Boric acid and boric alcohol: use in otitis

How often in search of effective treatment we resort to the help of expensive drugs, undesirably putting aside the time-tested budget drugs. So it happened with boric acid, and in fact boric acid and boric alcohol in otitis were used by our grandfathers and grandmothers when expensive innovative medicines were not even there.

Let's not belittle the merits of modern antiseptics, which are mostly safer than boric acid. But if there is no choice, and it is necessary to treat inflammation in the ear in order to avoid hearing loss and dangerous complications to nearby organs, boric acid preparations with a serious approach to treatment can render invaluable service.

Treatment of otitis with boric acid

When there is discomfort and pain in the ear, it always speaks of a pathological process on one of the parts of the hearing organ. If the inflammation is localized in the area of the auricle or at the entrance to the ear (in the external ear canal, including the tympanic membrane), they speak of the external appearance of otitis, the diagnosis and treatment of which are not particularly difficult. Treatment of such a form of otitis is not much different about the therapy of the furuncle in the ear, and this pathology is not taken seriously by many, although there is no guarantee that the inflammation will not spread into the ear.

Another thing is if the inflammatory process develops deep inside the ear and is not visible to the naked eye. It's about the inflammation of the middle ear, which we are accustomed to call the word otitis. Strong painful pain in the ear, you do not want to make me go to see an otolaryngologist. And this is correct, since self-treatment of otitis media in many cases ended in deplorable condition: some began to hear worse, others said goodbye to the ability to distinguish sounds forever, and the third later had to treat sinusitis, meningitis, encephalitis and other inflammatory pathologies, which are a common complication of otitis media.

As you can see, in whatever form inflammation takes place and wherever it is localized without effective treatment to defeat the disease is extremely problematic. And without the antimicrobial agents, the inflammatory process in the ear is unlikely to be cured, because it is almost always accompanied by the release of exudate, which is a nutrient medium for bacteria, or pus, in which a bacterial factor already exists.

In the case of the non-bacterial nature of the inflammatory process, the use of effective antiseptics such as boric acid and boric alcohol in otitis will help avoid complicating the disease by attaching a bacterial or fungal infection. And if the cause of inflammation are pathogenic microorganisms, the external use of antimicrobial agents will help to avoid the multiplication of infection in the focus of inflammation.

It is clear that in the treatment of inflammatory pathology of the middle ear, external means, such as boric alcohol, do not seem so effective, because they can not get into the inflammatory focus (the ear cavity behind the eardrum, the mastoid process, the Eustachian tube). In this case, systemic antibiotic therapy is more effective. Nevertheless, doctors do not forget about local treatment, which is carried out by washing the external auditory canal with boric alcohol, and also with the help of compresses with it.

Such treatment with boric acid and boric alcohol is possible with both external and medium otitis accompanied by exudation (exudative form of otitis) or pus (purulent form of pathology), but only if there is no deformation of the tympanic membrane, what will happen to testify the secretion of pus outward. The fact is that the penetration of ethanol (and boric alcohol is 97% of it, and 3% is crystalline boric acid) for the tympanic membrane is fraught with a burn of tender tissues inside the auditory tube. It is unlikely that a burn will help reduce inflammation, but rather aggravate it.

But the fact is that if the perforation of the tympanic membrane is small, pus may not flow at all. How, then, to find out if there is a hole in the membrane through which boric alcohol can get inside the auditory tube, or not? This can only be done by a specialist doctor, i.e. Otorhinolaryngologist after a thorough examination using special tools. To itself to put the diagnosis and to appoint or nominate treatment in no event it is impossible.

It must also be remembered that boric acid and boric alcohol used in otitis are considered highly toxic substances, which means that it is not so safe to apply them. Maybe that's why so often on the Internet the question is whether it is possible to use boric alcohol for treating ears with otitis. With a cautious approach to treatment, which requires strict adherence to the requirements and prescriptions of a doctor, boric acid preparations will not cause harm to health, but will help cope with inflammation.

