[Source: Zhejiang Medical News] The summer solstice has passed. The hot and humid summer has finally arrived. Are you feeling "itchy" again? Summer is humid and hot, and some common skin diseases, such as eczema, urticaria, mosquito bites, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, a

[Source: Zhejiang Medical News]

The summer solstice has passed.

The hot and humid summer has finally arrived.

At this time, are you feeling "itchy" again?

Summer is humid and hot, and some common skin diseases, such as eczema , urticaria , insect bites , atopic dermatitis , contact dermatitis and hand, foot, scalp, crotch, etc. are easy to cause. Attacks occur, causing skin itching, erythema, and wheals.

In addition to skin inflammation, people also habitually use some ointments when small-area burns, superficial trauma and infection, folliculitis and acne vulgaris occur. As a common external drug,

ointment is a pharmaceutical dosage form with a relatively high usage rate. It is easy to carry and easy to apply. It is generally applied directly to the affected area. It has a relatively good therapeutic effect on various skin diseases and epidermal wounds.

Common mupirocin ointment , erythromycin ointment , mometasone furoate ointment, compound ketoconazole ointment , etc. are all ointments.

But

do these external medicines have no adverse reactions?

The more you apply it, the faster it will get better?

The pharmacist is here to teach you how to apply the ointment "step by step"

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1. How does the ointment work?

Ointment refers to a uniform semi-solid external preparation with a certain consistency made by mixing a drug with a greasy or water-soluble base. According to the dispersion state of the drug in the matrix, ointments are divided into solution ointments and suspension ointments.

Solution-type ointment is an ointment made by dissolving (or co-melting) the drug in the matrix or matrix components. Suspension ointment is an ointment made of fine drug powder evenly dispersed in the base.

ointment has a suitable viscosity and is easy to apply to the skin, mucous membranes and wounds, and can adhere or spread to the application site for a long time. It mainly uses the drug to lubricate the skin, protect the wound and treat the disease locally, such as anti-infection, astringent, promoting the growth of granulation and wound healing, relieving itching, disinfection, etc.; it can also exert systemic therapeutic effects after absorption, such as nitroglycerin ointment .

2. Correct usage of ointment

1. Before application, the affected skin should be cleaned. If the affected area is on the scalp or a hairy part of the body, the hair should be removed first to facilitate the application of the ointment.

2. According to the dosage prescribed by the doctor or instructions, take an appropriate amount of ointment and apply it to cover all the affected areas. Spread the ointment evenly with your fingers. After application, massage gently to promote drug absorption and improve efficacy.

3. Some drugs are sealed after application (that is, wrapping the skin with plastic film or tape), which can significantly increase the water content of the stratum corneum of the skin, increase the absorption of the drug, and improve the efficacy. However, you must listen to the doctor's advice for this operation. If the doctor does not recommend the use of sealing, taking this measure on your own may worsen the affected area because the skin is not breathable, or may cause some systemic adverse effects due to the large amount of drug absorption. reaction.

4. It is generally not recommended to apply a large number of thick layers of ointment to areas with damage, ulceration, or leakage (it is easy to nourish bacteria and cause secondary infection ).

5. When using topical solution and ointment at the same time, for the same affected area, use solution first, and then apply the ointment after the wound is dry. If two or more ointments are applied at the same time, use them at intervals according to the doctor's instructions or the order given by the pharmacist according to different conditions.

6. After using the ointment, if there is burning or itching, redness, swelling, rash or other reactions at the application site, you should stop taking the medicine immediately, clean the locally applied medicine, and consult a doctor or pharmacist in time.

7. It should not be applied to mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, and mouth.

8. Long-term use on delicate skin and face should be avoided to prevent drug damage to the skin (such as atrophy, telangiectasia, purple lines , etc.). The area of ​​application should not be too large and the frequency of application should not be too many.

9. Applying ointment is not as thick as possible, just apply a thin layer to maintain the normal breathing of the skin and help the affected area recover.

It can be seen that applying too much ointment at one time cannot significantly improve the efficacy and speed up the treatment effect. If it is used too frequently and excessively applied for a long time, in addition to causing secondary infection, it is also easy for the drug to penetrate too deeply and enter the blood vessels, causing systemic adverse reactions. Therefore, the frequency of application of different types of ointments should be different according to their degree of penetration.

3. Precautions when using ointments

When using medication, you should consider the age of the patient, different diseases, and skin lesions. Different drugs and application ranges should be selected. For example, children should not use strong glucocorticoid ointments; when the same drug is used and the application range is the same, the absorption rate of children is generally higher than that of adults; drugs with high concentration and high irritation should not be selected for skin folds and mucous membranes; The medication for acne only needs to be applied to the affected area, and the medication for jock itch can be extended to the surrounding skin.

Therefore, everyone should be vigilant. You do not apply as much ointment as you want, but it depends on the symptoms of the disease. Please follow the doctor's advice or drug instructions when using it.

4. How to store the ointment

The ointment should be stored in a light-proof and airtight (sealed) environment within the temperature range required by the instructions. The storage temperature should not be too high or too low to avoid matrix stratification or drug degradation, which will affect the stability, uniformity and efficacy of the drug. Do not use the ointment if it has a strange smell, discoloration, or oil layer precipitation, or other changes in properties.

Source: (Rational Use of Drugs in China)

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