A runny nose during pregnancy is a common phenomenon, many expectant mothers are also worried about nasal congestion. At first glance, complications of this kind should not cause concern. Only in relation to pregnant women a runny nose causes a lot of trouble and discomfort. This is mainly due to the fact that many drops are contraindicated for women in position, as, indeed, almost any medications.
Therefore, every mother tries with all her might to protect herself from any disease, so that neither the infection itself, nor the course of treatment do irreparable harm to the baby. Unfortunately, this is very rarely possible, especially when changing the season. Thus, the risk of catching rhinitis increases if pregnancy occurs in the autumn or spring months. It is believed that inhalation during pregnancy from a runny nose helps as well as possible. But let's not get too far ahead.
And if a woman is allergic to flowers, then allergic rhinitis can worsen in the summer. In June, it is full of poplar fluff, and in August, ragweed pollen is the causative agent of allergies.
Each woman should not only try to protect herself from rhinitis (but this is an almost impossible mission), it is much more important to know what you can do from a runny nose during pregnancy. Moreover, as efficiently and without harm to the child.
What is he rhinitis?
In pregnant women, a runny nose can manifest itself in different ways. In total, several types can be distinguished:
- colds (infectious);
- allergic;
- vasomotor (hormonal).
Moreover, each type of runny nose has its own treatment feature.
Infectious Rhinitis
Pregnant women most often experience a common cold in the first trimester. Indeed, during this period, cardinal hormonal changes begin in the mother’s body, due to which the immune system weakens. In this case, the woman is most vulnerable to a different kind of infection. In addition to the common cold, the expectant mother may increase body temperature, a headache appears, the voice becomes hoarse.
Often, a runny nose during pregnancy causes other respiratory manifestations such as coughing and sore throat against the background of generally accepted symptoms (weakness, lethargy, and others).
Allergic manifestation of the disease
An allergic rhinitis, in fact, is the body's response to contact with an allergen. And since pregnant women feel worse, their sensitivity to allergenic pathogens also changes. As a rule, women already in adulthood know what they are allergic to, and therefore, when carrying a child, such mothers try to avoid contact with the allergen.
Vasomotor or hormonal runny nose
A kind is a separate characteristic of rhinitis, which is associated with the action of hormones that are secreted by a woman only during pregnancy, on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. For example, due to the hormone estrogen, the mucous membranes swell, and the effect of progesterone helps to enhance cell secretion. As a result of this, nasal congestion occurs, accompanied by copious discharge.
As a rule, this type of runny nose during pregnancy occurs with the advent of the II trimester and can continue until the III period, right up to the very birth of the baby. But as soon as the baby is born, after 1-2 weeks the runny nose goes away on its own.
Hormonal or vasomotor rhinitis differs from an infectious rhinitis in that it proceeds without an increase in temperature, and purulent nasal discharge is absent.
Dangerous effects
Is a runny nose a danger to a pregnant woman and her baby? The answer is clear - no doubt! However, you should not immediately panic, you must take control of the situation. Rhinitis is a symptom that appears with almost every cold. Often, a runny nose during pregnancy manifests itself in the following form:
- nasal congestion;
- difficulty breathing through the nose;
- formation and secretion of liquid or viscous secretions;
- itching of the mucous membrane.
As for the threat, it is as follows. Nasal congestion occurs due to edema of its mucous membrane, which leads to disruption of oxygen circulation. As a result of this, hypoxia of the nasal tissues appears, which in turn provokes the creation of pathogenic microflora. As a result, rhinosinusitis develops. And it requires a thorough and long course of treatment.
If you do not use a cold medicine during pregnancy, then due to hypoxia, the process of supplying oxygen to the brain is disturbed, which causes headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and fatigue. But beyond this, neurotic symptoms may begin to develop. This is expressed in the form of irritability, tearfulness, sleep disturbance. In particular, these signs are manifested during the course of severe rhinitis in pregnant women.
With nasal congestion, one has to breathe through the mouth, as a result of which the lower parts of the respiratory tract are attacked due to the unhindered spread of the infection, such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis and other similar diseases.
For this reason, it is necessary not to brush off a runny nose during pregnancy. What to do? Timely treatment. Moreover, it should be comprehensive, operational, but most importantly - safe!