But for the prevention of otitis in children prone to inflammatory pathologies in the middle ear, boric alcohol is not recommended. This question arises from parents in connection with the fact that the common otitis in children is very often caused by a common runny nose, if it is not effectively treated. But in this case it is more reasonable to treat the runny nose (although this is not so simple if the child visits the kindergarten) than to carry out prophylaxis with the help of a toxic substance, the prolonged use of which is fraught with the emergence of unpleasant and dangerous symptoms.

But what is so valuable boric alcohol in the treatment of ENT organs, and in particular the organs of hearing? This wonderful antiseptic helps to fight not only bacteria, but also with various kinds of fungal flora (mold and yeast fungi).

To useful actions of preparations on the basis of boric acid it is possible to carry:

• Antiseptic effect associated with preventing the spread of bacterial infection in the ENT organs.
• Antimicrobial effect, i.e. Destruction of pathogens by destroying their cellular structures.
• Insecticidal action caused by the destruction of insects, which accidentally can get into the ear, and removing them from there can be very problematic.
• Antifungal action, i.e. Fighting various types of fungal infection and preventing its spread

In addition, treatment with boric alcohol is an excellent prophylaxis of fungal infections in the future. Those. This treatment gives a longer lasting effect than the use of weak antiseptics, although less safe.

Boric acid or boric alcohol?

When it comes to the treatment of otitis with drugs of boric acid in the recommendations and instructions, two names always appear: directly boric acid and boric alcohol. Let's look at what is actually being said, about completely different drugs or about the different forms of release of a single medicine.

If you ask boric acid in the pharmacy, the pharmacist should take an interest, in powder or in the form of an alcohol solution. It turns out that boric alcohol - this is the same boric acid dissolved in alcohol, and with otitis, you can use both dosage forms. By the way, the drug name of the drug is still boric acid, and boric alcohol was called to distinguish the drug in powder and liquid form of antiseptic.

The drug in powder is a crystallized orthoboric acid, which is an excellent antiseptic. In its pure form it is not used in medicine. To treat inflammatory pathologies of the hearing organs, boric acid is diluted with water or alcohol. The ideal content of boric acid in the solution for otitis treatment is 3%. A lower concentration will not give a pronounced antiseptic effect (in the pharmacy, alcohol solution of boric acid, also boric alcohol, can offer with active substance concentration from 0.5 to 3%). And high doses of boric acid can cause irreparable harm to human health due to high ototoxicity.

A medicinal solution based on water or alcohol can be prepared at home. To do this, 6 grams (1 tsp) of boric acid is stirred in 180 g (incomplete glass) of water or alcohol. The aqueous solution seems to seem less aggressive, but boric acid on alcohol acts faster and more efficiently, so it is preferable to make the drug on an alcohol base.

It should be understood that with this method of preparation of the medicinal composition, it is very difficult to observe the correct proportions, and it is from this that the efficiency and safety of the prepared solution depend. And the question arises, what kind of alcohol to use?

70% ethanol is used in the drug preparation, popularly called boron alcohol. Vodka, which is used to make various tinctures on alternative recipes, has a strength of about 40 degrees (about 40% alcohol) and often some unnecessary additives, and purified medical alcohol sold in pharmacies usually has 96% ethanol. Whether such substances are suitable for the preparation of a medicinal composition, remains a question.

But in order not to fool yourself and protect someone who will have to be treated with a medicine based on boric acid, doctors recommend buying a pharmacy version of the drug, which is also not expensive at all. In such a drug all proportions are met and there are no additional components that could negatively affect the results of treatment. And if it is also used strictly according to the doctor's prescription, then the result of treatment will be very even worthy.

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Indications of the boric alcohol at otitis

It must be said that even in the past decade boric alcohol was used quite actively by alternative healers and doctors who themselves actively offered patients procedures with this strong antiseptic. To date, the situation has changed somewhat. The detected toxic effect of the drug somewhat narrowed the range of its use and the number of admirers.

And yet, with more caution diluted in water, boric acid continues to be used in ophthalmology for the treatment of inflammatory eye diseases (eg, in conjunctivitis therapy). Found the drug of its use in dermatology. With its help facilitate the condition of patients with inflammations on the skin - dermatitis.

