Babies are less resistant to attacks from bacteria and viruses that trigger colds and infections of the nose, ears or throat. With such diseases, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, sore throat and other unpleasant symptoms often occur.
One of the means that help get rid of the inflammatory process in the nasopharynx is "Protargol". This medicine has been in demand for many years both in adult patients and in the treatment of young children.
Features:
In pharmacies "Protargol" is presented as a powder or a tablet, and before using such forms of medication, you need to prepare a medicinal solution at home yourself. To dilute the drug, there is an ampoule with 10 ml of solvent in the package. The powder is sold inside a glass bottle and is a hygroscopic light brown mass. There is a dropper stopper on the top of the bottle or a pipette in its cap.
If the preparation is in solid form, the package contains a blister with one tablet, a solvent in an ampoule and an empty bottle equipped with a pipette cap. The tablet itself is round and flat, and its color is uneven, dark brown, almost black, with a blue tint.
The active substance of the drug is represented by a compound of silver with protein molecules, which is called silver proteinate or colloidal silver. Its amount in one tablet or in one portion of the powder is 200 mg, and the silver content in the active compound "Protargol" corresponds to 8%. The powder form of the drug does not contain other substances, and a binding component, for example, povidone, may be present in the tablet. The solvent in all forms of the drug is water for injection.
It is often possible to purchase an already prepared aqueous solution at the pharmacy. It is sold in glass bottles with a cork, and the date on which the drops expire is always marked on the paper label. Such a solution, like a home-made medicine from a powder or tablet, has a brown color and a bitter taste, and there is no smell.
Operating principle
The silver compound, which is the basis of "Protargol", has antiseptic and disinfecting properties. They are due to the ability of silver ions released from proteinate to act on bacteria that are present on the mucous membrane. By connecting with the DNA of microbes, silver inhibits the process of their reproduction, helping the body to cope with pathogens faster.
Sensitivity analysis showed that "Protargol" affects a large number of different microorganisms, among which there are streptococci, moraxella, staphylococcus and other bacteria that cause inflammation in the ears, nose or throat. The solution is also harmful to fungi, including candida. At the same time, silver ions act on pathogenic microorganisms more actively than on non-pathogenic microorganisms, therefore, dysbacteriosis after the use of "Protargol" does not occur.
A drug also has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect... It is related to the ability of silver to deposit proteins on the mucosal surface, resulting in a protective film. Due to its formation, the sensitivity of the damaged membranes decreases, and the vessels narrow, as a result of which the inflammatory reactions slow down, and the disease does not spread to neighboring areas.
Indications
Most often, "Protargol" is prescribed for various diseases of the ENT organs.
The medication is used in children with:
- rhinitis;
- sinusitis;
- nasopharyngitis;
- sinusitis;
- purulent otitis media;
- pharyngitis.
The remedy can be instilled into the eyes with blepharitis or conjunctivitis. In addition, "Protargol" is prescribed by urologists and gynecologists for inflammatory processes in the genitourinary organs, for example, with urethritis or vaginitis.
Is it prescribed for adenoids?
Many otolaryngologists prescribe Protargol when adenoiditis is detected in a small patient, when the nasal mucosa is inflamed, and the baby constantly complains of congestion and discharge. Such an inflammatory process in the adenoids is dangerous due to complications due to which breathing is disturbed, oxygen deficiency occurs, and hearing deteriorates.
The use of "Protargol" helps to dry the mucous membrane and reduce inflammation of the tonsils, so that sometimes even surgical removal of growths can be avoided.
At what age is it allowed?
"Protargol" has no age restrictions, but use this remedy in the treatment of small patients (especially in newborns and children under one year old) is permissible only as prescribed by a doctor... The prophylactic use of Protargol should also be agreed with a pediatrician, otolaryngologist or other specialist.
Contraindications and side effects
The use of "Protargol" is strictly prohibited in case of hypersensitivity to this drug. You can identify an allergy to the drug by a simple test - drop one drop on the skin of the baby's hand and look at the reaction after 15 minutes... If there is no redness, rash or other changes in the treated area, the product can be further dripped into the nose.
As noted, the solution can cause hives or other allergic reactions. Sometimes after the application of "Protargol" there is a slight irritation at the site of treatment, due to which the drug can cause itching or burning sensation.
If you experience these or any other unpleasant symptoms, you should consult your doctor.
Instructions for use
If the reason for using Protargol is one of the otorhinolaryngological diseases (runny nose, pharyngitis, sinusitis, and so on), the agent is dripped into each nasal passage twice a day. A single dosage should be checked with a doctor, as well as the percentage of the solution used, since in childhood, not 2% medicine is often used, but a 1% solution, dripping it in an amount of 1 to 5 drops.
When used in the nose, the following nuances should be considered.
- Before using Protargol, it is recommended to rinse the nose with a saline solution (for this procedure, both normal saline solution and any preparation based on sea water are suitable), then clean the passages with cotton cords or an aspirator.