I trimester
Let us now consider what danger may run a cold in each of the three trimesters of pregnancy. And let's start with the first one. It is from this period that the global restructuring of the female body begins. And again, due to a weakened immunity, the appearance of a viral disease poses a dangerous threat to mother and child.
It is during this period that the laying of many internal organs of the fetus takes place. And as statistics show, the main reason for miscarriages is precisely the presence of an infectious disease. In this regard, as soon as the first signs of a runny nose appear during pregnancy at the 1st trimester, you should immediately consult a doctor:
- Body temperature rises.
- Cough.
- The commotion.
- Sore throat.
All this may indicate the development of colds and SARS. In addition, each expectant mother should clarify one thing - under no circumstances should he self-medicate! This is due to the fact that most of the medications are contraindicated in women in position. Otherwise, you can cause irreparable harm not only to yourself, but also to your unborn baby.
Features of the common cold in the II trimester
Basically, this period for each woman proceeds more calmly. The child is sufficiently formed, his body is adapted to the environment and his immunity is a little stronger. And as noted above, it is at this time that a hormonal runny nose can occur. Nevertheless, unlike a runny nose during pregnancy in the first trimester, there is no threat of miscarriage, since the uterine placenta not only provides the fetus with the necessary nutrition, but also reliably protects it from a number of adverse factors.
However, the appearance of rhinitis can still be fraught with a certain danger. This is mainly due to swelling of the mucosa, which proceeds in conjunction with a change in the hormonal background of the female body.
As a result of hypoxia, fetoplacental insufficiency develops, in which the child receives a minimum amount of nutrients, including oxygen access. Ultimately, the child’s nervous system is disturbed, and he cannot gain the necessary mass. In addition, the endocrine system of the fetus is at risk, since its development begins precisely in this period of pregnancy.
What is characteristic, in the II trimester it is allowed to use some drugs when there is a runny nose during pregnancy and a sore throat. But at the same time, only the minimum dosage is indicated, and the reception should be conducted only under the supervision of the attending physician.
III trimester
Often, a runny nose accompanies a pregnant woman not only with the onset of pregnancy, but also occurs at a later date. During this period, the same side effect that is characteristic of rhinitis is also preserved - oxygen starvation due to swelling of the mucosa.
Viral runny nose in the last weeks of pregnancy is fraught with many consequences:
- the infection can get into the amniotic fluid;
- intrauterine infection of the child before childbirth;
- the protective functions of the placenta are weakened;
- negatively affects the production of milk in women.
As you can understand, a runny nose in a given period does not significantly affect the development of a child directly. At the same time, due to rhinitis, the baby can be born with pathologies. For this reason, if signs of rhinitis appear, you should consult a doctor to treat a runny nose during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester. Moreover, regardless of its nature of its manifestations.
Causes of Rhinitis
Runny nose among pregnant women is so common that many ladies simply do not pay attention to it, but should. Such a large “popularity” of rhinitis is due to obvious reasons. And the main one lies in the weakened immunity of the expectant mother. After all, the female body devotes most of its energy to the development and protection of the child.
Another reason is the intense production of progesterone and estrogen. A side effect of this is swelling of the mucosa, which occurs against a background of a decrease in its thickness.
In addition, a runny nose may occur due to drying of the mucosa. This is due to the increasing volume of blood in the mother's body. But the mucosa itself dries up due to other factors. This can be a variety of allergic processes or a low level of humidity.
What can you get from a runny nose during pregnancy?
How to treat a runny nose for pregnant women, since it is so dangerous for both: mother and baby? First of all, it is necessary to exclude contact with allergens whenever possible.
However, this is not always possible to achieve, and then the treatment of allergic rhinitis is carried out with the use of antihistamines, with which it is possible to remove the symptoms of allergies.
Only because of pregnancy and in order to avoid any effect on the fetus, only the latest generation of such drugs is used. Moreover, in a minimum dosage. As for hormonal drops from a runny nose during pregnancy, then during the period I and III trimester, they should be abandoned.
