A woman during gestation is very sensitive to her health, since her condition is reflected in the baby. But some illnesses still cannot be avoided. Very often during this period, expectant mothers have a cough. This symptom can occur unexpectedly, and at the same time cause a lot of inconvenience. Therefore, questions arise: how is dry cough treated during pregnancy, what medications can be used, and are there effective alternative methods?
What is a dry cough?
First, it’s worth knowing that a cough has its own “character”. It can be “wet” or “dry” (in medicine it is called “unproductive”). Therefore, before starting treatment, you should determine your appearance and, if possible, find out the reason for its appearance. “Dry” is a cough, during which there are no sputum or they are very scarce. It is extremely unpleasant and quickly exhausts, depriving forces. Therefore, the first task is to make the cough “wet”. It will be such only if mucus begins to form. This, in turn, will bring relief and improve coughing during pregnancy. Reviews of women show that many methods do not give an instant result, so you will have to be persistent in the treatment.
Reasons for the appearance
During gestation, there are a lot of reasons for the appearance of a dry cough. The fault may be diseases that can provoke this unpleasant condition, for example, acute respiratory infections, whooping cough, measles, exacerbations of chronic ailments, and others. In addition, the cause may be an allergic reaction or smoking. This can happen even due to poor air humidity.
But during gestation, the most common cause of coughing is sinusitis. It can be determined by the beginning signs of SARS, a cold, a runny nose and temperature. When the first symptoms appear, you should not hesitate, but it is better to consult a doctor to find out from a specialist how to dry cough during pregnancy.
Why is this condition dangerous?
Every woman who has encountered this problem will agree that she is quite exhausting. But you need to try to get rid of it not only for this reason. If a pregnant woman's immunity is weakened, a dry cough can cause complications and provoke the appearance of a new disease. “Launched” cases have to be treated with more radical methods, and this can be harmful to the baby.
In addition, during each attack there is a huge load on the abdominal muscles, and with a low position of the fetus it is very dangerous. Explosive shakes can cause bleeding. Therefore, as soon as you find these unpleasant symptoms, it is immediately worth taking action. But how is dry cough treated during pregnancy so as not to harm the fetus and achieve the effect?
Medication method
To begin treatment with pharmaceuticals, you should first see a doctor. He can pick up a medicine that has an expectorant effect. Often it is able to calm and anesthetize, which is necessary in this state. In addition, most antitussive drugs have a slight antispasmodic effect. It can be lozenges, ointment or cough syrup. Instructions for such drugs should always be attached so that a woman can independently verify whether there are any undesirable components in the composition. For example, codeine and morphine are such negative substances.
There are very few medicines that can be used during gestation. This list includes drugs that are allowed for children up to the age of three. Doctors are often prescribed to expectant mothers "Mukaltin", which copes with dry cough, or "Stodal". Also suitable is a drug that contains dextromethorphan, for example, it may be a cough syrup. The price of such a medicine depends on the volume of the bubble. For example, Stodal (200 ml) costs 300 rubles on average. Cost varies by pharmacy. But during gestation, you should not prescribe yourself certain drugs on your own, relying only on instructions or an affordable price.
The drug "Doctor Mom"
The price of modern medicines for pregnant women can be quite high, and the result is sometimes almost invisible. Therefore, many women use the proven safe drug “Doctor Mom” during the gestation period. Although it does not relieve pain in the throat, reviews show that the drug helps with coughing. Pregnant women use Dr. Mom syrup. The price of this drug also varies depending on the pharmacy in which it is purchased, but on average 100 ml costs 160 rubles.
Pregnant women should be treated very carefully with medication, since the wrong choice of medicine can leave a mark on the baby. But it is especially necessary to treat the treatment with trepidation if there is a cough in the first trimester of pregnancy. In this case, it would be better to turn to folk methods for help.
Safe inhalation
The most common treatment for dry cough during gestation is inhalation. They reduce the number of seizures and ease them. You can perform the procedure in several ways. The most convenient way to buy an inhaler. But the result will be positive, even if you use an ordinary pan. You need to breathe over the steam, covering your head with a blanket. But it is worth remembering that after boiling, the water should stand for about five minutes, only after that you can start treatment (you can not inhalation of very hot steam). The duration of the session should not exceed ten minutes. Such treatment can be carried out up to six times a day. After inhalation, you need to be at home for at least an hour and not drink cool liquid.
