Often in the annotation to the medicine you can read "take after meals" or "half an hour before meals", or there are no recommendations at all in the instructions. In addition, the doctor gives advice when he prescribes the drug - drink it twice or three times a day, or once, at night, etc. Why these instructions, what do they change in the action of the tablets, do they need to be strictly observed or is it not important ? Does food, time of day, and sleep affect the effect of drugs? Let's figure it out.
The basic rule for taking any pills is the frequency of their use. When a doctor prescribes taking medications several times a day, most of the specialists mean the whole day as a whole, and not the waking time, which is about 15-16 hours (minus the time the patient spends in a dream from the day).
This is due to the fact that, in spite of the patient's sleep, his body continues to work - the heart contracts, the liver actively processes drugs, and the kidneys excrete their residues in the urine. Accordingly, microbes or viruses also attack the body around the clock, and diseases do not go to sleep with their host. Therefore, it is important to distribute pills evenly at equal time intervals (if possible), especially if these are antiviral drugs, antibiotics or some other means.
Accordingly, if the tablets are to be taken twice a day, the interval between their use should be approximately equal to 12 hours. That is, they can be accepted, for example, at 8.00 and 20.00. If this is a three-time reception, the interval is reduced to 8 hours, you can make a schedule like this - 6.00, 14.00 and 20.00.
Fluctuations are permissible in the interval of taking the drug in 1-2 hours, and it is not necessary to jump up at the alarm clock for an hour earlier for the sake of taking the pill, you can adjust the schedule for yourself. However, taking three times a day does not mean chaotic use - without observing the time intervals, as it is convenient for the patient if he forgot to take the drug on time. That is, you cannot take the drug in the morning, then in the evening and two pills at once, after waiting 2-3 hours, because there was no time at work during the day. To avoid confusion, many experts indicate the approximate time of taking the medication when prescribing it.
It is often easier to follow short courses of medication. Usually, for the first few days, the patient is more pedantic about his treatment, especially if he is not feeling well. But, as it becomes easier, or if the course is long, the pills are drunk less and less responsibly - and this is very bad! Rush, stress, or forgetfulness is often the reason for skipping or stopping medications. This leads to the fact that the treatment does not give the expected effect due to its incomplete course. There is another option: people take pills half asleep or forget that they have already taken them, and then repeat the dose, already an extra one. If the drug has strong effects, this can end up sadly.
To combat this problem, various options are offered: placing pills in a prominent place, a graph on the wall with check marks when taking pills, reminders on the phone or alarms. So, for oral contraceptives, manufacturers have long begun to mark the days of the week or dates of the month on the blister itself, so that women do not forget to drink the pill. There are also mobile apps to help you stay on the treatment schedule. And recently, hybrids have appeared - an alarm clock-first aid kit, programmable and dispensing a portion of the drug by ringing a bell.
Human nutrition can significantly affect the activity of drugs and the rate of their absorption from the intestine into the blood. If we divide all drugs in relation to their relationship with nutrition, there are several groups:
- Means that do not depend on meals
- Preparations that must be used strictly before meals,
- Medications taken after meals
- Drugs that are taken with food.
In addition, according to the patient's assumption, nutrition means regular meals in the form of breakfast, followed by a full lunch and the same dinner. However, doctors say that frequent and inadequate snacks are also a meal, even a banana, tea with cookies or yogurt is a meal. But, according to the patient, they are not considered normal meals. This means that taking medications without taking into account these snacks, but only the main meals, will be wrong from the point of view of the full assimilation of drugs.
Preparations that require taking "before meals" assume that when you take the pill you are hungry, you have not eaten anything at all, and you will not eat anything during the period indicated in the instructions (usually 30 minutes). Thus, the drug enters an empty stomach, in which food components mixed with gastric juice will not interfere with it. This is due to the fact that the activity of drugs, if the patient allows himself just one candy or a glass of juice, can be disrupted almost to zero, absorption in the intestine will suffer or the drug will simply collapse.
There are exceptions to the rule, especially with regard to the treatment of digestive disorders or endocrine disorders. Therefore, you always need to check with your doctor how the remedy is taken correctly - strictly on an empty stomach or after waiting a couple of hours after you have eaten.
With drugs from the group "during meals" it is most understandable, although it is worth checking with the doctor how dense the meal should be and what components should be in the diet, especially if you have it extremely irregular.
Taking drugs "after meals" is not common. Usually these are means for the normalization of digestive functions, stimulating the secretion of gastric juice, or some others. It is also important to check with your doctor what is meant by nutrition in this case - any snacks or a hearty, hearty meal.
The simplest is the case with drugs that do not depend on food intake in any way, for them only the time interval for taking is established.