In ENT practice, boric acid and boric alcohol, as before, are used in otitis. Antiseptic is effective both with external otitis, and with inflammation of the middle ear, which occurs in acute or chronic form.

But if before practiced only instillation of the medicine in the ear, but now it is used to wash the ears, lay moistened in the solution of cotton swabs (turundas), apply compresses with boric acid.

Boric acid with external otitis can be used without special restrictions. If the inflammation is localized on the auricle, the affected area can be wiped with a cotton swab soaked in boron alcohol or make a lotion with the medicine. If the inflammation accompanied by the release of exudate is determined inside the ear canal, effective procedures will be washing the ears, and also instilling boric alcohol in the ear.

Bury alcohol in the ear in the middle of the otitis can only be with full confidence that the eardrum is not damaged. With inflammation of the middle ear without suppuration, the doctor can recommend warming compresses with boric acid, laying in the ear of cotton swabs and gauze impregnated with a solution of boric acid, drops in the ears.

In addition to otitis with boric acid, otolaryngologists treat furuncles in the external auditory canal (after all, the inflammation of the hair follicle is mostly associated with staphylococcal infection) and a fungal pathology called otomycosis (boric acid has some antifungal activity).

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Pharmacodynamics

Boric acid and boric alcohol, which have long been used for otitis and some other inflammatory pathologies, are considered amazing antiseptics, because they act simultaneously as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. In addition, the preparation is characterized by astringent action that promotes skin regeneration and healing of microdamages.

The cell membrane of bacteria consists of protein. Under the influence of boric alcohol or acid, the process of protein coagulation takes place, which worsens the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane to nutrients. Bacteria are gradually weakened and perish.

Antibiotics and antiseptics, as a rule, have no selective effect, so their use is associated with a violation of microflora at the site of application. Very often on this soil, especially after the use of antibiotics, the fungal flora begins to become more active. The use of boric alcohol as an antiseptic helps not only to defeat the bacterial factor, but also to prevent subsequent reproduction and growth of fungi.

There is an opinion that if boric acid is added to the ointment and rubbed into the scalp, you can also lime dandruff (kind of fungus) and lice. So boric acid is characteristic and some protivopedykuleznoe action. By the way, there is also such a dosage form as a five percent boric ointment, which is used as a remedy for external parasites.

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Pharmacokinetics

Skin and mucous membranes are not an obstacle to boric acid, which very easily and quickly joins through such barriers and enters the bloodstream. But the substance is withdrawn from the body very slowly, which means it can accumulate in various liquid and solid biological media.

In connection with the above, with boric acid preparations you need to be very cautious, because exceeding the dose and prolonged treatment can provoke toxic reactions and damage to the kidneys involved in excretion of the drug, and the use of high concentrations of the solution can cause a burn of tissues.

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Dosing and administration

Earlier, when otolaryngology did not have a sufficient variety of effective antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs and was not yet known about the negative effect of boric acid on the human body, it was used universally for treating various types of otitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatitis as an independent medicine. To date, there are many effective drugs with a specific effect, which are used by doctors as the main treatment.

The use of boric acid and boric alcohol in otitis now has a rather fixative and preventive effect. Preparations of boric acid can be used both in the composition of complex therapy and at the end of treatment with other medicines.

It is clear that in the absence of other effective drugs boric alcohol can be used as a monotherapy and at the very beginning of treatment to prevent inflammation from taking a chronic form and spread further into the body, for example, on the meninges. But if possible, such treatment should be supplemented with more modern and effective antimicrobial agents, especially if it is a matter of average otitis, which can only be cured with boric alcohol by a problem.

Applications of boric acid in otitis are quite diverse: drops in the ear, washing of the ear canal, tamponade of the ears, warming compresses with boric acid.

Drops in the ear. For these purposes, the use of a pharmacy 3% solution of boric alcohol in pure form is recommended. The instillation of drops gives a faster antimicrobial effect, but it is contraindicated in the perforation of the tympanic membrane, which can cause fluid to leak into the auditory tube and cause even more inflammation of the tissues.

