Coughing bad for pregnancy

Cough and Cold During Pregnancy: Treatment and Prevention

When you become pregnant, your immune system is likely to change. As a result of these changes, you may contract a cold or cough at some point during your pregnancy. In addition, your illness may last longer. The good news is that even though you probably feel fatigued, the symptoms of a cold or flu are not typically dangerous to your baby. However, it is important to take the necessary measures to avoid contracting a cold or cough during pregnancy and to treat it once you get one.

Get ample rest – Take naps, sleep through the night, and sit down to relax. These are great ways to give your body much-needed downtime. Learn more about the importance of bed rest during pregnancy.
Drink plenty of fluids – Drink water, juice, or broth to add necessary fluids back into your body.
Eat well – Even if you cannot stomach larger meals, try eating small portions often.
Reduce congestion – Place a humidifier in your room, keep your head elevated on your pillow while resting, or use nasal strips.
Alleviate your sore throat – Suck on ice chips, drink warm tea, or gargle with warm salt water.

It is best to reduce the number of over-the-counter medications you take. Many medications you normally would use to treat the symptoms of your cold are not safe to take during your pregnancy. The following is a list of medications that pose little risk to your baby during pregnancy; however, it is best to consult with your doctor before taking any medications to relieve your symptoms.

Acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) can be used to alleviate fevers, headaches, and body aches.
Anesthetic sore throat lozenges can ease the pain in your throat.
Codeine and dextromethorphan can often be used as cough suppressants.

Should I Call the Doctor About a Cold or Cough?

It is important to call your doctor if your symptoms are causing you to stop eating or sleeping, or if they last for more than a couple of days without improving. It is also important to consult your physician if you develop a fever that is 102° Fahrenheit or greater.
Lastly, if you begin to cough up discolored mucus or if your cough is accompanied by chest pain and/or wheezing, make sure to call your doctor. They may need to prescribe an antibiotic to kill the infection.

A Special Consideration: Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is a contagious infection that is characterized by excessive, violent coughing followed by an intake of breath that makes a whooping sound. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that all pregnant women receive the Tdap vaccine during each of their pregnancies, preferably between the 27th-36th weeks of pregnancy.
This will ensure that protection against whooping cough is passed down to your baby for the first couple of months after birth. Since your child will not receive their first whooping cough vaccine until they are 2 months old, getting this vaccine while you are pregnant will ensure your infant is protected until then. Learn more about taking vaccinations during your pregnancy.

How Do I Prevent Getting a Cough or Cold During Pregnancy?

In order to avoid getting a cold or cough, the most important step to take is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you are eating nutritiously, getting the necessary amount of sleep, and exercising on a regular basis. In addition to this, it is important that you take your prenatal vitamins, as well as probiotics.
Wash your hands regularly. If you know you are around someone who is struggling with a cold, avoid touching their hands or eating after them. Take extra effort to wash your hands more frequently when you are around those who have a cold or cough.
Tracking your medication is easy with the Fetal Life App for Apple and Android endorsed by the American Pregnancy Association. It features medicine tracking, meal recommendations, kicks counter, blood glucose tracking, and much more.

Want to Know More?

How to Wash Your Hands and Stay Healthy
Getting Sick While Pregnant
Nutrients and Vitamins for Pregnancy

Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. Yankowitz, Jerome. (2008). Drugs in Pregnancy in Gibbs, Ronald S., Karlan, Beth Y., & Haney, Arthur F., & Nygaard, Ingrid E. (Eds.), Danforth’s Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th edition (126). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

2. The First Trimester: First 12 weeks in Johnson, Robert V. (Ed.), Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby’s First Year (136). New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

3. Common concerns and questions of pregnancy in Harms, Roger W. (Ed.), Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (432-3). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

4. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013, Mar. 19). Whooping Cough.

How to Get Rid of a Cough During Pregnancy

Coughing during pregnancy is normal and can occur at any time due to hormonal changes. These changes can make a women a bit more sensitive to allergies, or more prone to catching respiratory viruses.

To relieve coughing during pregnancy, avoid prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, and avoid exposure to heavily polluted or dusty places. Pregnant women should also drink about 2 liters of water a day, and are encouraged to drink warm teas, with honey and lemon (which can help relieve coughs naturally).