At first glance, this question seems silly. But it turns out that only 20% of patients follow the recommendations of doctors. 60%, leaving the office, completely forget when and how to take pills. And another 20% consider such subtleties to be unimportant. The result is predictable: the drugs don't work as expected. In fact, the person taking the pills needs to learn some wisdom. Only then will he get the most out of the medicine. Firstly, you can avoid pronounced side effects if you take different pills separately, and not all at once at one time.
Secondly, it is extremely dangerous to use the medicine after the expiration of the shelf life, since the chemical composition of the drug could change.
Third, never take your doctor's prescriptions lightly. If the therapist has prescribed one medicine for you, the ophthalmologist - another, the dentist - the third, and the cardiologist - the fourth, be sure to return to the therapist again or consult a pharmacist. Have them analyze the drugs for compatibility to prevent conflicting interactions, and replace a drug with a safe counterpart. There are other very important rules.
What to drink with?
One example: recent research has shown that oral contraceptives should not be mixed with drinks containing caffeine. With this combination, contraceptives reduce the body's ability to break down caffeine, hyperactivity and insomnia appear. Therefore, in most cases, it is important than drinking a pill.
Aspirin strongly irritates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, this medication should only be taken after meals. A dissolving tablet should be dipped in exactly the amount of water indicated in the insert, and it is better to crumble or chew an ordinary tablet and drink it with milk or mineral water, then it will quickly enter the bloodstream.
If etazole, norsulfazole, sulgin, sulfadimethoxine are prescribed, you will need a glass of mineral water. The fact is that sulfonamides often cause kidney problems, and drinking plenty of alkaline drinks will help get rid of unnecessary problems.
Antibiotics... After all, calcium contained in milk reacts with antibiotics (especially with tetracycline) and forms poorly soluble compounds. By the way, boiled water at room temperature is the best "drink" for most tablets.
A special conversation - grapefruit juice... It cannot be combined with drugs that lower blood cholesterol, immunosuppressants, erythromycin, oral contraceptives, tamoxifen, "antineoplastic drugs, Viagra and its analogues. Grapefruit juice does not remove drugs from the body. The result is an overdose.
But they are not compatible with cranberry juice. anticoagulants- drugs that reduce blood clotting. If this rule is not followed, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract may open.
You should not drink alcohol while taking medication... Combining alcohol with antihistamines, insulin, tranquilizers, and blood pressure lowering pills can lead to increased drowsiness, which is especially true if you drive a car.
Antibiotics should also not be mixed with alcohol, otherwise you will suffer from rush of blood to the head, dizziness and nausea.
In old age, when alcohol remains in the blood longer, the consequences of such a combination can be even more unpleasant. For example, under the influence of alcohol, nitroglycerin changes its effect and does not bring much-needed relief to the heart.
Antipyretic tablets, coupled with a glass or two of alcohol, will inflict a massive blow on the mucous membranes of the stomach. Alcohol is especially dangerous for diabetics, because under its influence, the blood sugar level first rises and then falls.
When to take the pills?
Emergency remedies, of course, are taken regardless of the time of day - if the temperature rises or colic begins, it is no longer up to the schedules. But the effectiveness of drugs, as doctors have long noticed, also depends on the time of administration. Heart and asthma medications are taken closer to midnight, and ulcers early in the morning and late at night to prevent hunger pains. Do not expect immediate results from medicines and do not take a double dose without waiting. Most tablets take 40 to 60 minutes to work. An exception is those that are put under the tongue for quick absorption (for example, nitroglycerin, glycine).
Seize?
Taking pills, you must follow a certain diet. Festal, mezim-forte and other enzyme preparations, which improve digestion, are best taken directly with food. Do not mix aspirin with spicy foods and citrus fruits one hour before and one hour after taking the pills. If you do not follow this rule, you are guaranteed irritation of the stomach lining.
When taking antidepressants, it is better to exclude foods containing tyramine: cheese, yeast, soy sauce, fish caviar, avocado. Otherwise, extreme sleepiness and high blood pressure will ruin your day.
Tablets of the tetracycline series, as we have already warned, do not tolerate being near dairy products. For an hour or two before and after taking the medicine, give up milk in any form, cottage cheese, yogurt.
If a person takes hormonal drugs, it is important for him to provide the body with protein food.
Vitamins require fat, and drugs that regulate digestion, on the contrary, are not combined with fatty foods. Spinach, rhubarb, tea and bran bread, combining with calcium contained in many vitamins, prevent the body from absorbing it.
How to swallow?
In order for the drug to quickly enter the bloodstream and fulfill its task, the American Medical Association suggests the following method of taking pills. Put some water in your mouth and tilt your head back. Tilt your head forward while swallowing. Then drink the medicine with a full glass of water, unless otherwise indicated in the medicine leaflet.
You can not gnaw or spin the capsules: the gelatinous shell was invented not for beauty, but to ensure the "delivery" of the drug to its intended purpose - in the gastrointestinal tract. There is one more reason why the pill shell should not be damaged: in recent years, doctors increasingly prescribe the so-called prolonged-release (extended) action, which no longer need to be taken 5 times a day - the shell in such cases provides a slow release of the drug, and damage you can't.
