Potassium permanganate is simply called "potassium permanganate". This powder can be found in any home medicine cabinet.
Potassium permanganate has pronounced antimicrobial, antiseptic and astringent properties. It dissolves well in liquid, coloring it soft pink.
Potassium permanganate is used to gargle to relieve symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections (tonsillitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis). Our grandmothers also used the “pink rinse” recipe, but does it make sense to introduce this procedure into your treatment plan?
Is it possible to rinse
Potassium permanganate can cause burns to mucous membranes. The severity of the burn is proportional to the concentration of the solution; potassium permanganate must be used carefully, dosing the amount of powder.
Rinsing as a physiotherapeutic method is prescribed to all patients. But following the instructions, you may encounter individual intolerance.
Mandatory requirements:
- Gargle only with fresh solution;
- Rinse for no longer than 30 seconds;
- Do not swallow liquid during or after rinsing;
- Treat after meals;
- Do not combine the drug with sugar and coal (the oxidizing agent cannot be used with other oxidizing substances);
- The treatment course lasts a maximum of two days.
Attention! In addition to a remedy for combating sore throat, the powder is used as a vomiting agent and a wound disinfectant (in certain dosages inherent in each direction of treatment).
Important nuances of treatment with potassium permanganate solution
During treatment with potassium permanganate solutions, it is important to follow some rules. This will ensure safe use of this substance and eliminate unwanted effects.
During the procedure, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- To prepare a solution of potassium permanganate, use glass containers (this will help prevent unwanted chemical reactions).
- Do not touch the powder with unprotected hands.
- Make sure that manganese crystals are completely dissolved in water (failure to comply with this point may result in the development of burns to the mucous membrane).
- Use only fresh medicinal composition, renewing it several times a day.
- Sessions should be carried out after meals (at least half an hour later).
- Perform one rinse for 30 seconds, then spit out the liquid.
- Avoid swallowing the medicinal composition.
- After completing the procedure, refrain from consuming any food or drinks for 30-40 minutes.
When rinsing, your head should be tilted back and your tongue should stick out as far forward as possible. In this position, the solution will be able to penetrate deeply into the throat and disinfect the areas of greatest accumulation of bacteria.
The average duration of the entire procedure is about 5 minutes. When preparing the medicinal composition, you should not deviate from the recommended proportions and increase them without permission. Otherwise, the likelihood of developing vomiting, stool disorders (diarrhea), burning in the throat, and sharp spasms in various parts of the abdomen increases. It is also unacceptable to use hot liquid for the procedure - this can lead to the development of burns to the mucous membrane and an increase in body temperature.
The therapeutic effect of rinsing is enhanced by lubricating the tonsils with vegetable oils of sea buckthorn or rose hips. For one treatment you will need at least 1 teaspoon of this product. Oils also help prevent drying out of the mucous membranes.
It is important to know that rinsing with potassium permanganate can negatively affect dental health. In this regard, you can use this product without harm to tooth enamel for no more than 2 days.
Does it help cure a sore throat?
Scientists have proven that potassium permanganate is not effective in treating sore throat. Local agents (which is a solution of potassium permanganate) do not penetrate into the deep layers of tissue where the source of infection is localized.
Local antiseptics destroy bacteria that, in minimal quantities, along with pus, have reached the surface of the tonsils. This means that rinsing is good as an additional means of pain relief, disinfection and stopping the spread of infection.
Regular rinsing not only removes bacteria from the lining of the tonsils, but also washes away purulent plaque. Because of this effect, the procedure is indicated in the late stage of angina, when purulent abscesses begin to open and settle on the walls of the throat in the form of sediment.
Methods for preparing the medicinal composition
There are various methods of treatment with potassium permanganate solutions. A sore throat will benefit from:
- composition with potassium permanganate and water;
- combination with added iodine;
- alternating a solution of potassium permanganate with hydrogen peroxide.
To prepare the monocomposition, several crystals of potassium permanganate are dissolved in a glass of warm boiled water. The product should acquire a characteristic pale pink color. This solution can be made even more effective by adding no more than 2 drops of iodine to it.
Please note that the solution should be a slightly pale pink color. Just add a few crystals of potassium permanganate and be sure to stir well.
The number of procedures performed during the day is determined by the type of disease. So, gargling with potassium permanganate for sore throat is carried out up to 5 times a day; for scarlet fever, tonsillitis, 2-3 sessions will be enough.
In the case of the development of pharyngitis, purulent laryngitis, a combination of two solutions - potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide - has a pronounced therapeutic effect . A weak solution of potassium permanganate is alternated with a peroxide solution (1 tablespoon of the component per glass of non-hot boiled water). This treatment regimen allows you to clear the tonsils and root of the tongue from bacterial plaque.
Before using potassium permanganate solutions for the treatment of ENT diseases, it is necessary to obtain specialist approval. Only an experienced doctor will tell you whether this substance can be present in the general treatment regimen.
How to dilute potassium permanganate
Contact of potassium permanganate with organic substances leads to the release of atomic oxygen. It is oxygen that acts on pathogenic organisms, destroying them. And when restored, the drug forms a complex bond with proteins and has an astringent effect.