Inhalation Recipes
Natural honey, which is diluted in hot, clean water, will help relieve dry cough. The ratio of products is 1: 5. You need to breathe through the nose and mouth in turn.
For the next composition, you need a teaspoon of fresh chopped garlic, the same amount of pine needles extract, 2 drops of menthol oil and two teaspoons of eucalyptus leaves. The finished mixture is poured with boiling water and the procedure is carried out.
A decoction of ordinary potatoes is also suitable for these purposes. If there is no acute intolerance to odors, you can cook it with onions and garlic. After several procedures, the cough will become softer.
The next option takes a little time. A glass of boiling water is poured into two tablespoons of dried sage. In a wrapped container, the medicine is infused for 20 minutes. In a pan for inhalation, water is heated. The filtered infusion is poured into it and the procedure is carried out. You can also use chamomile, thyme or St. John's wort. But this is not the only thing that treats dry cough during pregnancy.
During gestation, you can breathe essential oils. Pine, eucalyptus, rosemary, mint are suitable, but such inhalations should last no more than five minutes. Such procedures are an effective method, but only if the patient does not have a fever and she does not suffer from high blood pressure.
Herbal decoctions
The simplest "grandmother's" method of getting rid of the symptoms of dry cough is tea. The following decoctions save:
- 2 tbsp. l mix thyme flowers with 3 tbsp. l lime color. Pour the grass with a liter of boiling water and steam for up to 20 minutes. It is better to drink at night, adding a little honey.
- Art. l pine kidney is poured with a glass of steep var. The container needs to be wrapped up and wait 40 minutes. Before each coughing attack, drink two sips of strained infusion.
- Dry flowers of meadow clover (2 tbsp. L.) Are lowered into a porcelain teapot. A glass of boiling water is added to it. Tea will be ready in 15 minutes. It can be sweetened with honey and taken half a glass. Drink four times daily in a warm form.
We are treated with milk
Since ancient times, grandmothers prepared drinks that were used to treat not only pregnant women, but also young children. Until now, cough milk is effective. To make a healthy drink you will need ¼ tsp. soda. It is added to a glass of warm milk. If you wish, you can put real honey and
butter here. This rich mixture, in addition to our main problem, relieves all the symptoms of a cold. It is also effective to drink warm milk from a cough, diluting it with mineral water (quality).
Radish in the fight against cough
Traditional medicine is famous for its variety of treatment methods. Most methods are suitable for women who are preparing to become mothers. One such remedy is black radish. During pregnancy from cough and colds, it can be an indispensable assistant. This product is considered antimicrobial and stimulates the immune system. The juice itself has an expectorant effect.
To prepare, you need a well-washed black radish. In the middle of the whole fruit, a recess is made, which must be filled up to half with honey. After four hours, juice will appear inside. This liquid should be drunk three times a day in a tablespoon. It is better if the fruit is in a dark place and gradually filled with juice. It must be covered with a saucer or top of the radish. From time to time (once a day) you can cut off the edges a bit so that fresh juice seeps out. In a week there will be noticeable relief. During this time, approximately two radishes should be consumed.
The only thing you need to consider is that if a woman has problems with the intestines or a tendency to gas formation, she should choose a different treatment method.
Cocoa butter for coughing during pregnancy
It has long been proven that this product is a real cure for colds. But most importantly, it can be used by pregnant women, and at the same time its effectiveness is not inferior to drugs from the pharmacy. This product contains vitamins A, C, E, as well as triglycerides, caffeine, tannins, polyphenols, fatty acids and tannins, which is why cocoa butter is widely used in medicine. From cough, it helps those that have an expectorant, enveloping, analgesic, emollient and anti-inflammatory effect.
If a woman is not allergic to this product, it can be used both externally and internally. With a dry cough and perspiration in the throat, small pieces (like a pea) should be chipped off and resolved up to six times a day. Cocoa butter will relieve inflammation, relieve pain and gradually eliminate the main problem.
If a woman has a cold or suffers from bronchitis, which is accompanied by a dry cough, you can prepare a drink from a glass of hot milk. Here is added half a tsp. cocoa butter and up to two spoons of honey. This warm “cocktail” is taken in small sips twice a day.
If a woman has pneumonia or angina, honey must be replaced with propolis, but it should be 10 times less than the cocoa butter contained in the cocktail. This drink is also taken only in the morning and at night.