Never swallow tablets while lying down: they can begin to decompose in the esophagus, leading to heartburn, nausea and vomiting.
Where to take?
Take pills very carefully in the summer, especially if you are sunbathing in the hot sun. Some medicines can increase sensitivity to light and change skin pigmentation. After taking medications, you will burn more quickly in the sun. To return from vacation "chocolate", and not a spotted panther, for a while refrain from taking hormonal drugs, antibiotics, tranquilizers, analgesics and antiseptics for the skin. If the course of treatment cannot be postponed, then tanning is contraindicated for you, so you should refuse to travel to the sea or be in the shade most of the time.
One more thing. Taking medicine in front of guests and coworkers is considered bad form.
Prescribing taking pills several times a day, most doctors mean the day - not the 15-17 hours that we are usually awake, but all 24. Because the heart, liver and kidneys work around the clock, and, therefore, microbes work without interruption for lunch and sleep. Therefore, taking the pills should be divided as much as possible at equal intervals of time, this is especially true for antimicrobial agents.
That is, with a double dose, the interval between taking each dosage should be 12 hours, three times - 8, four times - 6. True, this does not mean that patients should jump out of bed every night. There are not so many drugs, the accuracy of administration of which is calculated per minute, and they are usually prescribed not in tablet form. But, nevertheless, 2-3-4 times a day - this is not when it is convenient for the patient ("now and in an hour, because I forgot to drink in the morning"), but at certain intervals. In order to avoid interpretations when taken twice, for example, it is justified to prescribe a specific time for taking the pill: 8:00 and 20:00 or 10:00 and 22:00. And the patient is more comfortable, and it is impossible to understand in two ways.
Rule 2. Compliance, or adherence
With short courses of pills, things are more or less normal: we usually do not forget to drink them for a couple of days. With long courses it is already worse. Because we are in a hurry, because the stress, because it just flew out of my head. There is another side to the coin: sometimes people mechanically, half asleep, drink the medicine, and then forget about it and take more. And it's good if it's not a potent drug.
Among doctors, before grumbled about this on patients, they propose to conduct an experiment on themselves: take a jar of dark glass with 60 harmless tablets (glucose, calcium gluconate, etc.) and take one daily. There were a lot of experimenters, but there are only a few of those who, after two months, did not have from 2 to 5-6 "extra" pills.
Everyone chooses the methods of dealing with such "sclerosis" for himself: someone puts medications in a prominent place, ticks on the calendar help pedants, and alarms, reminders on a mobile phone, etc. help especially forgetful ones. Pharmaceutical companies even release special calendars where you can mark each appointment. Not so long ago (though, as usual, not in Russia) hybrids of an alarm clock and mini-first-aid kits appeared, ringing and giving out a pill at a certain time.
Rule 3. Before or after eating - this is important
According to the relationship with meals, all tablets are divided into groups: "all the same", "before", "after" and "during meals". Moreover, in the mind of the doctor, the patient eats strictly according to the schedule, does not eat during the breaks and does not drive teas. But in the patient's mind, an apple, a banana and a candy are not food, and food is borsch with a cutlet and compote with pies. Unfortunately, these beliefs also contribute to inappropriate medication use.
"Before meals". For a start, it's a good idea to understand what the doctor means when he says "take 30 minutes before meals." Does this mean that after taking the pill you need to eat thoroughly, or is it just the medicine taken on an empty stomach?
In most cases, when prescribing drugs "before meals", the doctor means:
- that you did not eat anything (absolutely nothing!) before taking the pill;
- that at least during the specified period after taking the medicine, you will also not eat anything.
That is, this tablet should get into an empty stomach, where gastric juice, food components, etc. will not interfere with it. From our own practice, we can say that this has to be explained many times. Because, for example, the active substances of drugs of the macrolide group are destroyed by an acidic environment. In this case, the eaten candy or a glass of juice drunk two hours before taking the medicine or one hour after can drastically affect the result of treatment. The same applies to many other drugs, and it's not only about gastric juice, but also about the timing of the drug's entry from the stomach into the intestines, malabsorption, and simply the chemical reaction of the components of the drug with food.
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, when you need to eat exactly at the specified time after the intake. For example, with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or endocrinopathies. Therefore, for your own convenience, it is better to clarify what exactly the doctor had in mind when prescribing the drug "before meals."
"While eating": everything is clear. But again, clarify what to do and how much to eat with a pill, especially if your meals are organized on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday basis.
"After meal" significantly fewer drugs are taken. As a rule, these include agents that irritate the stomach lining or help normalize digestion. "Food" in this case often does not mean a change of three courses, especially if the drug needs to be taken 4-5-6 times a day. A limited amount of food will suffice.