Minimal dosages do not harm tissues, but highly concentrated potassium permanganate cauterizes and irritates. Overdose is determined by accompanying symptoms: pain in the throat and digestive tract, vomiting and stomach upset.
The lethal dose for an adult is 0.3 - 0.5 kg, and for children only 3 grams. If the proportions of potassium permanganate in the solution have been violated, ascorbic acid and cyanocobalamin will help neutralize the poisoning.
Preparation of the solution:
- Pour warm water into a glass;
- Using a slightly moistened toothpick tip, take a few grains of powder and add to the water;
- Stir until completely dissolved (solid particles settled to the bottom may cause burns if swallowed);
- Add water if the solution is too saturated (ideally it should be pale pink, almost transparent).
Medicinal properties of potassium permanganate
Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) is produced in the form of a purple crystalline powder.
Before use, the drug must be diluted in water in compliance with certain proportions. A solution of potassium permanganate has several useful properties:
- Antimicrobial.
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Antiseptic.
- Antifungal.
Potassium permanganate acts as a neutralizer of toxic products released by pathogenic bacteria during their life processes. The product dissolves well in water, after which a specific chemical reaction occurs. As a result of interaction with the liquid, oxygen is released, which causes a pronounced disinfecting effect when a sore throat occurs.
Proper rinsing
A proper rinsing process is more than just gurgling liquid. The correct sequence of actions must be followed.
The solution must be warm, but not hot. Cold liquid will aggravate the course of the disease, and hot liquid will create unwanted stress for the irritated mucosa.
- Place a comfortable amount of solution into your mouth;
- Tilt your head back while pushing your tongue forward;
- Try to repeat the sound “s” to provide fluid access to the distant parts of the pharynx;
- Do not complete the procedure earlier than 30 seconds after it began;
- Spit out the water with potassium permanganate and do not rinse your mouth.
Repeat the treatment three to five times a day. The remaining solution from rinsing should be poured out (it turns into a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria).
You can eat after rinsing within 40 minutes.
Rinses
What you can gargle with a sore throat, the attending physician must decide. He will select the optimal remedy, taking into account the characteristics of the disease. After this, you can search for medications online on our website and place an order in the same way.
Sometimes it happens that a person is not helped at all by a drug that is effective in most cases. However, the doctor will definitely select another medicine that will definitely have an effect. Over time, it will become clear what is better to gargle for tonsillitis in this particular case.
Side effects of potassium permanganate
The biggest mistake is treating an infection with rinsing alone. Potassium permanganate is not able to suppress the causative agent of the disease. If the patient limits himself to topical medications, serious complications are possible after the disease and during its course.
At small dosages, potassium permanganate does not produce side effects. But it is important to consider the level of sensitivity of the body. Some people experience allergies to the drug or burns even with a weak dilution of the powder. An allergy or overdose can be determined by redness, swelling, the appearance of a cloudy film and bubbles, itching, and burning.
If after rinsing the patient feels a deterioration in his condition, he should immediately rinse his throat and mouth with clean water, go to the hospital or call a doctor at home.
A feeling of dryness in the mouth and throat, a feeling of tightness is a normal reaction to the drug. If the condition causes discomfort, use a little butter (on the tip of a teaspoon) before bed to lubricate your throat.
How is washing done for tonsillitis?
Washing can be carried out by two main methods 3:
- Using a syringe and a special cannula (small tube). This procedure helps to get rid of accumulations of pus, rinse the lacunae and treat them with antiseptic, anti-inflammatory drugs to fight infection.
- Using vacuum or ultrasonic devices. The device attachment is fixed in the tonsil area and the lacunae are delicately cleansed of purulent contents.
Washing is especially effective for tonsillitis if the disease has become chronic and occurs with frequent relapses. Completing a course of procedures allows you to reduce the number of exacerbations, as well as avoid the need for surgical treatment. You should not try to clean the lacunae at home on your own. This can lead to soft tissue injuries and complications. The rinsing should be carried out by a doctor in the treatment room 3.
Main contraindications
- Age up to 3 years (the baby does not know how to gargle and does not understand the seriousness of the procedure, so there is a high probability of using the medicinal product orally when swallowing);
- Damage to tooth enamel (potassium permanganate will aggravate dental problems and increase sensitivity in the presence of thinned enamel);
- Pathologies of the thyroid gland (in this case, it is better to obtain permission to rinse from a doctor).
Potassium permanganate is a popular remedy that is cheap. Moreover, preparing the solution and rinsing takes little time, which is very convenient.
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If you strictly adhere to the recommendations, potassium permanganate will play a positive and not the least role in recovery, and will also help you endure the disease more easily.
Is it possible to gargle with potassium permanganate?
It is allowed to use potassium permanganate for gargling from the age of 6 years. Its use will bring positive results for various ENT diseases:
- tonsillitis;
- tonsillitis;
- pharyngitis.
With the development of these pathologies, a solution of potassium permanganate will help destroy pathogenic flora and speed up the healing process. The drug disinfects the surface of the tonsils and has drying properties . The product can be used alone or combined with various medications.
Despite the variety of modern antiseptics, potassium permanganate still remains a popular remedy used to combat pathogenic bacteria in various medical fields.