Children's allergies are no longer surprising. It may appear from birth or may result from the accumulation of allergen in a fragile body. Very often, parents do not know which medicine to prefer in order to protect children from allergies.
Zirtek drops have been used for a long time and have already established themselves as one of the most effective. Our article will talk about this drug.
What are the benefits
The use of Zirtek drops for children is possible both for prophylaxis and for therapeutic purposes. According to an independent study, in more than 90% of cases it is possible to reduce the effects of an allergic reaction.
Thanks to the timely intake of Zirtek drops, children have reduced swelling, skin rashes, nasal congestion and itching disappear. This is achieved by blocking allergens and their subsequent excretion in the urine from the body.
Composition and form of release
The active ingredient in the drug is one - cetirizine dihydrochloride. 1 ml of drops contains 10 mg of the main component. For most parents, it’s important that the product contains no colorants, sweeteners, or artificial flavors. The manufacturer of this drug took these requirements into account and excluded them from the composition of the drug.
The solution is transparent, does not have any color, but it can smell like a weak solution of vinegar. This is due to the fact that glacial acetic acid is among the auxiliary components.
Drops are available in dark glass bottles with a capacity of 10 and 20 ml. For ease of use, there is a dropper on the cap.
Operating principle
Cetirizine acts as a blocker of peripheral H1-histamine receptors. Helps relieve spasm of smooth muscles, preventing the development of edema. If urticaria is diagnosed, then Zirtek in drops for children has a cooling effect, eliminating skin rashes. In this case, a positive effect of drops is noted, both at the initial stage of the disease, and at a later stage.
The drug does not suppress consciousness and cannot be perceived as a sedative, relaxing agent. It is also noteworthy that in the process of taking drops the child is not addictive, so "Zirtek" is prescribed by pediatricians even for the treatment of allergies in young children.
Indication for admission
The main reason for prescribing Zirtek drops for children is an allergic reaction. Therefore, any skin rashes associated with the reaction of the body to an allergen can be an indication for use. However, do not exclude other diseases:
- Atopic dermatitis, other allergic dermatoses, which manifest as a rash on the skin and itching.
- Allergic conjunctivitis, rhinitis (seasonal or permanent, occurring regardless of the time of year).
- A skin reaction to insect bites (e.g. mosquitoes) when swelling has formed and the affected area has turned red.
- Urticaria (a particularly dangerous type of allergy, if not completely treated, leads to the death of body cells and further death).
- Quincke's edema (in which subcutaneous tissue and mucous membrane swell, lips, eyelids, neck, genitals, feet swell. With the most complex form, the larynx swells).
- Pollinosis (allergy to pollen of flowering plants).
In infancy, as well as if the child is 1 year old, Zirtek drops can be prescribed as a prophylaxis before vaccination. This is a kind of “safety net” against a possible onset of an allergic reaction and a decrease in the risk of skin rashes. It is especially relevant for children prone to allergies. Even though this measure is a warning one, you should not neglect it. Since we are talking about a single dose of Zirtek drops, for children up to a year they are less dangerous than their analogues.
It is worth noting that the instructions from the manufacturer do not clearly indicate this indication for use, however, many pediatricians recommend taking an antihistamine before vaccination and the day after it.
Mode of application
Before starting the intake, many people wonder how many drops of Zirtek a child can be given once. General instructions for taking the drug - 20 drops 1 time per day. Naturally, it is important to consider the age of the drug. For children up to a year, Zirtek drops according to the instructions are recommended to be given no more than 5 drops per day. This dosage is also sufficient for older children (up to 6 years and older). Children older than one year are allowed to give drops 1-2 times a day, as agreed with the doctor and depending on the severity of the disease.
The effect of the drug can be felt after an hour after administration.
The absorption of the drug does not depend on the time of the meal. However, it is recommended to take it on an empty stomach or half an hour after eating. For infants, it is permissible to dilute drops in breast milk. The duration of the drug should not exceed ten days.