Rule 4. Not all tablets can be drunk together
Most tablets should be taken separately unless a “bulk” dose has been agreed with your doctor separately. It is not very convenient, but it is impossible to conduct research on the interaction of all drugs in the world, and swallowing pills "by a handful", it is easy to get an unpredictable effect at the initial stage. Unless otherwise specified, at least 30 minutes should elapse between taking the various drugs.
Now about compatibility. Patients often like to bring their own creativity to the treatment. For example, "I am taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor, and since it is probably harmful, it is not bad to drink vitamins or something else in parallel." And the fact that "vitamins" can neutralize the drug or lead to unpredictable consequences while taking the main drug is not taken into account.
Hepatoprotectors, vitamins, combined remedies for colds and herbs recommended by the beloved grandmother can be taken during treatment only after consulting with your doctor. If you are being treated by several specialists for different reasons, they should be aware of each other's prescriptions.
Rule 5. Not all tablets are split-dose
Tablets and tablets are different, and not all of them can be broken down to be divided into several doses. Moreover, some tablets are coated, which, if damaged, can affect the properties of the medicine. Therefore, the absence of a "dividing strip" should be alerted - most often such a tablet cannot be divided. And dosages of one fourth or even one eighth of a tablet also raise questions - it is almost impossible to measure correctly in such cases. If such an appointment was made by a doctor, you can ask him what it is fraught with. Well, we won't even talk about self-medication once again.
Rule 6. Medicines, with rare exceptions, are washed down with water only
Not tea, coffee, not juice, not, God forbid, sweet soda, but personalized water - the most ordinary and still. There are even separate studies devoted to this issue.
True, there are certain groups of drugs that are washed down with sour drinks, milk, alkaline mineral water and other separately agreed drinks. But these are exceptions, and they will definitely be mentioned during the appointment and in the instructions.
Rule 7. Chewable tablets are chewed, dragees are not bitten
Direct prohibitions, as well as indications of special methods of use, appear for a reason. A chewable or sucking tablet that you swallow whole will work after another time or not at all.
The release form of the drug is also not chosen by chance. If the tablet has a special coating, it must not be crushed, broken or bitten. Because this coating protects something from something: the active substance of the tablet from stomach acids, the stomach from the active substance, the esophagus or tooth enamel from damage, etc. The encapsulated form of release also says that the active substance should be absorbed only in the intestine and for a certain time. Therefore, capsules can be opened only as directed by a doctor, taking into account the instructions.
Rule 8. There are special cases, but they must be assessed by a doctor
Different doctors have their own, tested over the years, treatment regimens, and sometimes the dosage and method of administration of drugs may differ for different groups of patients. In the same way, in the presence of the patient's characteristics (concomitant diseases, individual reactions, etc.), the appointment can be adjusted specifically for this case. At the same time, factors that are not always obvious for a person without medical education influence the choice of the drug and the method of its use. Therefore, if your grandfather with hypertension took the same medications according to a different scheme prescribed by the world's best doctor, this is not a reason to drink them the same way. You need to take pills, like any other drugs, without self-activity, while absolutely any innovations not agreed with the doctor are superfluous.
Schebotansky Leonid, Sosnitskaya Olesya
Comment on the article "How to take pills correctly"
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Girls who take the pills, what do you drink? The doctor prescribed me a mini-drink, is it possible when feeding? In my old age, I decided :)) And who else is not I drink contraceptive pills. This month, a reminder broke down - to drink them on time, and something jammed me. Intimacy?
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The risk of catching an acute respiratory disease haunts people at any time of the year, even in hot summer. But especially often colds annoy us in the winter months, as well as in the off-season. What cold medications can help get rid of it most quickly and effectively? Our review is devoted to the answer to this question.
Antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs
When we catch a bad cold, then, as a rule, we have a fever, nasal congestion, and coughing are unpleasant symptoms, to be sure. What drugs for colds will help to quickly relieve the condition, lower the temperature, relieve swelling in the nasopharynx, slow down or even stop the development of inflammatory processes in the body? There are three proven, reliable and versatile medicines:
- "Aspirin";
- "Ibuprofen";
- "Paracetamol".
All of the listed cold pills are widely used in therapy against acute respiratory infections, but today it is believed that "Paracetamol" is the safest. It is available not only in tablets, but also in the form of rectal suppositories, syrups and drops (for small children). The analogs are Panadol, Efferalgan, Calpol, Flutabs and other drugs. On the basis of paracetamol, many modern drugs for influenza and colds are produced:
- Fervex;
- Solpadein;
- "Kaffetin";
- Coldrex;
- Teraflu;
- Rinza;
- "Maxicold";
- "Parcocet";
- "Sedalgin";
- "Gripex" and others.
The question may arise: "If all these drugs for the treatment of colds are united by paracetamol, how are they different from each other?" The fact is that all of the listed drugs include various additional components that help the body to cope with the disease faster. For example, the notorious "Fervex", in addition to paracetamol, also includes such substances as ascorbic acid and pheniramine; Solpadein contains codeine and caffeine in small doses, etc.
