In Ukraine, disputes over what drugs should be used to combat colds do not subside. One of the biggest stumbling blocks was antiviral drugs. Are they effective and justifiable for treatment?.

In order to understand the issue, first of all it is necessary to understand how antiviral agents work. When a virus enters the body, it seeks to hit as many healthy cells as possible. In most cases, our body begins to fight the disease on its own, producing a special protein - interferon, which activates the immune system.

Antiviral drugs are designed to increase the production of interferon, or to destroy the virus itself. It sounds good. However, in practice there are a number of problems that call into question the use of this category of drugs:.

Contraindications: virtually all drugs in this group have a long list of side effects. They should be taken seriously, especially when there are liver problems and chronic diseases. After all, the harm from the use of antivirus can repeatedly block the expected benefit.

A large number of questionable drugs: the effectiveness of most actively advertised medicines is not clinically proven. Therefore, antiviral medicines are not the best choice.

Strict rules of use: specific drugs must be taken only under the supervision of a specialist. If you use them at your discretion, there is a risk that the virus will not be cured completely or become resistant to the drug.

At the same time, the listed problems do not affect at least one antiviral agent. It is, of course, about oxolin. Oksolinovaya ointment went on sale in 1970 and retains its popularity for almost half a century. Since its medical properties have been studied since 1965 in the clinical department of the Institute of Virology. Ivanovo, All-Union Research Institute of Influenza and other institutions of the Soviet Union.

Studies in the USSR have shown that oxoline has at least two advantages over other drugs:.

1) It has been proven that the use of 0.25% ointment helps to reduce by 45-50% the risk of contracting influenza and colds. Oxolin has practically no contraindications. Therefore, it is allowed to use not only adults, but also children who are a natural risk group during the epidemics of ARVI. For example, in 1969 the Central SES of the Ministry of Health of the USSR used oxoline as a means of preventing influenza among preschool children. After observing more than 4,000 children, the researchers concluded that the use of oxolin ointment twice a day reduces the incidence of influenza by 43%.

2) Oxolin is effective, first of all, as a means of prevention. It is enough to use it every 4 hours when visiting public places or contact with the source of infection. This will significantly reduce the risk of contracting a cold. In 1970, the Lviv Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology observed students and schoolchildren aged 15-18 who used oxolin ointment 1-2 times a day. Despite the epidemic, the number of cases of influenza among people using oxoline decreased by 71%. Also, the incidence of other ARI decreased by 44.5%.

It can not be said that antiviral drugs are useless. Often we just misunderstand their role, hoping that a strong medicine will quickly put us on our feet. But it's not at all like that, because it's better to battle the cold before it starts. And the prevention of disease will be much cheaper than her treatment.