When diagnosing a disease such as renal failure, only the attending physician, such as a pediatrician, can answer the question of how many Zirtek drops a child can give.
Contraindications
The manufacturer identifies obvious and relative contraindications, so before taking the drug, you must consult your doctor about the advisability of taking. Judging by the reviews, Zirtek drops for children under one year of age do not guarantee a cure for the cause of the disease, but only relieve the symptom. First you need to carefully study the list of contraindications, adverse reactions and then make a decision whether the drug is suitable or not. The true reasons for refusing to take the drug include:
- The child is less than 6 months old.
- Problems in the work of the kidneys, the presence of chronic diseases.
- Intolerance to the main component of the drug.
- Lactose deficiency, including hereditary galactose intolerance.
Liver disease is a secondary reason for refusing to use Zirtek drops.
Side effects
Not all of these phenomena can occur with the use of Zirtek drops for children. It is worthwhile to pay attention to the appearance of several side effects in a child:
- Regarding the nervous system: drowsiness, dizziness, increased fatigue.
- From the digestive system: nausea, abdominal pain, less frequent cases of diarrhea.
- Regarding the respiratory system: pharyngitis, rhinitis.
Other symptoms can be extremely rare (anaphylactic shock, tachycardia, hypersensitivity, fainting, tremors, decreased platelet count in the blood, and others), so do not immediately be scared of their list in the instructions.
The propyl parabenzene and methyl parabenzene included in the composition can cause an allergic reaction to the intake of Zirtek drops. There is no need to fear the presence of contraindications, since this indicates not so much the harmfulness as the knowledge of the drug.
Overdose
Sometimes it happens that the drug could fall into the hands of a child who took a certain amount of medicine. First of all, if the child himself can clearly tell or show how many drops of Zirtek he drank, it is worth asking him about it. Any excess of this norm may serve as a reason for the onset of adverse reactions. In this case, the baby may feel weakness, general malaise, stupor or anxiety. Urinary retention is also noted.
What to do when the dosage of Zirtek drops for children is exceeded? If no more than 20 minutes have passed, then you should immediately rinse your stomach or provoke vomiting. As a prophylaxis, it is recommended to give the child activated charcoal. In other cases, it is necessary to assess the overall well-being of the child, in case of deterioration, you should immediately consult a doctor.
How to give drops to a baby
Zirtek drops are used for children in the same way as other types of drops. In the case when the drug is intended for instillation into the nose, then first you need to clean the baby’s nose from mucus, if any. You can use a saline solution for washing and a cotton flagellum or aspirator. It is not recommended to use cotton buds, as they can only aggravate the situation and clog the mucus further into the sinus.
Many mothers are interested in - how many drops of Zirtek are the children supposed to give per day? The dosage is: 1 drop in each nasal passage, if we are talking about babies. In some cases, children are prescribed oral administration of Zirtek drops. And how to give? Everything is simple: 5 drops diluted in pure water per day.
Analogs
It happens that there are no necessary drops in stock and then, “Zyrtec” can be replaced by other means to eliminate allergy symptoms. These include:
- The Zodak has a similar active component, like the Zirtek. However, the age at which it is recommended to start taking the drug is from the first year of life and older. Release form: drops, syrup, tablets. Side effects in the form of drowsiness are less pronounced compared with other generations of drugs of this spectrum of action.
- "Cetirizine" is prescribed to children from one year old in the form of drops, and the syrup - starting from two years old (has a banana smell), consists of cetirizine dihydrochloride. Like Zodak, Zirtek belongs to the 2nd generation of antihistamines, has a lesser effect on the central nervous system and digestive system.
- "Fenistil": the main component is dimetinden. You can give babies from the first month of life. The drug is released in the form of a gel, drops, emulsion. It belongs to the 1st generation of antihistamines, has a clear side effect in the form of drowsiness, and can affect the central nervous system.
