Saline solution is a very simple, but at the same time very effective medical product. It is used to remove toxic substances from the body, for intravenous injections during dehydration and for many other procedures. Very often, doctors recommend using saline solution for inhalation for diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.
Benefits of using saline solution
To understand the principle of action of the drug, to understand the indications and contraindications for its use, you need to understand what it is. The saline solution contains only 2 components: distilled water and 0.9% sodium chlorine, i.e. regular table salt.
In other words, 1 liter of distilled water contains 9 g of salt crystals. There are no additional chemical components in it. The solution is called physiological because its properties are very similar to human blood plasma.
Thanks to these properties, saline solution has many advantages:
- the composition is natural for the human body, therefore it does not cause allergies, side effects or other undesirable consequences;
- the solution can be used to treat young children and pregnant women for whom many other drugs are contraindicated;
- this composition is even more physiological than ordinary water and does not damage the cell membrane of the mucous membranes;
- the solution can be used to dilute drugs; its addition does not change their pharmacological properties;
- salt has beneficial properties that have been known to mankind since ancient times (it is not for nothing that sea water is considered healing).
There are various variations of saline solution that contain less salt, but contain additional ingredients. These may be, for example, calcium and potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and sodium hydrogen phosphate. Such compositions are called complex and are used quite rarely, exclusively for medical reasons and as prescribed by a doctor. For inhalation at home, regular saline solution is used.
For all its beneficial properties, saline solution is one of the cheapest and most accessible medicines. It is sold in vials and bottles of different sizes, so you can always choose the right option for a specific situation.
Use of water for injection
This drug is a sterile antibacterial drug . This preparation consists of distilled, thoroughly purified water. It is used for diluting or dissolving drugs for intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous administration, according to the instructions.
This drug is not administered intravenously in its pure form, as this can lead to hemolysis , that is, destruction of red blood cells, blood cells that saturate our lungs with oxygen, and then the entire body. When diluting the medication, read the instructions carefully, as this solvent may not be suitable for some types of medications.
How is saline solution useful?
As a rule, the doctor prescribes a course of inhalations consisting of a certain number of procedures. This method of treatment is very effective for tonsillitis and pharyngitis, tracheitis and laryngitis, obstructive changes in the bronchi and inflammation of the lower parts of the respiratory system. Inhalation therapy helps speed up the healing of acute respiratory viral infections and colds, and quickly get rid of cough and runny nose.
Depending on the type of disease, the doctor recommends certain drugs for inhalation, which need to be diluted with saline solution. Its use in such procedures is explained by its special properties. So, saline solution:
- helps fight body intoxication;
- replenishes the ion deficiency that occurs with a runny nose and vomiting;
- improves blood flow;
- restores water-salt balance;
- moisturizes the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, relieving irritation;
- prevents the appearance of crusts on the nasal epithelium, cracking of the membranes, which can cause infection to enter the body;
- improves sputum discharge;
- activates the removal of mucus from the lungs and ENT organs;
- accelerates the removal of secretions from the nasal sinuses and passages.
The salt contained in the solution works as a natural antiseptic, destroying pathogenic bacteria. Saline solution can be bought at any pharmacy, and its use can significantly speed up recovery.
General characteristics of drugs
From the above, it can be understood that both products are used to dilute drugs for injection . For intramuscular administration in their pure form, both drugs can be used; they are also available for purchase, that is, they can be bought at any pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription, packaged in separate capsules. Both liquids are transparent and have no particular color or odor. Outwardly they are no different. Both preparations contain water. It can be used for washing wounds and treating medical instruments for sterilization.
How to make saline solution at home?
Given the simple composition, the question arises: how to make saline solution yourself? Technically, this is quite possible: you just need to add 9 g of salt to 1 liter of water. Stir well, bring to a boil and cool the resulting mixture.
However, there are several nuances. For example, the shelf life of saline solution prepared at home not under sterile conditions is only one day, and only if the container is in the refrigerator. Accordingly, it is easier and safer to buy the drug than to prepare saline solution at home.
You can often hear that saline solution can be replaced with mineral water. In fact, this is not the case, since mineral water contains additional impurities that can cause unwanted reactions in the body.
How to use saline solution for inhalation?
For inhalation, saline solution is mainly used as a solvent. It is added to medications prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the characteristics of the disease, existing symptoms, the patient’s age and other nuances. The solution is used as follows:
- the drug and saline solution are mixed in the container in the proportion recommended by the doctor;
- the required amount of the resulting liquid is poured into the nebulizer tank;
- depending on the type of disease, inhalations and exhalations are performed through the nose or mouth;
- the device crushes the medicine into tiny particles, which penetrate deep into the respiratory tract and nasal sinuses, acting directly on the source of the disease.