If a cough does not resolve over time, or if it is accompanied by other symptoms (like fever or shortness of breath), consult your doctor to identify the possible cause and start appropriate treatment.

How to relieve a cough naturally

Ensuring your throat is moisturized is key for reducing and managing coughs. Some additional tips that can help relieve excess coughing during pregnancy are:

Taking sips of water (preferably water that is at room temperature)
Swallowing 1 spoonful of honey
Inhaling steam from a basin of hot water. You can also add 2 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to the hot water

A useful tip for pregnant women who experience coughing at night is to hug a pillow or cushion when coughing, because it lessens the pressure felt with coughing in the abdominal area.

Can cough medications be used?

In some cases, especially when the dry cough is panful and lasts for a long time and pain is felt in the belly, the doctor may prescribe a cough syrup or antihistamine, like cetirizine, for relief.

If the cough is accompanied with phlegm, medication may not be recommended as it reduces the cough and, in this case, it’s important to help eliminate secretions from the lungs and airways.

When to go to the doctor

Some warning signs that may indicate the need to go to the doctor are:

Persistent cough
Coughing up blood
Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing;
Fever
Chills or shivering

These signs and symptoms can indicate complications, such as a bacterial infection that requires the use of antibiotics for treatment. The doctor will assess your symptoms and auscultate the your chest, to ensure adequate air entry throughout the lungs. Imaging tests may be ordered to assess whether the cough is being caused by disease or illness.

Does coughing during pregnancy harm the baby?

Coughing during pregnancy doesn't harm the baby, as it isn't a dangerous symptom and the baby doesn't feel it. However, some causes of coughing can harm the baby, such as illnesses like asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Some teas, home remedies, and pharmaceutical products that are taken without the doctor's knowledge can also cause coughing and may be harmful to the baby.

Pregnant women should see a doctor whenever they experience a persistent cough or if signs of a respiratory illness emerge, so that treatment with medications can be safely supervised.

Intense coughing doesn’t cause uterine contractions, nor does it displace the placenta, but it can be very uncomfortable and cause pain in the abdominal muscles when it’s repetitive. Therefore, it is always ideal to seek medical attention if you are coughing, and to rest as much as possible.

causes, risks, recommendations for treatment and prevention

General information
What is dangerous cough during pregnancy
Causes and symptoms
- Common causes of cough in pregnant women
Treatment of cough in pregnant women
General recommendations
Prophylaxis

Pregnant women, due to the load on the body and a weakened immune system, endure colds and SARS more difficult. This is due to the inability to take certain medications to quickly relieve symptoms, and also because of the effect of the symptoms themselves on the body of a pregnant woman.

Cough as a concomitant symptom of colds provokes contraction of the abdominal, pectoral and spinal muscles. This increases the likelihood of developing uterine tone. If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with a cough with sputum that is difficult to separate, only a doctor can prescribe a drug for treatment. Most often, these are expectorants of plant origin.

General

Cold viruses mainly infect the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, as well as the upper respiratory tract. Cough that occurs when the upper respiratory tract is affected is divided into productive and unproductive.

A productive cough is due to a cold (flu-like infection), bronchitis or an allergic disease. Accompanied by the formation of a large amount of separated mucus;
non-productive cough (dry cough) occurs as a result of inflammation of the larynx, trachea or bronchial mucosa, as well as irritation by foreign particles (dust or pollen). During coughing, mucus and sputum are not separated.

The form of cough is divided into acute and chronic. An acute cough lasts less than 4 weeks and is usually caused by infection or exposure to cold. Chronic cough lasts more than 4 weeks and can be caused by recurrent respiratory infections.

What is dangerous cough during pregnancy

1st trimester. The nervous and vascular system is being formed in the fetus, the natural barrier in the form of the placenta has not yet formed, so the defeat of intrauterine infection is fraught with fetal pathologies.
2nd trimester. The placenta is forming, and SARS can slow down this process. Cough causes a strong load on the pelvic organs, which provokes placental abruption. Characteristic signs - pulling pain in the lower abdomen, bleeding. The supply of oxygen and nutrients stops, this leads to hypoxia. At the same time, short-term hypoxia (5–10 seconds) does no harm.
3rd trimester. A productive cough can lead to rupture of the amniotic sac, premature birth, bleeding. Cough, accompanied by high fever, provokes the aging of the placenta.