- "Suprastin" is produced in tablets, you can start taking it from the first month of life, the main component is chloropyramine. Like Tavegil, Fenistil belongs to the 1st generation of anti-allergy drugs and is indiscriminate in terms of its effect on receptors.
- "Erius" - refers to the third generation of antihistamine-type drugs, does not cause drowsiness. The drug selectively acts on histamine receptors, does not affect the central nervous system. It is recommended for children from the first year of life, the main active ingredient is desloratadine. For babies and children up to 12 years old, it is available in the form of a suspension, a flavoring agent is used as a taste improver.
Reviews
Despite the detailed description in the instructions of all the properties of the drug, for most parents when choosing Zirtek drops for children, reviews are no less important. They help assess the benefits of the drug, as well as learn about possible complications. Let us analyze the responses of parents whose children at the age of the first year of life have already managed to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug. The feedback of doctors is also important.
Many mothers of children under the age of one year are faced with the need to take the drug only during the planned vaccination period. Their reviews boil down to the fact that pediatricians recommend giving Zirtek (or its analogue Suprastin, also an antihistamine) on the eve of, the day of vaccination, and the day after it. However, experienced parents agree that similar drugs have either a bitter taste or a very sweet taste. In addition, a large list of by-products from similar drugs matters and therefore it is better to overpay a little than to test them on a child.
The reviews of parents whose children suffer from food allergies agree on one thing: they often try many different antihistamines, but not all are suitable, for example, to infants. Therefore, the choice in favor of Zirtek turns out to be quite reasonable. The drug can be prescribed to children from 6 months. And here we are talking not only about constant cases of an allergic reaction, but also symptomatic. For example, introducing a new product into a baby’s diet, some mothers may experience reddening of their cheeks and itching. In this case, a single dose of Zirtek allows you to get rid of the visible symptoms of an allergic reaction.
The effectiveness of Zirtek is also felt during the treatment of urticaria. Parents who have encountered such a problem, and doctors too, say that the main thing is to take the drug when the first signs appear (rash all over the body or in a certain area, itching). This will allow for a while, before determining the treatment regimen, to slow down the rate of development of the disease. Since antihistamines are the first in the list of drug treatment, it is simply necessary to have medicines based on cetirizine in the medicine cabinet (it is he who is the main component of Zirtek). This is the opinion of doctors and most mothers.
If you select reviews about the properties of various drugs for the treatment of allergies, then often parents' statements are found, regarding a significant list of their side effects. Moreover, this concerns not so much scary points as anaphylactic shock, tremor or sudden death syndrome in infants, but often drowsiness after taking the drug. Judging by the reviews, after taking Zirtek this was not observed, which makes it competitive before using more affordable similar antihistamines. Mothers of babies of the first year of life and babies pay special attention to this.
Practicing doctors have long noted that the use of Zirtek in the form of drops simplifies the process of delivering the medicine to the baby. It is not necessary to dissolve or divide, like tablets, it is enough to drip the right amount of medicine in a spoon and even admissible to mix it with breast milk or a mixture.
Also among the positive reviews of pediatricians there are references to the fact that Zirtek belongs to the third generation of antihistamines. This means that it is less likely than others to cause side effects, does not inhibit the central nervous system and does not have a sedative effect on the child's body. In practice, these data have been confirmed more than once, so you can trust Zirtek drops and give them to children at the first sign of an allergy.
It is worth focusing not only on positive reviews. Doctors recommend that in any case, contact the supervising pediatrician and consult on the advisability of prescribing Zirtek drops to infants and children, especially the first year of life. Despite the modern composition and use of cetirizine as the main active ingredient, medication is not always necessary. Some parents give antihistamines for any reason and at the first sign of a red rash on their face. Based on the feedback of doctors, for example, a food allergy can be of a one-time nature and does not always require medical intervention. Most often, it passes by itself if the mother cancels the intake of an allergenic product.