How paracetamol can be dangerous
This drug is well tolerated by most patients and has relatively few contraindications. In favor of paracetamol is the fact that this medicine is approved for use even by infants (in drops and syrups). Nevertheless, even the safest drugs for colds can have certain side effects on the body. And the medicine "Paracetamol" is no exception here.
The press writes a lot about medical research, claiming that this drug, taken in childhood, can further provoke the development of asthma in adolescents, and also contributes to the occurrence of eczema and allergic rhinitis. Therefore, cold medications for children should not be used without good reason and without first consulting a doctor.
Paracetamol has a negative effect on the liver (however, like many other drugs), so patients with severe diseases of this organ should take this drug with great care.
Preparations for the common cold
What cold and flu remedy can effectively fight nasal congestion with a cold? Such a medicine must be sought among the so-called decongestants - drugs that have the ability to constrict blood vessels, as a result of which they can be removed and the sick person is able to breathe relatively freely.
These medicines are available as tablets, drops, ointments and sprays. The most popular today are sprays, drops and emulsions. All vasoconstrictor drugs can be divided into three groups: short-acting, medium and long-acting.
Short-acting rhinitis drugs include:
- "Sanorin";
- "Tizine";
- "Naphtizin"
The advantage of these drops is their fast action and inexpensive price, but the disadvantage is that they "work" for only a few hours, and sometimes even less. Meanwhile, it is allowed to bury them in the nose no more than 4 times a day.
Medium-acting drugs:
- "Rinostop";
- Xymelin;
- Galazolin;
- "Xilen";
- Otrivin.
The listed drops and sprays contain the substance xylometazoline. It is thanks to him that in these drugs the duration of action (up to 10 hours) is successfully combined with high efficiency. Disadvantage: these drugs cannot be instilled into the nose of children under two years of age, and their use should not last more than 7 days.
Long-acting drugs:
- "Nazol";
- "Nazivin".
It is permissible to use these funds only twice a day and no more than 3 days in a row. They are able to provide free breathing for a long time. The disadvantages include the fact that prolonged vasospasm has a destructive effect on the nasal mucosa. Contraindications for use are the child's age up to 1 year, pregnancy, as well as diabetes mellitus and kidney disease.
If your throat hurts
Let's continue to explore the question of how to fight against the flu and colds. The drugs that are used for this cannot be limited to only nasal drops. If your throat hurts, and this happens with acute respiratory infections in most cases, then you also need effective medications for it.
Today, various absorbable lozenges and pills that can have a local anti-inflammatory effect, as well as aerosols are very popular:
- Ingalipt;
- "Proposol";
- "Cameton";
- "Faringosept";
- "Aqualor throat";
- "Jox";
- Laripront;
- Strepsils;
- "Hexoral";
- "Teraflu LAR";
- "Septolet Neo";
- Septolete Plus;
- "Anti-Angin";
- "Ajisept";
- "Sebidin";
- "Stopangin" and others.
The big advantage of the listed drugs is that they are indicated for local use, their penetration into the body is negligible, they practically do not enter the bloodstream. Meanwhile, these drugs have a strong effect against viruses and microbes, which, with a cold, actively multiply in the mouth and cause inflammation and sore throat.
However, you need to understand that with severe angina, such medications will not be able to completely cope with the disease. The attending physician usually prescribes also effective pills for flu and colds, sometimes even antibiotics. You can also read about them in our article.
What will help with a cough
Runny nose, sore throat, fever - these are far from all the symptoms of acute respiratory infections. If a person coughs badly with a cold, what to drink then? It will be better if a medicine is prescribed by a doctor based on the diagnosis, because a cough can be caused by various reasons (bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, tracheitis, etc.). In addition, the cough can be dry or moist, with sputum discharge.
To get rid of a dry, painful cough, such remedies are used as:
- "Codelac";
- "Stopussin";
- "Terpincod";
- "Tussin Plus";
- "Sinekod";
- "Neo-codion";
- "Kofanol";
- "Insti";
- "Glycodin";
- "Butamirat";
- "Bronchicum";
- Falimint;
- "Hexapnevin" and other drugs.
Expectorants for moist cough:
- "Bromhexine";
- "Lazolvan";
- "ACC";
- "Mukaltin";
- "Tussin";
- "Glyceram";
- "Ambrobene" and others.
Antibiotics
Sometimes the disease is so severe that the doctor decides to prescribe to the patient the most powerful drugs that are available in the arsenal of modern pharmacology. What needs to be taken by the patient - only a qualified doctor can decide. The fact is that different bacterial drugs affect different types of bacteria. Here is a list of modern antibiotics that are most often used in the treatment of acute respiratory infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis, etc.:
1. Penicillin group:
- "Amoxicillin";
- "Amoxiclav";
- "Augmentin" and others.