A standard pipette is used to instill the solution into the ear. Alcohol should not be cold, but it is not worth heating it on fire. The ideal option is to take a few minutes to warm the pipette with the solution in its hands.

Before you enter the medicine into the ear canal, the ear should be thoroughly cleaned with the ear stick from sulfur and dust that gets into it. With a dry stick it is impossible to clean the ear qualitatively, so it is recommended to moisten it in a solution of hydrogen peroxide. And it is better to drip 2-3 drops of cleanser (hydrogen peroxide or distilled water) in the ear and carefully treat the moist skin with an ear stick.

After the ear is cleaned, it must be dipped from the moisture residues by a twisted gauze flag and cotton pad. Now you can start digging in the medicine, i.e. Boric alcohol. During the procedure, tilt the head so that the sick ear is at the top. With the help of a pipette, we inject from it 3 to 5 drops of boric acid per alcohol and wait 10-12 minutes, then tilt the head in the other direction. That the medicine could leak out. Once again we dip the covers outside and inside the ear, and then cover the entrance to the ear with a small cotton swab, blocking the entrance to the ear of dust and bacteria.

Bury the ear with otite boric alcohol or boric acid in the form of an aqueous solution, drug manufacturers recommend within 3-5 days (but doctors often allow to increase the treatment time to 10 days). The procedure should be 2-4 times a day. After 5 days from the start of treatment, you can go to a single injection of the medication in your ear at night.

If drops drip to the child, then the effective and safe dose will be 3-4 drops, the adult dosage can be increased to 5 drops.

When burying alcohol in your ears, you need to monitor the sensations. Usually caused by the solution discomfort lasts no more than 10 minutes, if the unpleasant feeling remains and further, consultation of an ENT is necessary for the possibility of continuing treatment with boric acid.

Washing of the ear canal. For washing the ear, a 2% solution of boric acid is most often used. A warm antiseptic solution based on alcohol or water is injected into the peeled ear with a pipette. Then, using a syringe, warm water or another disinfectant solution in the amount of 150 ml is poured into the ear. When burying, the head should be tilted in the opposite direction from the diseased ear, and when washing, keep it in a vertical position so that the liquid can freely flow out of the ear.

Rinsing can not be carried out under pressure. Water should not exert strong pressure on the inflamed eardrum.

This procedure is useful for removing exudate and pus from the ear. Experienced specialist in the clinic can conduct it even with a perforation of the tympanic membrane with a suppuration. In this case, non-aggressive disinfectants are used.

After the procedure, doctors recommend that the ear dry with a bandage or cotton swab and lightly powder talcum powder. Entrance to the ear can be covered with fleece only in the absence of suppuration.

Cotton swabs and turuns. Well, with cotton swabs, it's usually clear. This is a normal piece of cotton wool, fitted to the size of the ear canal. But what is turund, not everyone knows. And this is just a piece of gauze, bandage or the same cotton wool wrapped in a not very dense bundle.

Cotton swab or turunda impregnated with warm boric acid in the form of a solution, lightly squeezed and placed in the ear at such a depth, so as not to damage the eardrum. From above, the entrance to the ear is covered with a dry fleece. Thus, the procedure has not only an effective antibacterial, but also a warming effect.

The use of turundum and tampons with boric acid does not limit the movement of the patient, as in the case of dropping drops. There is no need to lie for 10-15 minutes on one side, so that the fluid does not accidentally leak out of the ear. Turundas can be used for a short time 2-3 times a day or pawned immediately for several hours (for example, for the whole night), as the attending physician will appoint.

Inoculation in the ear turundum is most often used in the treatment of furuncles inside the ear, but a useful procedure will be and with otitis exudative character (with purulent otitis warming procedures are excluded).

Compresses. This procedure is recommended for inflammation of the middle ear, which is not purulent, since a compress with 3% boric alcohol (the most effective form of release in this case) has a warming effect. It would seem, what for to heat an ear at an inflammation, especially, if the process is localized deep inside of an organ behind a tympanic membrane? But this has a certain meaning.