- Having laid the child on his back and shaking the bottle with the solution, he is drawn up with a pipette and injected into each nostril in the amount prescribed by the doctor.
- If the treatment of the nose is prescribed for the baby, "Protargol" can not be dripped into the nose, but applied to the mucous membrane with the help of cotton turundas dipped in the medicine.
- It is most convenient to bury the medicine in the nose in the morning after sleep, when other hygiene procedures are being carried out, and the second time in the evening, when the baby is preparing for bed.
If Protargol is discharged with eye disease, a 2% solution is most often used... Depending on the pathology, the doctor prescribes to drip the drug 2-3 drops into each eye, and the frequency of use can be from 2 to 4 times during the day. For otitis media, the medicine should be dripped into the ear three times a day, 2-5 drops.
For urological infections, use a two percent "Protargol"... The tool is used to flush the bladder or urethra, that is, such treatment is carried out only in a medical institution.
The duration of treatment with "Protargol" is determined individually, because it is influenced by both the diagnosis and the reaction of the child's body. Although there is no addiction to the drug, it is not used for a very long time, so as not to provoke the accumulation of silver in the tissues.
Most often, doctors prescribe a drip of "Protargol" for five to seven days. Less often, the tool can be used for up to two weeks.
Overdose
Too large a dose of drops or accidentally swallowing them in large quantities is a health hazard to the child and can cause poisoning.
If an overdose is detected, you should immediately call a doctor.
Terms of sale and storage
You don't need a prescription to buy Protargol in a pharmacy. The price of a medicine depends on the form, city and manufacturer. Usually it ranges from 80 to 180 rubles per package.
Proper storage of a medicine directly affects its effectiveness. After preparation of a solution from a tablet or powder, its shelf life is 30 days. Throw away a month after mixing dry or solid colloidal silver with water. If the product is not stored in liquid form, then its shelf life is 2 or 3 years.
Drops should be kept at home in a cool place (at temperatures from +2 to +8 degrees), where they will not be affected by the sun's rays. The top shelf of the refrigerator is best suited for storing Protargol, so the solution cannot be reached by children.
If during storage the drug has become heterogeneous or a silvery sheen appears on the bottle, it is better to refuse further use of such "Protargol", replacing the drug with a fresh solution.
Reviews
About "Protargol" you can find mostly positive reviews, in which parents confirm the effectiveness of this solution for runny nose, sinusitis and other diseases of the nasopharynx. The advantages of the drug include its good tolerance., the possibility of using even in infants and a low price, so they rarely look for analogues for cheaper.
Among the disadvantages of "Protargol", some mothers note a short shelf life after opening the package and the absence in many pharmacies, others - an unpleasant taste and staining of the mucous membrane. There are also negative reviews in which drops are called ineffective or harmfulwhen the drug did not help or caused adverse reactions.
Analogs
One of the Sialor products can become a full-fledged replacement for Protargol. This is a medicine called "Sialor Protargol" and is represented by one tablet containing silver proteinate, as well as an ampoule of solvent, which is sterile water. In the packaging of such a product there is also an empty bottle in which the tablet is dissolved to obtain a 2% solution.
The lid of such a bottle comes with a built-in pipette, with which the medicine is dripped into the child's nose, or with a spray device that allows the product to be used like a spray. Since the active substance in this "Sialor" is the same as in "Protargol", the scope of application of these drugs is the same, and the dosages are also the same. "Sialor Protargol" is in great demand for prolonged rhinitis, adenoids, purulent otitis media or sinusitis. It, like Protargol, can also be used to prevent the defeat of the ENT organs by bacteria or viruses.
Among other drugs that, although they differ from "Protargol" in their composition and mechanism of action, are used for the same indications, such drugs can be noted.
- "Miramistin"... This antiseptic is prescribed to children of any age for external treatment, as well as dripping into the nose and eyes in order to destroy pathogens and speed up recovery. The product is a clear solution that foams after shaking.
- "Chlorophyllipt"... This antiseptic contains active substances from eucalyptus, therefore it is in demand in the treatment of babies. It can be used from birth, but only as directed by a doctor and after a sensitivity test (the drug can provoke allergies). For diseases of the nasopharynx, a 2% solution in oil is used.
- "Isofra"... This medicine is available as a spray and is often prescribed for bacterial rhinitis or sinusitis, since its active ingredient is the topical antibiotic framycetin. The drug is approved for the treatment of children from 1 year old.
- "Polydexa with phenylephrine"... This spray acts on the bacteria that caused the infection of the ENT organs, thanks to neomycin and polymyxin. The dexamethasone present in it helps to quickly eliminate inflammation, and phenylephrine narrows the vessels of the nasopharynx. The medication is used in young patients over 2.5 years old.
Any of these drugs, like Protargol, must be prescribed by a doctor for the child. According to pediatricians and doctor Komarovsky, for a positive effect it is important to determine the cause of the disease, and self-medication with green snot or nasal congestion can be dangerous in childhood.
Dr. Komarovsky will talk about nose drops in the next video.
