Hydrocortisone ointment is used to treat eyes and diseases of non-infectious origin. The product has an anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effect. There are a number of restrictions on the use of the medicine.
- 6.1 Special instructions
Composition and release form
Hydrocortisone ointment is available for the eyes in a dosage lower than for external use. Its main component is one percent hydrocortisone, or 10 mg of the substance per 1 gram. The ointment base is Vaseline, lanolin and paraffin.
The drug itself is a homogeneous mass of white color, a yellowish tint is allowed. The medicine is packaged in tubes of 2.5 grams. The tube is packed in a cardboard box.
The price of hydrocortisone ointment is from 30 to 200 rubles.
Therapeutic effect
Hydrocortisone belongs to the group of glucocorticoids. This is a hormonal substance that has the following medicinal properties:
- anti-inflammatory (see ointments for inflammation);
- decongestant;
- antiallergic.
The mechanism of action of hydrocortisone is to suppress the activity of leukocytes and macrophages - cells that cause inflammation. The permeability of capillaries decreases, which leads to a decrease in swelling.
pharmachologic effect
The active substance of hydrocortisone ointment has a pronounced antiallergic and anti-inflammatory effect. It reduces inflammatory cell infiltrates, reduces the processes of migration of lymphocytes and leukocytes into the inflammatory area.
Hydrocortisone acetate also stabilizes subcellular and cellular membranes, including lysosomal membranes, as well as mast cell membranes, reduces the binding of immunoglobulins to receptors directly on the cell surface and inhibits the release or synthesis of cytokines (interferon, interleukins) from lymphocytes and macrophages.
Hydrocortisone acetate reduces the severity of the early immunological response, has an antimetabolic effect and inhibits the formation of connective tissue and scarring.
Indications for use
According to the description of the properties of the drug, hydrocortisone ointment is used for the following diseases:
- allergic conjunctivitis, blepharitis;
- acute inflammation of the iris - iritis;
- with chalazion;
- consequences of the operation;
- conditions after chemical burns.
The product can also be used to reduce swelling after eyelid tattooing and piercing.
Possible contraindications
Hydrocortisone topical preparations should not be used for the following conditions:
- individual intolerance;
- viral, bacterial and fungal eye infections;
- ocular tuberculosis;
- open wounds of the eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva;
- chlamydial infection of the cornea;
- severe stage of glaucoma.
Hydrocortisone ointment is not used for barley, boils - these diseases are caused by bacterial flora. For barley, the medicine is sometimes used in combination with tetracycline to eliminate swelling.
Terms of use
Hydrocortisone ointment for blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and iritis is used externally. A strip of the product is applied to the mucous membrane of the lower eyelid 2-3 times a day. After application, close your eyes and lightly massage your lower eyelid.
If the product is used for swelling after surgery or cosmetic procedures, it is applied to the skin. A small amount of product is distributed over and under the eyes and rubbed gently. Application to the skin around the eyes is not allowed if there are wounds.
Apply the medicine with clean hands. It is better to use a special eye stick. If there is none, the product is squeezed out of the tube, but the nozzle is not allowed to come into contact with the mucous membrane or skin.
In children
According to the instructions, hydrocortisone eye ointment is not used for children under one year of age. Treatment of children over one year of age is permissible under medical supervision if the expected benefit outweighs the risk of complications.
Duration of use - no more than 7-10 days. Children's dosage of the drug is 0.5%.
In pregnant women
There are no data on the use of hydrocortisone ophthalmic ointment during pregnancy. It is acceptable to use the drug under medical supervision if other therapy does not have the desired effect.
Additionally, watch a video about using eye ointments:
Contraindications to the use of ointment
You need to use hydrocortisone ointment for a short time. With prolonged use of the remedy, the process of thinning the skin may begin, it will gradually atrophy, and this will lead to the opposite effect when the skin stops smoothing out and the number of wrinkles increases.
The drug does not have a long-term effect. A positive result can be achieved by doing several procedures, but the result may disappear after a few months. Therefore, before you start using hydrocortisone ointment for wrinkles, you need to weigh the pros and cons, and then consult a doctor. The doctor may recommend changing your daily routine, reviewing your diet, giving up smoked, fried and fatty foods, and getting rid of bad habits. Organic foods, systematic exercise and healthy sleep can have a better effect on the body than hormonal drugs.
Since the drug contains hormones, dermatologists advise not to use the ointment if you have:
- individual allergic reaction and intolerance;
- diabetes mellitus;
- the presence of various ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract;
- fungal or viral infections of the skin,
- for hypertension of any severity.
Hydrocortisone ointment is also contraindicated for use during pregnancy and lactation when breastfeeding a child.
The duration of use of the product should not be more than 3-5 days, after which a short break is taken. From the moment you use the drug, you need to monitor the condition of your skin. If swelling, irritation, various rashes appear on it, or a feeling of tightness or dryness occurs, use of the medicine should be stopped immediately.
