One word difference, almost used wrong! This "panacea" that every household must have, most people don't use it correctly

Erythromycin eye ointment and erythromycin ointment for a few dollars,

The names are only one letter different.

But it often confuses people in their daily lives.

After an accidental fall, Ms. Lin, who lives in Fuzhou, was left with a fingernail-sized wound on her knee. During treatment in the hospital, the nurse suggested that she apply erythromycin ointment when the wound was about to heal to promote better recovery .

Hearing this suggestion, Ms. Lin couldn't help but wonder: "Erythromycin ointment? Isn't this an eye ointment applied to the eyes? How can it be applied to wounds?"

With doubts, Ms. Lin consulted Song Xiaodan, a public welfare pharmacist of Fujian Health News and chief pharmacist of the Pharmacy Department of the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Fuzhou University, through the Fujian Health News Health+ mini program , only to find out that she had confused the two medicines.

01 The difference between erythromycin ointment and erythromycin eye ointment

In fact, although the main ingredients of erythromycin ointment and erythromycin eye ointment are both erythromycin, there are significant differences in their concentrations and uses.

Song Xiaodan pointed out that in terms of ingredients, both products contain erythromycin as their main ingredient, but the concentration of erythromycin in erythromycin eye ointment is 0.5% , while that in erythromycin ointment is 1% , so erythromycin eye ointment is relatively "milder".

Erythromycin eye ointment requires strict aseptic operation during the drug production process, but erythromycin ointment is not a sterile preparation. If the ointment is used as an eye ointment by mistake , it will cause irritation of the eye tissue, causing symptoms such as pain, redness, swelling, and tearing , and may even cause further damage to the eyes.

Erythromycin eye ointment

It is mainly used to fight eye infections (such as conjunctivitis and trachoma) and needs to be applied inside the eyelids.

Erythromycin ointment

It is suitable for superficial skin infections (such as purulent skin diseases, small burns, ulcer infections, and acne), and cannot be used on the eyes.

02 Avoid abuse of erythromycin ointment

Erythromycin ointment is a commonly used medicine with a very high "national popularity". Many netizens also use it to remove acne, stop nosebleeds, and eliminate hemorrhoids... Is this ointment really so magical?

Song Xiaodan explained that erythromycin ointment does have a good effect in dealing with some skin problems. However, patients should use the medicine according to their actual condition and follow the doctor's advice to choose it reasonably, and must not abuse it at will . Long-term or excessive use of erythromycin ointment is very likely to cause local irritation, rash and other adverse reactions .

Increased drug resistance is also a potential risk of long-term use of erythromycin ointment . After long-term exposure to the drug, bacteria may become resistant to the antibacterial effect of erythromycin and become "invulnerable". As the number of resistant bacteria increases, it will not only reduce the effectiveness of treatment , but also make the infection difficult to control, thereby increasing the difficulty of treatment.

Song Xiaodan suggested that when using erythromycin ointment, it is important to follow the doctor's advice. Under reasonable use, if the skin discomfort symptoms improve within 3 days, the medication should be continued until the infection is completely controlled. However, if the symptoms such as skin redness, swelling, and pus exudation do not improve after 3 days of use , you should go to the hospital immediately . It is not recommended to continue applying the ointment at this time.

Remember, erythromycin ointment is not a panacea.

*General principles of use: Use on a small area for a short time, avoid long-term and large-scale use!

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