In addition, any symptom of SARS is an additional stress for the expectant mother. A constant feeling of discomfort, fears for the health of the child contribute to the production of cortisol. The stress hormone, in turn, activates the work of the heart, provokes vasospasm, which, with prolonged exposure to the body, increases the risk of fetal hypoxia.

Against the background of a catarrhal disease suffered by the mother, the child may have weak immunity, nervousness, and low weight. According to medical observations, during the gestation period, viral diseases are most common - up to 85% of cases. Bacterial diseases account for up to 15% of cases. Common pathogens are adenoviruses, streptococci, coronaviruses, enteroviruses, rhinoviruses.

Causes and symptoms

The nature of the cough helps the specialist to establish its cause and make a preliminary diagnosis.

influenza - dry cough, mucous discharge, sometimes purulent, appears after a few days. Cough is accompanied by severe headache and muscle pain, high fever and general weakness;
bronchitis - a sharp spasmodic cough with contraction of the abdominal muscles. A strong cough can trigger a gag reflex. There is pain in the chest area. Cough worse in cold or dry air;
Allergic cough is a problem faced by pregnant women due to hormonal changes. Contact with an allergen provokes attacks of suffocation. Allocations of a mucous nature and are practically absent;
Rhinitis and pharyngitis are accompanied by nocturnal dry cough. In rare cases, the head and the area under the eyes hurt;
pleurisy - acute chest pain, shortness of breath, high temperature, which practically does not go astray, frequent dry cough;
measles - debilitating cough and rash on the skin.

Causes of cough typical of pregnant women

Dryness in the room, which increases the sensitivity of mucous membranes. This leads to an increased urge to cough. This problem is more common during the winter months in heavily heated rooms.
Vasomotor rhinitis during pregnancy is a runny nose caused not by viruses, but by hormonal changes. With a stuffy nose, patients breathe more often through the mouth, which leads to overdrying of the mucous membrane, which, in turn, leads to irritation of the throat.
Heartburn is a typical complaint. Coughing fits occur when lying down, when acid flows from the stomach back into the esophagus, irritating the sensitive mucous membrane of the throat, and then there is an urge to cough.
Cardiac cough occurs after excessive exercise and as a consequence of heart failure. The blood stagnates, edema forms in the lungs, which irritates the respiratory receptors and provokes a cough.

Treatment of cough in pregnant women

Due to the sensitivity of the situation and the risk of complications, most drugs and preventive measures are not recommended for pregnant women. If the disease is mild and does not require antibiotics, then you can limit yourself to general recommendations, after consulting with your doctor.

Consultation with the attending physician is required as a preventive measure before starting treatment to identify the causative agent of cough. The selection of drugs takes place taking into account their teratogenicity - the degree of toxicity of the drug in relation to the embryo.

Cough medicines are divided into two main groups: antitussives and expectorants. Their simultaneous reception is not allowed. Antitussives, peripherally or centrally act on the receptors and the cough center, blocking the urge to cough. Expectorants are divided into:

mucolytics, which thin the sputum and help to expel it;
drugs that activate the cough and vomiting centers in the brain by irritating the nerve endings and thereby stimulate the expectoration process;
drugs that increase the amount of pulmonary surfactant (prescribed for dry cough and wheezing in the bronchi).

In addition to drugs, pregnant women are recommended to rinse the nasopharynx. They are designed for local action, they are not absorbed into the blood and do not cause complications in the fetus.

Pregnant women can take lozenges for coughs and sore throats, use topical sprays with anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial effects. Even at high concentrations, only a small dose enters the digestive system.

Inhalations with a nebulizer help to improve secretion and sputum output. The device must not be used at high temperatures.

General recommendations

Room humidity should be 65-70%. This level of humidity is comfortable for the body, prevents the mucous membrane from drying out, and reduces the rate of development of pathogens. Wet cleaning reduces the risk of contact with allergens (pollen, dust, pet hair).
The room must be regularly ventilated, at least twice a day. Fresh air reduces the concentration of the virus in the air. The temperature in the room is recommended to be maintained at 22 degrees.
Sufficient fluids must be drunk to allow sputum to thin naturally.
Bed rest is recommended, especially for the first 3-4 days after symptoms appear.