With a cold, a cold should be observed for several days, mainly bed rest. But, in addition to this, it is necessary to rinse the nose with saline solutions. Drinking plenty is also shown. Such actions allow the female body to cope with the infection on its own.
As for antiviral and antibacterial drugs, then their use is strictly not recommended. In this regard, before dripping a particular remedy in the nose, the expectant mother needs to read the instructions and consult a doctor.
In the case when a runny nose takes on a more pronounced character and is accompanied by purulent discharge, pain in the paranasal sinuses or in the forehead, high fever, the doctor will be able to pick up the necessary drops from the common cold during pregnancy. In this case, special antibiotics will be prescribed, which have the most minimal effect on the fetus, affecting only the infection.
Treatment of vasomotor rhinitis begins with the establishment of its origin, which should be done only by a doctor and no one else. Only he makes the selection of the necessary drugs, which may include herbal or chemical-based drugs, decides which physiotherapy procedures can be performed, and prescribes general strengthening agents. In addition, his duties include drawing up nutrition rules and daily routines.
Something about vasoconstrictor drugs
Most people prefer to get rid of an annoying runny nose with drugs with a vasoconstrictor effect. Moreover, the use is uncontrolled. Unfortunately, many pregnant women do this. Only now, taking such funds for a cold during pregnancy is recommended only in the most extreme cases, in order to alleviate the symptoms of rhinitis.
If such a need cannot be avoided, such medicines should be used with extreme caution. Some part of the active substance is still able to penetrate the circulatory system of the female body, therefore, it is not difficult to reach the fetus.
Due to its action, small capillaries also narrow, which leads to oxygen starvation. In addition, vasoconstrictor drugs increase blood pressure, due to which, in fact, headaches appear. A good alternative to such medicines is Pinosol. True, such treatment does not help every expectant mother.
Folk remedies for the common cold during pregnancy
In addition to the traditional drug treatment, you can get rid of the common cold with the help of folk remedies that are time-tested. However, care must be taken, since many herbs can adversely affect the development of the child. An example is a solution of aloe, which provokes an increase in uterine tone. Broths of sage and mint have pronounced disinfectant properties and constrict blood vessels.
For this reason, these funds are not recommended for use during pregnancy. To eliminate the common cold, it is better to use other methods:
- Nasal steam inhalations during pregnancy from a runny nose are highly effective. Usually they are held over a container where boiling water is located, and a small amount of soda and aromatic oils can be added to the water. Boiled water can be replaced with a decoction of chamomile, hypericum, plantain.
- It is necessary to maintain the necessary level of humidity in the room. If possible, the expectant mother should spend most of the time in the fresh air.
- Try to give the head during sleep an elevated position so that it is higher than the body. To do this, you can put another pillow or lift the head of the bed. As a result, blood flow to the nasal passages will decrease, which in turn reduces nasal congestion.
- "Asterisk" also helps well during pregnancy from a runny nose. This tool was in special honor in Soviet times, however, now popularity has fallen. Nevertheless, some women use this effective ointment.
- Avoid general thermal procedures, as this almost always provokes a miscarriage. Preference should be given to warm hand baths. And in the absence of a bacterial infection, the nose can be warmed up.
- Pregnant women are shown acupressure using eucalyptus oil or fir. It was noted that by massaging acupuncture points in the area of the nasal wings and nose bridge, breathing through the nose improves after a short time.
- Vitamin C should be used as much as possible, which helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels. This is easily accomplished with ready-made vitamin complexes or foods, which is preferable.
All these “grandmother's” tips, despite well-developed medicine, even today do not lose their relevance, take at least the same “star” during pregnancy from a cold.
As a result
Any pregnant woman with a runny nose causes a lot of discomfort. In addition, the development of the child is at stake. For this reason, treatment should not be delayed! For the most part, use only those products that are plant-based. It is only worthwhile to understand that self-medication is contraindicated during pregnancy, however, this applies not only to expectant mothers.
How to get rid of a runny nose during pregnancy? This question worries every expectant mother! But, in fact, all that is needed is to strictly follow all the recommendations of the attending physician. Among other things, you must adhere to a proper and balanced diet and observe the daily routine. Peaceful sleep and good rest is more important than ever for any expectant mother. Only in this way will the child develop without complications in love and care.