Important facts about boric acid and alcohol of the same name - is it the same remedy or not? Application features. Boric acid

Boric acid is an effective antiseptic that is used in otolaryngology for the treatment of ear diseases. The drug is one of the weak acids that prevent the development of pathogenic flora. It has a pronounced disinfecting and anti-edematous effect. Is it possible to drip boric acid into the ear?

It should be noted that the composition of the drug includes components that have a toxic effect. For this reason, weak solutions are not used in pediatric therapy for the treatment of children under 1 year of age. In the absence of contraindications, the course of treatment with the drug should not exceed 7 days. Otherwise, toxic poisoning of the body is not excluded, which is due to the negative effect of the components of the agent on the detoxification organs.

Boric acid and alcohol - what's the difference?

Before starting ear treatment with boric acid or an alcohol solution, you should figure out if there are significant differences between them:

boric (orthoboric) acid is a powdery white substance that is practically insoluble in water;
boric alcohol is a medicinal solution of orthoboric acid in 70% ethyl alcohol.

For the treatment of ear diseases, both water and alcohol solutions are used. The concentration of the active substance in them is different, which affects the features of the use of drugs.

The drug has a pronounced ototoxic effect. Overdose can cause oliguria and diarrhea.

Otolaryngologists often prescribe a medicine for the treatment of ear pathologies, which is due to such properties:

antiseptic - prevents the development of pathogens in the ENT organs;
insecticidal - destroys harmful insects;
fungistatic - prevents the development of fungal flora;
antimycotic - kills yeast-like and mold fungi;
antimicrobial - destroys the cellular structures of pathogenic bacteria.

The components of the product are quickly absorbed into the tissues, preventing the reproduction of pathogens and, accordingly, inflammatory processes. When using the drug, the synthesis of bacterial DNA is disrupted, which leads to a reduction in the number of microbes in the foci of inflammation.

In the case of prolonged use, the active substance of the drug will accumulate in the tissues, causing disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys and liver.

Indications for use

Boric acid can be dripped into the ear? In otolaryngology, several types of ear pathologies can be distinguished, the treatment of which can be carried out using an aqueous or alcoholic solution of orthoboric acid. These include:

furunculosis of the external auditory canal - inflammation in the hair follicles that occurs against the background of the development of staphylococcal flora. Boric acid for the ears is used when cotton turundas soaked in a solution are introduced into the auditory canal;
diffuse external otitis - diffuse inflammation that occurs in the auditory canal, auricle and membrane. Boric acid for the ear is used for washings that help eliminate swelling and microbes in inflamed tissues;
otitis media - catarrhal processes in the ear cavity, mastoid process and Eustachian tube. Boric acid for earache can be instilled directly into the ear canal or used to prepare warm compresses;
otomycosis - inflammation in the external ear canal, provoked by the development of fungal flora. A solution of boric acid for the ears is used for washing, due to which not only pathogens are eliminated, but also eczematous rashes.

It should be understood that the treatment of ENT diseases should be comprehensive. This is especially true of pathologies, the development of which was provoked by bacteria.

The absence of antibiotic therapy can cause purulent processes in the ear cavity, which is fraught with damage to the meninges.

How to treat ears with boric acid? With uncomplicated ear pathologies, the drug can be used as ear drops. They will accelerate the process of eliminating pathogens in the foci of inflammation, which will help strengthen local immunity and recovery.

The drug can be included in the scheme of conservative treatment of external and exudative otitis media. How to drip boric acid into the ear? In the process of using the medicine, otolaryngologists are advised to adhere to the following rules:

clean the ear canal from sulfur with hydrogen peroxide by dropping 3-5 drops of the solution into the ear;
remove residual moisture with a clean gauze or cotton pad;
tilt your head to the side and drip boric acid into it;
after 10 minutes, tilt your head in the opposite direction;
Remove any remaining product with a cotton pad.

