Very often people come across various symptoms that can be uncomfortable. The most common of these are the most common tickling and sore throat. During pregnancy, such symptoms can appear quite often. However, not everyone knows that these sensations are the harbingers of laryngitis. Let's try to figure out how to treat laryngitis during pregnancy and whether it is worth going to the doctor.
Laryngitis: what is it?
Laryngitis is an inflammation that affects the lining of the larynx. Very often, pathology is a concomitant symptom of other infectious diseases. It can occur very quickly and have vivid manifestations, but with proper and timely treatment, it disappears in about 2 weeks.
But how to treat laryngitis during pregnancy or in children? By the way, in young patients this disease manifests itself quite often, since it accompanies such infectious diseases as whooping cough, scarlet fever and measles. If a woman in childhood was not ill with these diseases and was not vaccinated, then the risk of infection during pregnancy increases, and then it will be necessary to deal with the manifestations of laryngitis based on her situation.
Like any other inflammatory disease, laryngitis has two forms: acute and chronic.
Causes of occurrence
Before treating laryngitis during pregnancy, you need to understand how it can be provoked. After all, removing the source of the disease before the onset of consequences is easier than getting rid of unpleasant symptoms later.
So, the most common causes of laryngitis are hypothermia or overstrain of the vocal cords. Therefore, you should be especially careful if pregnancy falls in the autumn-winter period. And also, if possible, not to be an ardent fan or an avid debater.
If your profession is related to voice overstrain, for example, a singer in a choir, a kindergarten teacher, a school teacher or your work is associated with noisy workshops where you need to speak loudly, then in this case the chance to earn laryngitis increases.
In the acute form, laryngitis can act both as an independent disease and as a concomitant symptom, for example, with flu. In this case, the inflammatory process can also extend to the epiglottis, sub-vocal walls and vocal cords.
The chronic form characterizes the neglected or recurring acute form of laryngitis. In this case, there is a constant inflammatory process that can go from the sinuses. Therefore, treatment should always be comprehensive, because infections are insidious and can very quickly change their place of deployment and adapt to new conditions.
In addition, laryngitis can also trigger:
- Irritation of the larynx with hot or cold food, water.
- Irritation by dust, gases, vapors.
- The abuse of nicotine and alcohol.
- Mucosal contact with chemicals.
- An allergic reaction to bacteria, food, dust, etc.
- Weak immunity.
- Irritation of the mucous membranes due to the ingestion of food debris from the stomach back into the esophagus (reflux).
Manifestations of laryngitis
Symptoms of laryngitis during pregnancy and treatment depend on the form of the disease.
In acute mucosa of the larynx will be reddened and swollen, red dots may appear on it, which indicates bursting vessels. The voice in this form may be modified or absent due to incomplete closure of the vocal cords.
The general condition of the body with acute laryngitis also worsens, in the first place there is an increase in body temperature, headache and general weakness.
If the inflammation affects the epiglottis, then sore throat when swallowing, difficulty breathing, dryness and sore throat. A dry cough may begin, which subsequently usually turns into a wet one.
With acute laryngitis, you can cope in a week, if you obey all the instructions of your doctor.
Chronic laryngitis manifests itself in a slightly different way. There is a constantly hoarse voice, a person cannot talk for a long time, he constantly has tickles in his throat and he is trying to fix it constantly by coughing.
Pregnancy laryngitis: what is the danger?
In addition to unpleasant sensations for the mother, laryngitis can adversely affect the health of your baby. The ability of the mother and fetus to resist infections at each stage is different.
In the first trimester there is a bookmark and intensive development of the nervous system. Therefore, laryngitis in the mother at this time can lead to violations in the nervous system of the fetus.
In the second trimester, the urinary system of the fetus may fall under attack, and in the third trimester, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
In addition to the above pathologies of fetal development, it is possible to develop complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital pneumonia of the fetus, hypoxia, or weakened immunity in a child.
Laryngitis: how to treat during pregnancy?
Treatment of any disease during pregnancy is complicated by the fact that many medications are simply prohibited for use during the period of gestation, since they can do more harm than good.