These drugs are effective against bacteria that cause inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.
2. Group of cephalosporins:
- "Zinzef";
- "Zinnat";
- "Suprax".
Medicines of this group help with bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy.
3. Group of macrolides:
- "Summamed";
- "Hemomycin".
These are some of the most powerful antibiotics of the latest generation. They are able to quickly cope with even SARS.
Antiviral drugs
People often associate the flu with the common cold. This is because the symptoms are very similar. With the flu, the throat also hurts, the nose does not breathe, the head hurts, the body temperature rises, etc. That is why, self-medicating, would-be patients try to fight the flu by taking conventional cold medications, including antibiotics, which can be very harmful to themselves ...
Meanwhile, you need to know that the nature of influenza is not bacterial, as with ordinary acute respiratory infections, but viral. And this means that here, to fight the disease, the following medications are most often used in complex therapy in the treatment of influenza:
- "Amiksin";
- "Kagocel";
- "Arbidol";
- "Relenza";
- "Grippferon";
- "Rimantadin";
- Midantan;
- Ribamidil;
- Interferon.
Complex remedies help eliminate unpleasant symptoms of influenza and SARS, maintain efficiency, but often contain phenylephrine, a substance that increases blood pressure, which gives a feeling of vigor, but can cause side effects from the cardiovascular system. Therefore, in some cases it is better to choose a drug without components of this kind, for example, AntiGrippin from Natur Product, which helps to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of ARVI without provoking an increase in pressure.
There are contraindications. It is necessary to consult a specialist.
Medicines that strengthen the immune system
When we have already fallen ill, the pills for the flu and colds, of course, will help to quickly overcome the disease and recover, but there are medicines with which you can strengthen the immune system and avoid infection even at the peak of the acute respiratory disease epidemic.
Plant-based immunomodulators are very popular and safe:
- "Immunal";
- "Echinacea tincture";
- Doctor Theiss;
- "Ginseng tincture";
- "Eleutherococcus extract";
- Chinese ".
You can also increase the body's resistance to colds with drugs that contain microscopic doses of enzymes of various pathogens (streptococcus, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, etc.). The pharmacy chain sells the following drugs for the prevention of colds from this group:
- "Likopid";
- Ribomunil;
- "Broncho-munal";
- "Imudon";
- "IRS-19".
Vitamins
With a cold, what else to drink? Usually, the doctor must also prescribe vitamins to his patients who have contracted acute respiratory infections. In no case should this recommendation be neglected, because such drugs effectively strengthen the body of a sick person, stimulate immunity, help damaged cells regenerate, etc. Here is a list of vitamins that we need to successfully fight a cold:
1. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, or ascorbic acid). This is the most powerful assistant for acute respiratory infections. He is able to actively inhibit the reproduction of viruses and bacteria. In case of illness, it is recommended to take 1000-1500 mg of vitamin C per day;
2. Thiamine (B1). It promotes the regeneration of damaged epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract.
3. Riboflavin - vitamin B2. Needed by the body for the synthesis of antibodies.
4. Pyridoxine - vitamin B6. Participates in the recovery processes of nerve endings in case of damage to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract.
5. Nicotinic acid - vitamin PP. Thanks to it, blood circulation improves, blood vessels are restored.
6. Retinol - vitamin A. This is a very necessary element for the successful regeneration of epithelial cells.
7. Tocopherol - vitamin E. It has powerful antioxidant properties; able to stimulate the immune system.
Of course, vitamins enter our body with food, but this is not enough, especially in winter and spring. At the pharmacy, you can buy universal multivitamin complexes, for example:
- "Complivit";
- "Multivit";
- "Watering";
- "Undevit";
- Pangeksavit;
- "Oligovit";
- "Nutrisan";
- "Macrovit";
- "Geksavit" and many others.
There are multivitamin preparations, the effect of which is enhanced by useful minerals. It can be difficult to figure out the abundance of vitamin products on your own, so it is better to rely on the choice of a doctor.
Medicines for children
Medicines for colds for children should be prescribed by a pediatrician. After all, certain drugs from an adult home first-aid kit can be harmful to children. But it is also necessary to have some proven medicines on hand in a family where there is a baby.
For kids:
- "Panadol" for children in candles or in suspension.
- Analogs of "Panadol": "Tsefekon", "Kalpol", "Efferalgan".
Cough medicines:
- Tussin syrup.
- Lazolvan solution or syrup.
- "Sinekod" in drops or syrup (for dry cough).
For ears, throat and nose:
- "Nazol kids" and "Nazol baby" (spray and drops) - for a cold.
- "Otipax" - antibiotic-free ear drops.
- "Aqua-Maris" is a weak solution of sea salt in the form of a spray. Well moisturizes and cleanses the mucous membrane of the throat and nose from bacteria. Analogs: "Salfin" and "Dolin".