How many times to drip boric acid into the ear? For one procedure, no more than 3-4 drops of the drug can be dripped into the ear canal. Perform the procedure 3-4 times a day for a week.

Turundas and insufflations

In the presence of boils, boric acid is injected into the ear using cotton swabs. To do this, turundas are moistened in a heated liquid, after which they are slightly squeezed. Then the tampons are gently inserted into the affected ear for several hours.

After the procedure, it is advisable to close the auditory canal with a piece of cotton to prevent moisture and pathogens from entering.

How to treat the ear with boric acid in the postoperative period? After surgical treatment of ear pathologies, the powder substance is used for insufflations, i.e. blows:

a special funnel is inserted into the external auditory canal, holding it with the left hand;
with the right hand, carefully insert the tip of the powder blower into the funnel;
the fingers of the right hand are pressed on the rubber balloon, due to which the powder substance under the influence of the air stream enters the ear.

Important! A sharp pressure on the rubber bulb can cause the powder to enter the larynx, which is fraught with spasm of the glottis and the occurrence of a paroxysmal cough.

Is it possible to drip boric alcohol into the ear? For irrigation of the external auditory canal, only a 3% alcohol solution is used. More concentrated solutions lead to tissue burns and deterioration of health.

According to audiometric studies, competent treatment with the drug does not lead to hearing loss and the development of persistent hearing loss. However, in case of an overdose, irritation of the ear mucosa is possible. cavity, which leads to tissue edema and failures in the conduction of sound signals by the eardrum and auditory ossicles. How to use boric alcohol for ear treatment?

Alcoholic solutions are most often used to prepare compresses. They contribute to a local increase in temperature in the affected tissues, which stimulates the production of neutrophils. An increase in the number of defender cells accelerates the process of destruction of disease-causing agents in the foci of inflammation, due to which tissue epithelialization occurs.

With the development of non-purulent otitis media, a compress on the ear with boric alcohol is applied as follows:

in a piece of dense cotton fabric, make a cut ending in its central part;
similarly make cuts in gauze and a piece of bandage;
moisten gauze in an alcohol solution;
apply cotton cloth to the skin behind the ear to prevent burns;
on a dry cloth, apply wet gauze folded in several layers;
cover the compress with polyethylene and fix it with a bandage;
after 2 hours, remove the compress.

Before treating the ear with boric alcohol in children under the age of 2 years, a pediatrician should be consulted. Symptoms that signal the development of acute inflammation in children are often mild. This is due to the reduced reactivity of the body and failures in the thermoregulation of the body. Therefore, the absence of hyperthermia is not a 100% proof of the absence of purulent processes in the organ of hearing, in which heating cannot be used.

It is advisable to use boric alcohol for earache only in the absence of other analgesics. The instillation of an alcohol solution is carried out after preliminary cleaning of the auditory canal from earwax. Hydrogen peroxide or distilled water can be used for this.

How to drip boric alcohol into the ear? Experts do not advise to perform the procedure more than 3 times a day. At the same time, children can instill up to 3, and adults - up to 5 drops of the medicinal solution into the affected ear at a time. How to properly instill boric alcohol in the ear? Instruction:

drip 3-4 drops of a warmed alcohol solution into the ear;
lie down for 7-10 minutes on your side to prevent the liquid from pouring out;
roll over to the other side so that the solution flows out of the auditory canal;
remove residual moisture with a cotton swab.

Due to the leaching of sulfur, the risk of pathogens entering the auditory canal increases. To prevent their development, during a weekly course of treatment experts recommend putting a piece of cotton wool in a sore ear.

It is absolutely impossible to pour boric alcohol into the ear at the stage of perforation of the eardrum. As with orthoboric acid, this can cause irritation and swelling of the ear mucosa.

Contraindications and adverse reactions

In pediatric therapy, the drug is used extremely rarely, due to its toxicity. In medical practice, cases of death from an overdose of the drug have been recorded. Experts do not recommend using boric alcohol for the ears with:

perforation of the eardrum;
purulent processes;
dysfunction of the kidneys and liver;
allergies to drug components;
lactation and early pregnancy.