Self-medication in this case is generally contraindicated! An experienced specialist should monitor the treatment and, if necessary, adjust it. On your own, you can not completely cure laryngitis and only exacerbate the situation by getting yourself a chronic form of this disease.
For the treatment of laryngitis during pregnancy, local therapy is used. You may be asked to dissolve lozenges, make compresses or inhalations, gargle. Chlorophyllipt, Chlorhexidine, Miramistin are well suited for this. They are aimed at reducing the number of pathogens of infection on the mucous membranes.
In addition, during pregnancy, the use of the following medicines is allowed:
- "Paracetamol" - if there is an increased temperature;
- "Interferon" - to enhance immunity;
- "Faringosept" - from a sore throat when swallowing;
- "Ingalipt" - an aerosol from unpleasant sensations in the throat;
- "Ambrobene" or "Mukaltin" - expectorant drugs.
1 trimester
At this stage of pregnancy, any improper action can lead to interruption of the latter. Therefore, at the first signs of the presence of any disease, in particular laryngitis, it is necessary to consult a doctor. No need to decide for yourself what to treat laryngitis during pregnancy in the first trimester.
The doctor at this time is likely to limit the possibility of taking medications. Pregnant women are prescribed drugs for local treatment: sprays, rinses, inhalations. Do not forget that some herbs that seem to be harmless can harm your pregnancy. Therefore, let them also appoint a doctor.
2 trimester
How to treat laryngitis during pregnancy in the second trimester, the doctor will also tell you. At this time, the use of drugs whose benefit will be above the potential risk is already permissible. In most cases, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis if the risk of reinfection does not come from the environment of the pregnant woman. If pregnancy has complications, not including laryngitis, then treatment will most likely take place in a hospital.
Your doctor may prescribe medications such as Viferon or Grippferon (antiviral drugs), Sinecode or Linkas (cough medicines), Erespal, Lizobact, Hexoral (local anti-inflammatory pain medications) in the throat).
3 trimester
Laryngitis in the last trimester can cause premature birth or heavy bleeding during delivery. Even a doctor with caution should select an individual treatment for a pregnant woman at such a time.
But how to treat laryngitis during pregnancy in the third trimester? In this case, you are required to observe bed rest, protect your vocal cords, take vitamins, eat right, avoid places of possible infection and follow all medical recommendations.
At this time, you may be advised to purchase a humidifier. It will help with dry throat. In addition, this unit is useful to you after childbirth, because many experts recommend humidifying the air in the room where the baby is. This will help against the occurrence of unwanted diseases.
ethnoscience
The most common remedies for combating laryngitis are regular gargling. For this, decoctions of sage, oak bark, calendula, chamomile and St. John's wort are used. They can be easily purchased at any pharmacy.
Acetone-honey solution is also good for rinsing. In order to cook it you need to take 3 tbsp. l vinegar, 2 tbsp. l honey and dissolve them in a liter of water at room temperature. Rinse the procedure 3-4 times a day.
In the treatment of laryngitis during pregnancy with folk remedies, the use of warming compresses is allowed. In this case, use vegetable oil and alcohol, heated salt and warm potatoes.
Use warming compresses in the throat and chest. Do not apply on the surface of the skin - this can lead to burns. Therefore, at first a rather tight bandage is placed. After removing the compress, the heating zone is wrapped with a scarf or other cloth, which will help maintain heat.
But even such simple procedures as rinsing and compresses cannot be used without knowing the exact diagnosis and without consulting a doctor!
Prevention of laryngitis
Than to treat laryngitis during pregnancy, it is better to prevent its occurrence in advance. Initially, you must avoid those places and people from which you can become infected with any infectious disease. To do this, you can use a mask, as well as oxolinic ointment. In addition, it is impossible to prevent hypothermia of the body.
Pregnant women need to eat well and get all the vitamins. If vitamins are not supplied enough with food, then you can take vitamin complexes specifically for pregnant women. But only after consulting a doctor! An excess of certain vitamins may have the opposite effect. Regular daily walks in the fresh air are also recommended.