The funds listed are quite enough to hold out until the doctor arrives.
Folk remedies
Good cold pills are definitely great! But some people, for various reasons, prefer to heal exclusively with natural remedies. Well, traditional medicine has many excellent recipes and recommendations to offer. Here are some of the most versatile and effective:
1. Raspberry tea is a remedy for colds and flu, which has been used by mankind for centuries. Raspberries in dried form or in the form of jam will help to quickly lower the temperature, they have antipyretic properties, since they contain natural salicylic acid. In addition, raspberries contain vitamin C in large quantities.
2. Honey is added to the garlic gruel (proportion 1: 1), the drug is thoroughly mixed and given to the patient twice a day, one or two teaspoons. Garlic is also recommended for inhalation. To do this, several of its cloves are crushed, filled with water (1 tbsp.) And boiled for 10 minutes. Then this "shock" medicine can be placed in front of the patient so that he breathes over him.
3. Another remedy (and very effective) for colds is regular milk. Perhaps you do not know that it contains enzymes that enhance immunity, and there is also a substance tryptophan, which contributes to the production of serotonin in the body - a strong sedative. In a liter of milk, you need to add a few tablespoons of honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, bay leaf and a couple of allspice peas. Bring the milk potion to a boil and leave for 5 minutes before use.
4. If the patient suffers from a cough, you can try using such a proven remedy as black radish juice mixed with honey. The drug is prepared as follows: the tip is cut off from the washed root crop, part of the pulp is scraped out from the middle, so that an empty cavity is formed. Honey (2 tsp) is put into the hole, and the radish is closed with a cut top, like a lid. Wait 12 hours - during this time, juice will be released, which, when combined with honey, will turn into an antitussive medicine. It is recommended to take the remedy as follows: for adults - 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day, for children - 1 tsp. three times a day.
Prophylaxis
We are used to the fact that from time to time we have to fight against the flu and colds. Drugs in pharmacies are abundant, so most people meet the disease with the confidence that it will not be difficult to recover. But prevention is a great and necessary thing. Therefore, now we will recall what preventive measures help to happily miss a serious illness:
1. Flu shot. Every year, doctors warn the population about the need for timely vaccination, but many of us simply ignore this, and in vain.
2. In the cold season, when there is little sun outside, and there are not enough fresh fruits and vegetables on the table, you can and should feed yourself with synthetic vitamin complexes and do not forget about lemon, cranberries, rosehip decoction - all this will save the body from vitamin deficiency WITH.
3. Oxolinic ointment, gently applied to the nasal mucosa before going outside, is a strong shield capable of repelling the attacks of bacteria and viruses.
4. Personal hygiene must be at its best. That is, the motto "wash your hands with soap more often" is more relevant than ever!
5. The room you are in must be ventilated and wet cleaning must be carried out, because microbes feel incredibly comfortable in dry dusty air.
6. During an epidemic of influenza and acute respiratory infections, it is not recommended to go to crowded shopping centers, cinemas, cafes and other places where a lot of people gather. But walks (especially skiing) in the fresh air in a country park or forest perfectly strengthen the body.
Conclusion
After reading the information about what drugs to take for colds, you can meet acute respiratory infections or flu fully armed. But it is better, of course, never to catch a cold or get sick! Take care of yourself, we wish you good health!
How to quickly clean a pomegranate at home? Surely each of us at least once in his life asked this question. After all, pomegranate is a product whose grains are very difficult to remove from the shell.
What difficulties can you face when cleaning?
Before telling you in detail how you can quickly peel a pomegranate, you should tell what difficulties housewives who have never previously removed grains from the mentioned fruit may face.
Undoubtedly, pomegranate is a very healthy and tasty product that can be purchased in the store at any time of the year. But having bought such a fruit, few people know exactly how it should be peeled. I would like to say right away that this process is quite laborious.
Firstly, if you do not know how to quickly clean a pomegranate, then you can carry out this procedure for more than one hour. At the same time, there is no guarantee that the grains removed from the peel will remain intact. After all, it is no secret to anyone that this is a very juicy fruit.
Secondly, in the process of breaking the product, grains can constantly jump out of the product. In this case, cleaning the pomegranate will entail a thorough cleaning of the kitchen area. After all, if you step on a juicy grain, it will burst, making your floor dirty and sticky.
Thirdly, people who do not know how to quickly clean a pomegranate run the risk of staining not only their own kitchen, but also their clothes. And, as you know, the juice of this fruit is very difficult to wash off the fabric.
The right product choice
What's the best way to clean a pomegranate? Before answering this question, I would like to tell you how to choose it correctly.
Surely every person has come across such a situation when he came across a guarantor with almost white grains. It is an unripe fruit that can be eaten. However, it does not possess the sweetness due to which this product is actually purchased.