An overdose of the drug is indicated by clinical manifestations of severe intoxication, which include:

nausea;
gagging;
diarrhea
peeling of the skin;
headache;
shock state.

If the above symptoms occur, therapy should be interrupted and seek help from a specialist. Untimely medical assistance can lead to the development of kidney disease.

Boric alcohol in the ear

Boric alcohol in the ears

Before understanding how to use this substance to treat otitis media, it is important to know how boric acid differs from boric alcohol. Acid is a white powder that is odorless, looks like scales and is poorly soluble in water.

Boric alcohol is boric acid dissolved in 70% ethyl alcohol.

You can not use boric alcohol inside the ear with perforation of the eardrum and impaired kidney function

And now about how much to drip boric alcohol into the ear and how to do it correctly. Treatment begins with heating it: you can warm the entire bottle of alcohol by dipping it in hot water, or warm the portion already prepared in the pipette in your hands. Next, you need to clean the ear canal using hydrogen peroxide and cotton swabs.

The use of boric alcohol is carried out in several ways:

1) Instillation in the supine position. Boric alcohol is instilled into the child's ear in the amount of 3-4 drops, the dosage for an adult is 5-6 drops. Lie on your side for 5-10 minutes, then put a piece of cotton wool in the ear hole. It is important to treat both ears in this way, even if one hurts.

In the first 3-5 days, the agent should be instilled 3 times a day, and in the next few days, the procedure can be performed before bedtime. When instilled, itching, burning, tingling may occur, which will disappear after a few minutes. The general course of therapy should not exceed more than 2 weeks.

2) Laying turundos. It is a more gentle and no less effective method of therapy. For the procedure, cotton wool is taken, rolled into a flagellum, moistened in heated boric alcohol and inserted into the ear opening all night. From above, the turunda should be covered with a piece of dry cotton wool.

3) Applying a warm compress. Such a compress should be used carefully, since heat is contraindicated in the active development of the inflammatory process. But a single use of a warming compress is quite possible - it is better to do it at night with severe pain in the ear.

You can even make such a compress for a baby from a year old, if you are sure that it is his ear that worries him.

You can not use boric alcohol inside the ear with perforation of the eardrum and impaired kidney function. Some doctors do not even recommend the use of the substance for children under 16 years of age (although some are inclined to believe that it is quite safe for children to use boric alcohol).

Ear pain is most often a symptom of otitis media, a disease that is an inflammatory process in the ear. The most common type of this disease is inflammation of the middle ear, which most often occurs as a complication of ENT infections. Due to the anatomical features, children are more susceptible to this disease, but otitis media is often found in adults.

The causative agents of otitis are most often staphylococci, pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae and other pathogenic bacteria that are active in inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Bacteria can enter the middle ear through the auditory tube when coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.

The use of boric alcohol for the ear

In the treatment of ear diseases, solutions of antiseptics applied topically (buried into the ear canal) are prescribed as part of complex therapy. One of such means in the treatment of the ear is boric alcohol - an alcohol solution of boric acid (3%). It is worth noting that this drug is considered obsolete today, and today more modern drugs that are more active are more often prescribed. However, boric alcohol for the ears continues to be used to this day as an affordable and fairly effective remedy, and it is often prescribed by otolaryngologists. Consider the features of the use of boric alcohol for the ears.

How to treat the ear with boric alcohol?

There are two ways to use boric alcohol: instillation into the ear and using it to impregnate ear turundas. Let's take a closer look at these methods:

Instillation with boric alcohol. As a rule, for the treatment of otitis media in adults, it is recommended to instill 3 drops of boric alcohol into each ear canal 3 to 4 times a day. Before the procedure, an alcoholic solution of boric acid should be slightly heated (for example, in a spoon over a fire) to a comfortable temperature. It is necessary to bury the ears in the supine position.
Ear turundas with boric alcohol. For treatment, it is necessary to make small flagella (turundas) from gauze or cotton wool and, after soaking them with boric alcohol, insert them into the ear canal. It is best to carry out the procedure before going to bed, leaving the turundas for the whole night.