If after the procedure there is a solution left in the reservoir, it must be poured out. The composition remaining in the mixing container can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Before use, it must be warmed to room temperature.
The dosage of the medicine and saline solution is determined by the doctor. On average, an adult requires from 5 to 15 ml of saline solution per procedure for inhalation. For children, 3 ml of saline solution usually needs to be added to the medicine, but much depends on the age and type of disease, as well as on the characteristics of the medicine.
Saline solution for inhalation for respiratory diseases
Most people associate a drug such as saline solution exclusively with a dropper or intramuscular injection. This is not surprising, since most often many encounter it after surgery or during illness. But the benefits and scope of use of saline solution are not limited to this.
First, it’s worth understanding what saline solution is and why it’s even called that. Saline solution is nothing more than a solution of ordinary table salt. The pharmacy most often sells exactly a 0.9 percent solution of sodium chloride (the same salt). This raises the question: since this is simple salt, which every person has at home, does that mean you can prepare a saline solution yourself? Of course, you can: to do this, ten grams of salt should be diluted in one liter of boiled water, brought to a boil and cooled. But the solution obtained in this way can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day - after all, it was not prepared under sterile conditions. And the output volume is quite large, which is not always necessary. Therefore, it is easier and safer to purchase such a solution at the pharmacy - especially since it costs pennies. Saline solution is produced both in ampoules (five, ten, twenty milliliters) and in bottles (one hundred, two hundred, four hundred and thousand milliliters).
This solution is called physiological because its composition, that is, the concentration of table salt in it, almost corresponds to its concentration in human blood plasma. Thus, this solution is physiological, that is, natural for the human body. It is for this reason that it is administered after operations, and many medications are also diluted with it.
But saline solution also has a very useful function, which will be discussed further.
It is used for inhalation in the fight against respiratory diseases. For such inhalations to be effective, you need to purchase a nebulizer - a special device with which the solution is sprayed into smaller particles and allows them to penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract (which allows you to achieve quick results).
It is also worth noting that conventional steam procedures and the use of saline solution do not make any sense: when the solution boils, water vapor is formed, and the beneficial salt turns into sediment.
The benefit of saline solution during inhalation is due, firstly, to its ability to moisturize - which facilitates the passage of sputum when coughing. Secondly, the salt included in its composition is capable of destroying pathogenic bacteria and is a natural antiseptic. In addition, saline solution is not capable of causing allergies, so it is especially often used for inhalation in children.
You can also add other medications to the saline solution to enhance the effect of treatment, but only as prescribed by your doctor! Even seemingly harmless essential oils should be treated with caution, as when sprayed into the respiratory tract they form an oily film that prevents the discharge of mucus and subsequent recovery.
The inhalation procedure itself requires about three to four milliliters of saline solution (plus medicine, if prescribed by the doctor). The solution is poured into a special nebulizer container according to the instructions for using the device. Inhalation involves inhaling steam through a nebulizer tube. The duration of the procedure depends on age: for children 1-2 minutes no more than twice a day, for adults - 4-5 minutes three times a day.
The duration of the general course of treatment with such inhalations is determined depending on the improvement of the condition. But since this procedure certainly cannot cause harm (if the recommendations described above are followed), inhalation with saline solution can be continued until the desired result is achieved.
Author of the article: practicing physician Natalya Eduardovna Starshinina.
When should saline solution not be used?
Despite the safety of saline solution and its natural composition, this product still has a number of contraindications. For example, saline solution should not be used if:
- serious heart pathologies;
- swelling of the respiratory organs or brain;
- renal failure;
- taking certain medications, such as corticosteroids;
- excess extracellular fluid;
- otitis media;
- elevated calcium levels.
There are also situations when inhalation is prohibited, including with saline solution. This rule applies to nosebleeds and elevated body temperature. Saline solution extremely rarely causes side effects, however, if you feel worse during inhalation, you should stop the procedure and consult a doctor. It is important to remember that if the solution is prepared incorrectly at home, intolerance to its components may develop.
Rules for inhalation with saline solution
When performing inhalations with saline solution, you should adhere to several rules:
- You can start the procedure no earlier than 1-2 hours after eating;
- After the session, you cannot immediately go outside and talk, you must wait about half an hour;
- the duration and frequency of procedures, the exact dosage of medications, including saline, should be determined by a doctor;
- After each procedure, the inhaler must be washed and dried thoroughly.
During the cold season, inhalations with saline can be done for preventive purposes without adding medications to the nebulizer tank. This procedure will help neutralize microorganisms that have entered the nasopharynx and prevent them from descending into the bronchi and lungs.