External means can affect the processes occurring inside the body in two ways: penetrate into the blood and tissues of the organ or provide a local increase in temperature, resulting in an increase in the number of protective cells produced by the body. Thus, the medicine stimulates the body's own defenses to fight the bacterial factor and inflammatory agents. It turns out that the use of warming compresses with boric acid provides both functions of the drug, which results in pain, inflammation decreases and healing of damaged tissues inside the ear occurs.

In order to apply a compress when otitis with boric acid is correct, you need to know some rules for doing this procedure:

Apply a compress can only be prescribed by the doctor, if the patient experiences severe pain in the ear.

Often, such treatment can not be used, because warming procedures for acute inflammatory reactions can complicate the situation.

When compressing the skin, it is necessary to protect the skin from the burn, but not with protective creams, but by applying a dry natural material between the boric acid soaked in the solution.

For the compress itself it is necessary to prepare in advance: cotton fabric (10x10 cm or slightly larger) with a cut about 6-7 cm in the middle, a second piece of fabric or a gauze folded with several layers with the same cut, piece of polyethylene film or compress paper of slightly larger size . The film must completely cover the wet cloth, not allowing it to cool, and have a cut in the center. Do not forget about cotton wool and boric alcohol, warmed to a warm state.

First, a protective tissue is applied to the ear, while the auricle through the incision is exposed to the outside. Then, a cloth moistened in warm alcohol and a slightly pressed gauze, folded in 3-4 layers, is applied over the fabric. Again, the ear must remain outside. Over the gauze lay the film, release the ear, apply a thin layer of cotton on top of it and fix the compress with a bandage or scarf.

Leave a compress on the ear is recommended for 2 hours, but it is allowed and a single application of the procedure at night. At the same time, you need to make sure that the compress does not cool down on the body.

Turundas and compresses are allowed to practice even with perforation of the tympanic membrane. However, it is safer to conduct a procedure in such a pathology in a hospital. In this case, it is important only to exclude the purulent process, in which heat in the ear is prohibited.

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Contraindications

Boric acid and boric alcohol, as it turned out, are sufficiently toxic substances, so before you start using them for otitis or other pathologies noted in the indications for use, you need to carefully examine in what cases the prescription of the drug is considered undesirable and dangerous.

In the instruction to the preparation it is noted that it can not be used if the active substance or the auxiliary components of the drug are intolerant, and also if the patient has severe kidney pathologies characterized by a violation of the organ functions.

The use of boric acid in childhood (intended for patients from 15 years of age) is limited according to the same instructions, which is due to the ease of penetration into the body through the gentle thin skin of a highly toxic substance. However, doctors with regard to the use of boric alcohol in childhood hold a different opinion, considering with careful use the benefits of the drug significantly exceeds the harm, so boric acid in otitis in children can be prescribed from one year of age.

Using the drug for inflammation of the outer or middle ear, it should be remembered that with purulent otitis boron alcohol is not used already because alcohol always has a warming effect, which is undesirable in the allocation of pus. This applies to both external and secondary otitis media. If the average otitis plus everything is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the tympanic membrane (even if the hole is small), the use of boric alcohol is fraught with a burn of tissues inside the auditory tube. In this case, the choice of methods of treatment should be approached especially carefully, because deformation of the tympanic membrane for a long time will lead to deterioration of hearing.

Extremely undesirable is the use of the drug during pregnancy, yet toxic substances, penetrating the tissues and blood of the mother, can get into the body of the fetus that ripens in her womb, and this can negatively affect the intrauterine development of the child. Especially dangerous is the treatment with boric alcohol and boric acid in the early stages of pregnancy, but in subsequent periods it is always possible to find antiseptics effective with otitis with safer action.

When breastfeeding it is forbidden to use boric alcohol for the disinfection of the mammary glands, and other ways of using the drug are fraught with the penetration of the active substance into the body fluids, including breast milk. It is also considered unsafe to apply boric acid to large areas of the skin and mucous membranes, because the more the area of the treated surface, the more toxic the substance enters the body.