Before using boric alcohol, it is recommended to thoroughly clean the ears of accumulated sulfur, which will contribute to better penetration of the therapeutic agent. Hydrogen peroxide (3%) can be used to clean the ears. The procedure is carried out as follows: 5-10 drops of hydrogen peroxide are instilled into the ear, after which, tilting the head in the opposite direction, the ear is thoroughly cleaned with a cotton swab. The same is repeated with the other ear.

Treatment of ears with boric alcohol is carried out within a week. You should not stop treatment earlier, barely feeling signs of improvement. If after a week the symptoms of the disease have not disappeared, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Side effects when treating ears with boric alcohol

Due to the toxic effect of boric alcohol, the treatment of ear diseases with this remedy should last no more than 10 days. Side effects of boric alcohol are:

If the above symptoms appear, you should immediately stop using boric alcohol and seek medical help.

Boric alcohol - contraindications

In medicine, a drug such as boric alcohol is widely used, which is a solution in ethanol (70%) of boric acid, the concentration of which can lie in the range of 0.5-5%. In order to understand the properties of this medication, it is necessary to take a closer look at its active substance and figure out what it is. It's about boric acid.

Boric acid: characteristics

This substance has a crystalline structure, has neither color nor odor, shows weakly. In medicine, boric acid (alcohol), instructions for the use of which will be discussed in the article, has been used since the 19th century as an antiseptic that does not irritate tissues, and even sometimes orally for certain gastrointestinal diseases.

At present, the toxicity of this drug has been proven, and its antimicrobial properties, in comparison with those, are not sufficiently effective. Boric acid preparations are generally contraindicated for children and pregnant women. However, this substance has areas of application in which it is widely used to this day. is present in many medicinal pastes and ointments, and sometimes only as a preservative.

Boric acid, in addition to antiseptic, also has an anti-pediculosis effect and a mild antifungal effect. It is used in recipes for foot baths with excessive sweating.

Alcoholic solution of boric acid for otitis media

Very often you can find recommendations to bury a drug such as Instructions for use states that otitis media is treated in this way. I must say that at present, in official medicine, the use of this medication is not very welcome, since it is considered outdated and less effective compared to new developments. So it is rather a recommendation of traditional medicine. However, sometimes otolaryngologists in inflammatory processes in the middle ear prescribe such an affordable remedy as boric acid (alcohol). The instructions for its use are as follows: instill a solution warmed up in the palms or in water to a comfortable temperature, three drops into the ear canal of each ear 3-4 times a day. For more than seven days, such treatment is not carried out.

There is another, more gentle, way: soak cotton-gauze flagella with boric alcohol, insert into the ears and leave overnight. With purulent inflammation, it is better not to use the described drug at all.

You should not use boric alcohol for treatment without making sure that the eardrum is intact, otherwise the consequences can be unpredictable: from hearing loss to death. It is better to plan a visit to an otolaryngologist before experimenting with drugs.

instructions for use for children

As for young patients, who, according to statistics, suffer from otitis media most often, then up to one year the use of this drug is strictly prohibited. If the child is older, and in agreement with the doctor, it is decided to use boric alcohol for otitis media, the instructions for using it are somewhat different from those for adults. Both the dosage and the frequency of use of the drug are reduced: one drop of the drug is instilled into the ear canal of each ear. The procedure is repeated twice a day, after which it is recommended to isolate the ear canal with a cotton tourniquet so that it absorbs the remaining moisture.

