Physiologic solution for inhalations. Why not

The cold season of many parents is often associated not only with autumn leaves, winter snowballs and the first spring thaw, but also with unpleasant catarrhal diseases, manifested by fever, headache, and bed rest.

Probably, everyone will easily remember how he was taken to hospitals and pharmacies in childhood, buying medicinal syrups, herbs, pills and saline for inhalation of sodium chloride. A child with his unsteady immunity is much easier to get sick than an adult. The smaller the age, the more carefully you should treat the choice of medicines, as, as we know, modern pharmacology is primarily aimed at curing the disease at all costs, despite the impressive list of side effects. One of the safest ways to alleviate the course of the disease is to use saline for inhalations.

Physiological saline, so widely used in medicine, is a NaCl salt dissolved in water, yes, a common salt. In relation to the human blood plasma, it is isotonic, that is, its osmotic pressure does not affect cells in any way, allowing them to function normally without accumulating or losing fluid. Salt is involved in many processes of intercellular interaction. It is easy to guess that, if necessary, you can save and not buy pharmacy saline in ampoules, but make it yourself. For this, 9 grams of salt is dissolved in one liter of water. It is important to understand that there is no complete interchangeability in this case: although both solutions are very similar, there are some features. For example, industrial production implies sterile conditions, distilled water, accurate dosage (in fact, NaCl in water is not 0.9, but 0.89%).

An affordable way to eliminate many of the symptoms of a cold is by inhaling vapors or sprayed particles of a drug substance. A large number of them provides a maximum area of contact with the affected areas of the nasopharynx. In addition, there is a favorable heating effect. Before the beginning of the course of inhalations, one should consult a doctor, as there are a number of contraindications: frequent nasal bleeding, problems with the cardiovascular system, hypertension and some others.

The use of liquid medicinal substance, which may act as saline for inhalations, is performed by a special inhaler at home. Now more common is its second name - nebulizer (from the Latin Nebula - nebula). Alternatively, you can do it simply: boil the water in a saucepan, add saline for inhalations and, covering your head with a towel, breathe the steam. Sufficiently effective, but, as they say, in the old-fashioned way, so not everyone accepts this method. For young children, nevertheless, it is recommended to purchase an inhaler.

Despite the fact that saline solution for inhalations is not a medicine in the usual meaning of this word, it is nevertheless necessary to recognize its amazing properties. As is known, salt has a liquefying effect, drawing pus. Therefore, the inhalation of a vapor solution of NaCl removes puffiness, improves expectoration (clearing), cleans mucous membranes, acts depressingly on bacteria and normalizes nasal breathing. However, since the very cause of the disease saline for inhalation does not eliminate, you can combine it with medicinal herbs, for example, chamomile pharmacy or eucalyptus leaf.

In addition to inhalation, saline solution perfectly replaces the expensive nasal drops on the basis of sea water - Aqua Maris and Humer, etc. Although they additionally contain minerals that are presented to the producers as an advantage, but at the same time the active substance is the same - salt .