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Side effects of the boric alcohol at otitis

Side effects of the drug are observed mainly against the background of an overdose of the drug, caused by the penetration of a significant amount of active substance into the body for a long time. With properly selected treatment, the only unpleasant symptom may be the drying or irritation of the skin and mucous membranes in the place of application of alcohol. Some patients note the appearance of skin reactions (burning, itching, tingling), as well as peeling of the skin (the upper layer of the epithelium descends) at the site of application of the drug.

In rare cases, instillation of boric alcohol in the ears results in severe soreness of the ear and dizziness. In this case, the ear is washed and consulted for an otolaryngologist who will review the prescription of the medication.

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Overdose

Overdose is fraught with the development of an extensive symptom complex, which includes no longer local, but acute and chronic systemic reactions. Most often in this case, there are reactions from the digestive tract: a person begins to suffer from nausea, sometimes there is a urge to vomit, the stool becomes more frequent and liquid (diarrhea).

Toxic effects on the kidneys, especially if before there were problems with this organ of the excretory system, manifests itself in the form of a decrease in the amount of urine released per day. This phenomenon was called oliguria.

In more severe cases of overdose, one can observe the appearance of convulsions in the patient, confusion is also noted. Lack of care or continued use of the medicine can lead to toxic shock.

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Interactions with other drugs

To cure otitis with the help of boric alcohol alone it is possible only in case of easy inflammation of the external ear. Most otitis treatment requires the use of more serious antibacterial drugs, anesthetic drugs from the discharge of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vasoconstrictive drugs (with a common cold that is a constant companion otitis in children), antihistamines. Not to mention specialized ear drops that relieve inflammation and pain in the hearing organ (Otipaks, Anauran, Otizol, Kholikaps, etc.) and containing antibiotics (Tsipromed, Otof, Normaks ).

Such a complex treatment will help to quickly defeat the disease and will not give a chance to bacteria that can cause various complications. But what if you do not have the opportunity to buy effective, expensive drugs? Most likely, make an audit in the home medicine cabinet and find there the following medicines: tablets "Spreptocid", "Levomekol" ointment, hydrogen peroxide, "Furacillin" tablets or ready-mixed alcohol solution with antiseptic content 0,1%, alcohol, glycerin, camphor oil .

In principle, almost any of the above drugs can be found at home, because their use is not limited to treatment of the ears. So, problems with medicines should not arise, especially since all these are inexpensive drugs that can serve more than once, so they still need to be purchased.

Some treatment options may seem a little strange, if only because they are not used for people. So treatment of purulent otitis with streptocid and boric alcohol has  found wide application in veterinary medicine. If the inflammation in the external auditory canal occurs with the formation of wounds and pus, the cavity inside the ear to the eardrum is gently wiped with an earwax moistened with alcoholic boric acid solution, and then sprinkled with the grounded antiseptic streptocid.

Treatment alone with boric alcohol is impossible because the medicine is very toxic and irritating to the skin. But if otite alternate boric alcohol and camphor oil, which are characterized by the same effects (anesthesia and disinfection), you can reduce the negative impact of boric acid on the body, without reducing the effectiveness of treatment.

Camphoric oil, like boric alcohol and boric acid in otitis, can be used for burrowing in the ears and impregnating turund. No less effective are warming compresses with camphor oil, which can easily be left overnight, because oil can keep heat for a long time. However, for purulent otitis such treatment is not suitable.

But with chronic purulent otitis good effect has a strong antiseptic "Furacilin", the tablets which are used to prepare an aqueous solution. ½ tablets antiseptic is dissolved in 50 ml of hot water, the solution is cooled to a warm state and used to impregnate turundum and cotton swabs. Treatment is recommended to be carried out 2 times a day, having previously cleared the auditory canal with boric alcohol.

As an inexpensive, effective and sufficiently safe antibiotic, a wound healing ointment "Levomecol" can be used (at least, this application of the ointment is much more familiar to us). Not everyone knows that this useful ointment has been used for a long time in the treatment of otitis. Until new modern drugs appeared , Levomekol and boric acid  were the main medicines that helped to relieve pain, inflammation and provide regeneration of the tissues of the hearing organ.

