Such a miracle cure as boric alcohol has long been widely used in the treatment of various diseases, and not only as a folk remedy. Official medicine also recognizes this drug, and doctors recommend it for patients of all age categories. Boric acid, available in powder form, is also used.
Is it possible or not?
Today there is heated debate about the safety of its use. Foreign experts are categorically against the use of the drug for the treatment of not only children but also adults.
However, many domestic experts have a different point of view in this regard. To the question of whether boric alcohol can be instilled into the ear, a positive answer is given. Russian doctors agree with specialists from other countries only that its prolonged use negatively affects the state of the body. Application without the recommendation of a doctor is unacceptable.
Does the name matter?
When talking about boric alcohol or acid, you need to understand that these are two different drugs with a different spectrum of action, although both are based on the same substance. The concentration of boric acid in the solution, for the preparation of which ethanol is used, is 0.5-10%.
In the people, such a solution is usually called boric acid, understanding that it is about the alcohol version of the drug. Available in small bottles with a capacity of 10 or 20 ml and is not intended for internal use.
In some cases, you can use an aqueous solution of boric acid with a concentration of 1-4%. It must be made independently from boric acid powder and purified water.
Drug properties
Many years of using the solution have proven its effective properties, we list them:
- It is an excellent antiseptic;
- used as a disinfecting mixture;
- effectively relieves various kinds of inflammation;
- actively fights harmful microflora, including staphylococci, pneumococci, hemophilic bacillus.
For all diseases, it is used only externally and does not provide for other use cases.
It helps with skin and gynecological problems, in urology, during cosmetic procedures, but the decision on its purpose, treatment time and dosage is always made by a specialist, although it can be bought without a prescription in pharmacies.
Application in otolaryngology
The treatment of ear diseases is also not without its use, but boric alcohol can be dripped into the ear or turunds moistened with a solution can be used, the attending physician must decide. However, experts note that not all ear diseases can be treated with an alcohol solution. So, its use is strictly forbidden with inflammation of the middle ear and some other ailments.
It is shown only for otitis media, they add boric alcohol into the ear for both adults and children; the concentration of the drug is always indicated by the attending physician.
How to use?
The drug should be used carefully, so you should familiarize yourself with how to properly "deliver" boric alcohol to the ear. The instructions are described below.
In acute catarrhal form of otitis media, three to five drops of the mixture are required in a 3% concentration, in both ears, from 3 to 4 times a day.
To make its use effective, before you drop boric alcohol into your ear, you need to carefully pull the auricle up. This will allow you to align the external auditory meatus, and the eardrum will become available for the medicine, otherwise the procedure will not bring the desired result.
For the treatment of chronic otitis media, moistened in a 3% solution and slightly squeezed turundas are best suited, which (most often) the doctor prescribes to use three times a day. They are laid in the ear canal.
When used correctly, the drug has a warming and antiseptic effect, improves blood circulation in the problem area, and helps to quickly get rid of inflammation. It should be borne in mind that:
- the decision to prescribe the drug is taken only by a specialist after conducting an examination and determining the severity of the disease;
- contraindications to its use are discharge from the ear, including purulent;
- the solution should be at room temperature: a cold preparation can provoke a further exacerbation of inflammation;
- with the right dosage, improvement occurs within three to five days, but not more than a week later; if this does not happen, the use of the drug should be stopped immediately and seek additional advice and the appointment of another remedy.
Those who treat otitis media with an alcoholic solution of boric acid must remember that its use provides temporary relief, but does not relieve the ailment. Treatment should be continued, adhering to all the recommendations received from the doctor.
Boric alcohol in the ears during pregnancy is usually used according to the “shortened program” to exclude the possibility of accumulation in the body. It can be prescribed in a small concentration, sparing the health of the mother and child.
Contraindications
Like any medicine, it has contraindications; they are:
- breastfeeding;
- functional changes in the activity of the liver and kidneys;
- treatment of infants and children up to the age of three;
- individual intolerance.
The use of boric alcohol in the ears during pregnancy is undesirable. Its use for infants and babies up to the age of three is strictly prohibited. This is due to the physiological characteristics of a small child whose body does not yet have sufficient protective functions. Practice has shown that in almost 90% of cases, it causes severe intoxication.
What will overdose lead to?
But even if there are no obvious contraindications, the use of an alcoholic solution of boric acid requires extreme caution. The desire to recover as soon as possible for some patients pushes for an unauthorized increase in the dose of the drug. However, this can lead to poisoning of the body, because the product has the property of being very rapidly absorbed into the blood lymph and rapidly spreading throughout the body.
The higher its concentration, that is, the higher the dose, the greater the likelihood of poisoning. A long period of use of the drug can also lead to negative consequences.
The following symptoms will indicate that the dosage is violated and has a negative effect:
- bouts of severe headache;
- increased pressure causing dizziness;
- nausea, vomiting, vomiting;
- weakness;
- disruption of the excretory system;
- the appearance of skin rashes, itching and peeling.
Particularly careful when taking the drug should be people with allergies, but practice suggests that only an overdose can cause it.
In especially severe cases, cardiac rhythm disturbances, disruptions in the activity of the nervous system, convulsions, shock are observed.
Boric alcohol during pregnancy
Special attention deserves the question of the possibility of using boric alcohol in the ears during pregnancy.
Experts agree that at this time it is necessary to protect the maternal organism and the fetus from the effects of any drugs, if this is not absolutely necessary.
Today, the medical community insists on the exclusion of this drug from the list of drugs used during pregnancy, and offers other drugs that are less aggressive towards the mother and child, not containing components hazardous to their health.
However, if it is impossible to do without it, it is necessary to strictly follow the doctor's recommendations. The specialist, in accordance with the condition of the pregnant woman, will determine the permissible concentration of alcohol in the drug, usually 1-2%.
What did the female doctor talk about?
Gynecologists agree that there are times when you can’t do without this medicine, and emphasize that boric alcohol can be dripped into the ear during pregnancy, but it can cause allergic reactions even in those who have never suffered from such an ailment. This is explained by the feature of acid accumulate in the body.
A doctor who has a expectant mother should have a full understanding of the possibility of treatment and know whether boric alcohol can be dripped into the ear or it is better to try using other methods. Only in case of ineffectiveness of other drugs is its use allowed, but in minimal quantities. This means that it is necessary to measure the exact amount of boric alcohol in the ears during pregnancy.