Boric acid (alcohol) instructions for use for acne

There are situations when even the most expensive products are powerless for problematic skin. Perhaps you should try some simple and affordable traditional medicine recipe. Sometimes it can be unexpectedly effective. For example, you can purchase at a pharmacy such an inexpensive drug as boric acid (alcohol). Instructions for use of it claims that it has an antiseptic effect, which is likely to come in handy with acne and increased oiliness of the skin of the face. Boric alcohol narrows pores, helps with black spots, dries up inflammation, dissolves sebaceous plugs.

Using this tool is no more difficult than a regular lotion. With severe oily facial skin, you can wipe it with a cotton swab dipped in boric alcohol, or you can apply it pointwise - only on inflamed areas. In any case, after using such a drug, the skin must be moisturized. If excessive drying is useless, then you can not use alcohol in its pure form, but dilute it with boiled water in half. Earlier than a week later, the effect of boric alcohol should not be expected.

Contraindications and side effects

As with any other pharmacological drug, individual intolerance to boric acid (alcohol) is possible. In addition, this remedy is absolutely contraindicated in kidney diseases. During pregnancy and lactation, boric alcohol is prohibited for use.

The fact is that boric acid, including its solutions, can penetrate the skin and mucous membranes into the systemic circulation, accumulate in organs and tissues, causing intoxication, skin rashes, impaired renal function, and even shock. With short-term use of boric alcohol in small doses, as a rule, there are no side effects.

- symptoms characteristic of damage to various parts of the organ of hearing. Ears - extremely sensitive to cold and other adverse factors. As a result of hypothermia, otitis media can occur, a disease that becomes a significant cause for concern, because it often causes complications. Traditional and folk remedies are often used to treat such lesions. Boric alcohol is a composition that helps eliminate pain and stop the process of inflammation. It is strictly forbidden to drip boric alcohol into a child’s ear; it should be applied with the help of. Readers will have to familiarize themselves with the features of the use of such a medication.

Boric alcohol is a solution of boric acid prepared on the basis of 70% ethanol. The content of acid in the composition of the mixture can vary from 0.5 to 3%.

Among the list of medicinal properties of the solution, the following can be distinguished:

destroys pathogenic microorganisms;
inhibits the process of reproduction of fungal colonies;
stops the growth, development and reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, causing a metabolic failure.

The composition is absorbed through damaged skin and mucous membranes. After entering the body, the substance with the help of blood flow penetrates to the liver and kidneys. The process of removing the component from the body is a long one; with constant use, alcohol can accumulate in the tissues.

Indications for use

Boric alcohol can be used to eliminate ear pain in many diseases. The list of such violations includes:

otitis externa;
otitis media, not accompanied by perforation of the eardrum;
pain that manifests itself against the background of hypothermia;
manifested against the background of colds;
injuries of the ear canal in the presence of foci of inflammation;
furunculosis.

It is quite dangerous to bury the drug in the ear, therefore it is most often used for application with the help of turundas. Heating can be used to improve the effectiveness of treatment for catarrhal otitis media.

Is it possible to drip into the ears of children

It is strictly forbidden to drip boric alcohol into children's ears. Due to the fact that children's kidneys are not able to process toxic decay products in significant volumes, boric acid can become a poison and provoke severe intoxication of the body.

The use of the product as drops is possible from the age of 12 years. Before proceeding with the treatment according to this technique, it is worth consulting with an otolaryngologist. After conducting an otoscopic examination, the doctor will be able to conclude on the integrity of the tympanic membrane - this factor is key in determining the scheme of action.

Contraindications

The attention of patients should be stopped on the fact that boric alcohol is a toxic solution and the maximum course of its use should be no more than 1.5 weeks. There are a number of absolute contraindications to the use of boric acid:

pregnancy - the solution can cause disturbances in the development of the fetus;
breastfeeding period - the substance is absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the human body;
perforation of the eardrum;
childhood;
patients suffering from acute and chronic disorders in the functioning of the kidneys and liver;
private intolerance to alcohol or boric acid.

In the presence of these contraindications, the composition can cause significant harm to the human body.