Side effects
Hydrocortisone ophthalmic ointment 1 percent rarely causes adverse effects when used correctly. Possible side effects:
- burning of the mucous membrane;
- redness of the conjunctiva;
- peeling of the skin of the eyelids.
If any side effect occurs, stop using the medicine and consult a doctor.
special instructions
Any hydrocortisone medications should not be used for more than 14 days without a break. Long-term treatment leads to the development of glaucoma and cataracts. In patients undergoing long-term treatment, intraocular pressure should be measured regularly.
There were no symptoms of overdose when using hydrocortisone ophthalmic ointment. The ointment should not be applied directly to the eyes; it may cause damage to the cornea.
Wearing contact lenses during treatment with hydrocortisone suspension is not recommended. The drug causes short-term visual impairment, so you should be careful when driving or operating machinery.
Directions for use and dosage
The ointment is applied in a thin layer 2-3 times a day. The duration of the course is prescribed by the doctor; it is undesirable if it lasts more than a month, since the concentration of hydrocortisone in the blood will be quite high.
Before use, rinse the application area with water, then dry thoroughly and apply the ointment with light circular movements.
Children should apply the ointment under the close attention of a doctor, since in a developing body hydrocortisone can lead to a decrease in the production of growth hormone and problems with adrenal function.
During clinical trials, no overdose symptoms were identified with topical application.
If the substance enters the body (if it is not special tablets), you should immediately induce vomiting using large amounts of water and soda.
If after the procedure there remains an elevated temperature or severe pain in the stomach, you should immediately call an ambulance, as these are symptoms of severe poisoning.
Acute overdose is unlikely, however, with excessive or prolonged use of the drug, chronic overdose is possible, accompanied by signs of hypercortisolism: hyperglycemia, glycosuria, reversible inhibition of adrenal function, manifestation of Cushing's syndrome.
Treatment. Appropriate symptomatic treatment is indicated. In case of chronic toxic effects, gradual withdrawal of the drug is recommended.
Analogs
If there are contraindications to the use of hydrocortisone eye ointment, you can replace it with other drugs of similar action:
- “Tobrazon” drops - contain hydrocortisone and the antibiotic tobramycin;
- dexamethasone ointment or drops;
- anti-allergic non-hormonal drops “Lecrolin”, “Allergodil”.
Replacing medications with analogues should only be done as prescribed by a doctor. What can replace hydrocortisone ointment depends on the nature of the person’s disease.
HYDROCORTISONE (ointment)
blood circulation, deeper penetration and absorption of the active substance of the drug is obtained.
At the end of the procedure, the ointment is almost completely absorbed into the skin, and after a short final manual massage, the composition is completely absorbed, leaving no greasy residue. There was one time when the pharmacy did not have 1% Hydrocortisone ointment in stock and I had to buy 0.5% Hydrocortisone eye ointment and it turned out that it was completely unsuitable for the phonophoresis procedure for several reasons.
Firstly, the content of the active substance in the eye ointment is 2 times less, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the effect.
And secondly, for some reason the eye ointment is terribly greasy, I don’t know why it’s good for the eyes, but it’s completely unpleasant on the skin. At the end of the procedure, a sticky film remains that stains your clothes and everything you touch.
Consequently, eye ointment 0.5%, although more expensive, is completely unsuitable for this procedure.
Before use, the iron pipe with ointment is protected. The smell of the product is practically not felt and does not add any sensations during the procedure. The whitish-looking ointment spreads well with the spatula of the device. A tube of 10 grams lasts a very long time at a price of 24 rubles. Detailed treatment can be called free and pleasant with such high efficiency. Pain relief occurs quite quickly after 2-3 daily procedures, and a course of 10 procedures is enough to completely forget about the problems.
Hydrocortisone is a hormonal drug and is prescribed by doctors in sanatoriums to every second patient, so I don’t think that the ointment is very dangerous when used externally, however, there are people who try to avoid the use of hormonal drugs, while others are happy to take them internally.
I also managed to try phonophoresis with hydrocortisone on myself, when after a very long and mountain-climbing walk in the forest, my hip joint began to hurt. I did an ultrasound with hydrocortisone in the amount of 5 procedures every other day and everything went away effectively, I must say that the pain was not acute, but obsessively aching.
The ointment also helps well against skin manifestations of allergies, such as insect bites. In the summer, every day we go on vacation to the forest and take the cat with us, and after one of our trips, upon returning, we noticed that someone had bitten the cat on the nose, causing the organ to become very swollen and clearly causing discomfort to the owner. However, after applying hydrocortisone ointment, the swelling and allergic reaction disappeared within an hour, after which the Tamagot cat was bathed and completely forgot about the troubles of this walk. Since the ointment helps our whole family very well, I recommend it for use.