What is "Levomekol" useful for otitis? First of all, its composition, providing useful properties. As part of the drug there is an antibiotic levomitsetin, and hence, the fight against the bacterial component is ensured. The antibiotic is effective against staphylococcal, streptococcal, pneumococcal, colibacillus and some varieties of viruses. With external use, this toxic antibiotic has only a local effect, practically not absorbed into the blood, which allows the use of ointment for the treatment of children and pregnant women.

The second not less important active substance of the multicomponent drug is methyluracil, which promotes the launch of regenerative processes. Thanks to him, the preparation has a wound-healing effect. But that is not all. Methyluracil stimulates the synthesis of human interferon, the main component in the fight against viruses and bacteria, i.e. Increases local and general immunity.

Some benefits are provided by additional components of the drug. So ethylene glycol in the drug is able to absorb pus, which makes the use of the drug effective in purulent otitis.

"Levomekol" ointment can be successfully applied in combination with boric alcohol, which does not have any dangerous interactions with other drugs. Boric alcohol in this case is recommended to use for cleaning the ear cavity before introducing turuns with ointment. In principle, "Levomekol" with the help of an ear stick can simply be applied a thin layer on the inflamed areas in the ear twice a day, pretreating the surface with an antiseptic in the face of boric alcohol.

It is important to remember that the effectiveness of otitis treatment depends not only on the type of medicines used, but also on their quality. And the quality of medicines depends on the conditions under which they were stored. Pharmacies are closely monitored by the pharmacists themselves, but at home it becomes our responsibility.

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Storage conditions

First, that the drug in the form of alcohol solution lasted a long time, you need to keep the bottle closed so that alcohol does not evaporate. Secondly, the manufacturer states the temperature of storage of the drug is not higher than 15 and not lower than 8 degrees. Probably, this figure is also not taken from the ceiling, and under such conditions the medicine can be stored for a long time without losing its useful properties.

Shelf life

For example, boric alcohol and boric acid, used in otitis, do not have a definite shelf life. Those. The drug retains its properties for a very long time. But this does not mean that you do not need to comply with the storage conditions.

Reviews about the treatment of otitis boric acid

Despite all the passions that are written about boric acid, referring not to its toxicity, many people continue to use successfully inexpensive, but effective medicine for otitis and pain in the ear. And in most reviews you can find a statement that boric acid or boric alcohol helped to cope with the pain and inflammation much faster and better than the expensive medications prescribed for inflammation of the middle ear.

About the side effects of the drug is almost never mentioned, and this indicates that the drug is well tolerated by most patients. Unpleasant symptoms during the use of the drug, if possible, in very rare cases.

The positive qualities of boric acid in the form of alcohol solution buyers consider the low price of such a good antiseptic and its high efficiency in the removal of a strong pain syndrome, although the drug itself is not considered an analgesic. Many write that there are enough 1-2 applications to leave shooting pains in the ear, so long-term use, fraught with toxic effects, is not required.

Most of those who left feedback on boric alcohol, this drug is always available in the medicine cabinet, because in addition to otitis it is used to treat acne and acne, to combat conjunctivitis and skin pathologies, to treat the skin before injections, to disinfect and quickly heal small cuts, etc. And no one particularly worries about the toxicity of the drug, because the content of boric acid in the liquid form of the drug is small and is unlikely to cause serious consequences.

Apparently, the same opinion is shared by doctors who prescribe boric alcohol to young children. And although the instruction for use noted the legal age of 15 years, many pediatricians successfully prescribe this treatment to children of two years of age and older. The main thing is that the treatment should be carried out after consultation with a specialist doctor who will determine if there is damage to the tympanic membrane and in what form otitis occurs. Only then can we talk not only about effective, but also about safe methods of treatment with boric alcohol. However, this applies not only to boric acid preparations.

Boric acid and boric alcohol in otitis is a method of rapid elimination of pain and inflammation recognized by many generations. And even if these preparations cause a lot of controversy today, the experience, tested by time, will not allow to move effective funds to the background. Unless boric acid, as an economically unprofitable drug, will be removed from production, as it has already done more than once with other effective budget medicines.