Prevention

It is not recommended to visit crowded places, especially during seasonal influenza epidemics.
Contact with sick people should be limited.
Nasal moisturizers should be used regularly.
After visiting public places, it is important to thoroughly clean hands with antibacterial agents.
Must wear a gauze bandage when visiting medical and other public institutions.
Use only personal household appliances and hygiene products to avoid household transmission of germs.

Dry cough during pregnancy: causes and treatment

Diagnosis of cough during pregnancy

As a rule, the examination is carried out by a general practitioner who, after the examination, can refer you to another specialist. Diagnosis of cough during pregnancy without fail begins with a physical examination, which includes:

measurement of body temperature;
heart rate check;
blood pressure measurement;
palpation of the lymph nodes.

The data obtained at this stage of the examination are very important for determining the cause of the cough as accurately as possible. No less significant is the analysis of anamnesis and complaints.

An initial examination is often sufficient to determine the cause of a cough in pregnant women. If there is not enough data to establish an accurate diagnosis, the doctor may order an ultrasound scan or the following tests:

Pregnancy cough diagnosis
Diagnostic procedure	Time
Sputum examination	15-30 minutes
Complete blood count	10 minutes
Blood chemistry	10 minutes
Allergy test	20 minutes

In difficult cases, chest x-rays may be used for pregnant women. However, this is permissible only when the risk of developing pathology is more serious than the harm that the study brings. Before visiting a doctor, take a self-diagnosis on our website. It is worth noting that passing this test does not replace going to the doctor. Its results are only approximate and help to navigate what to look for when visiting a doctor. That is why they cannot be used to make a diagnosis and prescribe therapy.

Which doctor should I contact?

If you have a dry cough, see a doctor in the following specialty:

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Buchina Anaida Valerievna

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After the examination, the doctor will prescribe the necessary diagnostics in your case. Some diseases are difficult to diagnose as they say "by eye". Therefore, you need to trust the doctor when prescribing research. After all the tests, the doctor will be able to draw up the correct course of treatment. Remember: accurate diagnosis and correct diagnosis are already 50% of success in treatment!

Dry cough during pregnancy

Any changes in a woman's condition during pregnancy require attention. In particular, dry cough during pregnancy can harm the unborn baby. It can appear due to an acute respiratory illness or influenza virus. To treat such a cough, expectorants (syrups, lozenges) or special procedures that provoke sputum production, for example, inhalation, are used. It is important to note that the use of folk or over-the-counter remedies without the advice of a doctor can be dangerous for the fetus.

Cough in early pregnancy

In the first trimester, due to a sharp restructuring of the body, a woman's immunity decreases. That is why coughing in early pregnancy occurs quite often. It can be provoked by:

a cold;
influenza;
stress;
gastric disorders.

One of the causes of cough is allergy. As a rule, during this period, it weakens, which is associated with the production of a large amount of cortisol, which has anti-allergic activity. However, some observe an exacerbation of diseases.

In early pregnancy, a cough, no matter what causes it, can cause significant harm to the baby. Therefore, the treatment of diseases must be carried out as early as possible. The negative effect is explained by the fact that during coughing, tension of the uterus occurs, which in turn impairs the blood supply to the fetus and reduces the amount of nutrients it receives. In the first trimester, such a symptom can lead to:

the development of hypoxia in the baby;
placental abruption;
I will miscarry.

In order to understand how to get rid of a cough during pregnancy and not harm the health of the fetus, you should seek the help of a doctor.

Cough in the second and third trimesters

In later periods, such manifestations are less dangerous. In the second trimester, the fetus is already protected by the placenta, so uterine contractions practically do not affect the supply of nutrients to its body. However, this does not mean that the diseases that provoke coughing can not be treated. The symptom itself is not dangerous, but the pathology that it signals can cause:

abnormal development of the endocrine system;
miscarriages;
abnormal formation of bone tissue.

It is also worth noting that in the third trimester the placenta becomes more permeable and can pass a large number of viruses, which leads to congenital pathologies.