will be ineffective. For proper diagnosis, you should contact an experienced otolaryngologist.
For the treatment of otitis media, Sulfacyl Sodium 20% should be diluted with distilled water at room temperature four times, and a 10% solution - twice. Diluted to the desired concentration, Sulfacyl Sodium should be instilled into the ears two drops several times a day. The total duration of therapy is about one week. If, after two days of using the medicine, the pain in the ear does not subside, then most likely it is not otitis media, but a different disease. Further use of drops in this case is impractical.
"Sulfacyl sodium" for children: instructions for use
In maternity hospitals, each newborn after being born for three hours is instilled with 30% Sulfacil Sodium in the sclera. This is done to prevent blennorrhea. With this disease, babies are often infected after passing through the birth canal. Instructions for use with Sodium Sulfacil describes this process as completely safe and necessary. If not instilled, this can lead to complications and subsequent long-term treatment.
In some maternity hospitals, instillation is carried out once (most often this is enough), and in some, additional instillation is carried out at discharge. This should not alarm the mother.
In case of inflammatory eye diseases in children under ten years of age, a 30% solution should not be used - this concentration is too high for frequent instillations. It is optimal to use a 10% solution three to four times a day. Some ophthalmologists recommend additionally diluting it with 50% pure distilled water. When treating a child’s eyes, the safety rules for instillation should be strictly observed: carry out the procedure only with cleanly washed hands, often wash the child, and if necessary, use auxiliary therapy.
Reviews on the use of conjunctivitis
Diagnosis of this disease is carried out by an ophthalmologist. It includes the following steps: external examination of the ocular apparatus, biomicroscopy, conducting an instillation test with fluorescein, bacteriological examination of a smear from the eyeball. After research, treatment is prescribed. Instructions for use with "Sulfacyl sodium" states that it can be used for conjunctivitis, both independently and as part of complex therapy.
Reviews of people who treated conjunctivitis with these drops are contradictory. Some patients claim that there are more modern and effective means. Approximately 65% of patients were satisfied: drops helped them quickly get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of conjunctivitis. Treatment will be faster and more effective if you combine the drops with an erythromycin ophthalmic ointment, virusocidal and antimicrobial agents. Instructions for use of "Sulfacyl sodium" for eye diseases focuses on the patient that only an ophthalmologist can prescribe the optimal dosage.
Reviews on the use of myopia
Patients are concerned about the treatment, if there is myopia, astigmatism and other chronic eye diseases? Instructions for use with Sulfacyl Sodium Dia recommends using drops with extreme caution in the presence of myopia. After a course of therapy, the clarity of vision may decrease.
Reviews of patients with myopia who instilled "Sulfacil sodium" with conjunctivitis indicate a comparative safety of drops. They write that side effects in the form of burning sclera and tearing are much more pronounced with myopia. It is worth limiting the duration of the course of treatment: instead of ten days, drip only a week. As a rule, during this time the symptoms of conjunctivitis go away irrevocably.
Drug analogues
Sulfacetamide drops are a full-fledged analogue - they have the same active substance, and, accordingly, similar indications for use.
Preparations for the treatment of eye diseases with sulfapyridazine sodium in the composition. The principle of their effect on the sclera is different, but they still have the maximum similar therapeutic effect in the fight against bacterial diseases of the eye. Side effects are the same: burning, tearing, pain.
Ophthalmologists reviews
Therapy of eye diseases of a bacterial nature with "Sulfacyl sodium" was widespread in the Soviet years. The low cost and effectiveness of this drug to this day makes it a leader in the fight against conjunctivitis of various etiologies.
Ophthalmologists' reviews unanimously recognize “Sulfacyl sodium as one of the cheapest and most effective means. Doctors have a negative attitude to self-treatment according to the information from the instructions for use of Sulfacil Sodium alone. The price of this tool (32 rubles) makes the self-treatment process attractive, which often As a result, an unlucky patient has to pay at least five times more for subsequent treatment, and in some cases, even go to hospital. So, it’s easier and cheaper to apply for a single m to an ophthalmologist, in order to avoid complications in the eye diseases of bacterial origin.