Red on the outside - red on the inside? Most housewives mistakenly believe that the redder the fruit is on the outside, the redder it is on the inside. This is not true. Delicious and sweet, pomegranates have a light pink rind. Moreover, the more "scary" it is, the more ripe the fruit.
By the way, if the product has dents or mold, then it is better not to purchase it. After all, there is a high probability that inside it has already turned sour and deteriorated.
How easy is it to peel a pomegranate (cleaning photo)?
In fact, there is nothing complicated in the cleaning process of this product. The main thing in this case is to comply with all the requirements described below. It should also be noted that there is more than one way to quickly clean a grenade. We decided to present you with three different options. Using them at home, you will be able to quickly take out all the grains intact and whole.
Method one
How to quickly clean a pomegranate? A photo of this process can be seen in the presented article.
First you need to thoroughly wash the purchased fruit in hot water. Next, it should be placed on a board or flat plate with its tail up. Then you need to take the sharpest possible knife and carefully remove the top so that you can see the white streaks.
After that, along the veins, you need to make several not very deep cuts, as if you were cutting an apple into 8 slices. However, it should be noted that as a result of such actions, the fruit should not fall apart.
Knocking the grains out of the rind
After completing all the described actions, you should take a deep and wide bowl, turn the cut pomegranate over it and start actively clapping on the back with a heavy spoon. As a result, all the grains will gradually fall out into the dishes. Don't be afraid to bang the cutlery too hard. After all, grains in any case will fall out as a whole. After a short period of time, they are completely in the pan.
The main disadvantage of this cleaning option is that in the process of knocking out the grains, the fruit juice can easily get onto your clothes and surrounding objects.
Method two
What other easy way is there to clean a pomegranate? If you have no options, then we ourselves will present the second method. For him, you also need to take a ripe fruit and rinse it thoroughly in hot water. Next, it is required to place it on a flat plate with its tail up and carefully remove the cap, making a circular motion with a sharp knife. In the future, shallow cuts should be made in the product as described in the first method. In this case, it is recommended to ensure that they pass directly along the white veins.
Cleaning process
Do you know how convenient it is to peel a pomegranate at home? If not, we will describe the process right now.
So, we need to take a deep bowl (preferably glass) and pour ordinary drinking water into it. Next, in a bowl with liquid, you need to place the chopped pomegranate and carefully remove the red grains from the cracks. This process should be carried out with your hands. In this case, all the water can quickly turn red due to the juice released.
The main advantage of this cleaning method is that splashes in the kitchen are completely excluded. Also, your clothes will not get dirty. Although this method has one significant drawback. All the juice that gets into the water, you just have to pour out.
After the pomegranate seeds are in the dish, its contents must be thrown into a sieve. Having allowed all the liquid to drain, the purified product can be safely used at your discretion.
Method three
The latter method of lightly cleaning a pomegranate may require you to use special equipment. To be more precise, this method requires the use of a special mold to create dumplings. This appliance is an iron circle with large holes. We also need any silicone baking dish and a cooking hammer.
So, before you start removing the seeds from the pomegranate, it should be thoroughly washed in hot water and dried with paper towels. Next, the product needs to be placed on a plate and carefully cut off the top cap with a tail. After that, it is necessary to make not very deep cuts in the pomegranate, falling directly into the white veins.
How is cleaning done?
After the pomegranate is prepared, you need to take a deep and wide bowl, and then install the device on it to quickly form homemade dumplings. Next, on the iron circle, you need to place the processed product with the cut part down. Finally, it should be covered with a silicone mold. In this form, it is necessary to remove all the seeds from the pomegranate, intensively tapping on it with a culinary hammer.
During the cleaning process, the product can be adjusted and placed as you like.
The main advantage of this method is that, thanks to the silicone mold, the juice will not splatter you and your kitchen. However, it should be noted that due to intensive tapping on the grenade with a hammer, some grains may burst. Although all the juice will still drain into the dishes, you can safely drink a healthy drink in the future, and use whole grains at your discretion.
Long cleaning of the pomegranate
If you have a lot of time, and you are in no hurry, then you can clean the pomegranate without any cuts. To do this, it must be washed well in hot water and then dried with a towel. Next, you need to gently pull a part of the tail down. In this case, a white crack should form on the product, which remains without a peel. It is necessary to pry it lightly with a knife and carefully remove a part of the shell. By doing this process gradually, you can clean the entire pomegranate with your hands. In the future, it should be carefully broken into pieces and all partitions with films removed.
This method is the most effective. Using it, you are able to cleanse the pomegranate while maintaining the maximum integrity of the grains and without staining yourself and your kitchen utensils. But a significant disadvantage of this method is that this procedure can take you several hours.
How to apply pomegranate seeds?
Pomegranate seeds can be used just like that, and you can add them to any dishes. For example, they are often used to decorate various salads and desserts. Also, sweet pomegranate seeds are very often used for making sauces. If desired, you can easily squeeze fresh pomegranate juice from them, which is very useful, especially for those who have
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