Side effects

Against the background of the use of boric acid for the treatment of ear pathologies, the following adverse reactions may occur:

nausea and vomiting;
digestive disorders;
migraine attacks;
convulsions;
confusion;
disorders in the work of the kidneys.

If symptoms from this list appear, therapy should be interrupted and a doctor should be consulted for advice on subsequent therapy.

Compresses based on boric alcohol

In appearance, it is a multi-layer bandage impregnated with a drug. To eliminate pain in the ear, alcohol solutions are most often used.

Important! The compress helps to dilate blood vessels and activate blood flow in the affected area. The composition relieves inflammation and eliminates pain. Against the background of the restoration of metabolism, the regeneration process is accelerated.

To prepare a compress, the available materials are required:

a piece of gauze or natural fabric rolled up in several layers;
a small piece of plastic film;
a piece of sterile cotton wool, more than 2 cm thick;
a bandage or piece of cloth to secure the bandage to the patient's ear.

To prepare a compress, 50-60 ml of boric acid is required. To a similar composition, you can add a few drops of fir or spruce essential oil. The dressing is created from several layers that overlap each other:

to prepare the bottom layer, a small piece of gauze is required, which must be moistened in a warm solution of boric acid;
for the second layer use a polyethylene film;
the last layer is a cotton pad that retains heat;
bandage with a bandage is fixed on the patient's head.

Immediately before setting the compress, the patient's ear is lubricated with a nourishing cream. It is worth paying attention to the fact that such a compress is applied for no more than 3-4 hours, its application at night is an unacceptable mistake. The procedure should be carried out before going to bed, after the manipulation it is important to exclude the ingress of cold air into the auditory cavity. How many procedures are required for recovery, the doctor will tell you.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky on the need to use alcohol compresses for the treatment of otitis media in children is ambiguous. The specialist assures that such therapies are not necessary in the treatment of otitis media. Modern medicine does not insist on their use. An unconditional condition that ensures the treatment of inflammation of the outer and middle ear in children is the exclusion of contact of the affected cavity with external factors, such as cold air. For this purpose, a warm bandage should be applied to the baby's ear. The video in this article will tell the child about whether it is necessary to apply a compress for otitis in the child's ear:

Precautionary measures

The rules for treatment using boric alcohol for otitis media are the same for children and adults. Their violation is a danger in the form of manifestation of dangerous consequences provoked by boric acid. If the basic recommendations are not followed, the patient may experience general intoxication, which can lead to a problem in the form of disturbances in the functioning of the liver and kidneys. Before using the remedy for the treatment of otitis media, it is worth consulting with a specialist.

It is worth remembering that when used as a turunda or as a compress, the product should be heated to room temperature. It is forbidden to use cold or hot boric alcohol. If these rules are not followed, the patient's ear pain may increase.

In exceptional cases, after consultation with an otolaryngologist, the composition can be dripped into the ear of children over the age of 3 years. This method of therapy is used only for catarrhal otitis media in the absence of a risk of perforation of the tympanic membrane. The agent is dripped in limited doses, not exceeding 3 drops / 3 times a day.

If there is no improvement in the patient's well-being against the background of the use of boric alcohol within 3 days from the start of the course, you should consult a doctor. The otolaryngologist will help adjust the medication course.

Prevention

The risk of developing otitis in children is several times higher than the likelihood of a pathological process in adults, so the prevention of its manifestation should be given special attention.

The rules to prevent otitis media are reduced to the following list:

protection of the hearing organs from exposure to cold;
protection against water ingress into the ear cavity;
refusal to carry out mechanical cleaning using cotton swabs;
timely vaccination;
adherence to a diet that involves the consumption of foods with an optimal content of vitamins;
treatment of foci of inflammation in the organs of the ENT system.

Also, parents should familiarize the child with the rules of hygiene of the nasal cavity. The kid should be able to blow his nose correctly, because the sharp pressure drops that occur at the time of the procedure are often the main reason for the development of the inflammatory process.