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Colds during pregnancy: how to treat?

Any cold or respiratory disease in early pregnancy, during the primary formation of the fetus, can lead to unpredictable consequences and complications. The matter is complicated by the fact that most medications are absolutely contraindicated for use during gestation.

In this regard, the treatment and prevention of colds in pregnant women is an important issue, which should be approached especially responsibly! The main thesis is: be careful with medicines and apply mild preventive measures based on alternative medicine methods to avoid respiratory diseases and flu.

"One for two - immunity"

This is a very fragile system, it is not necessary to interfere in its work, but it is necessary to support and strengthen it. Pregnancy belongs to the category of special, albeit temporary, conditions during which a woman needs additional protection.

This issue will help simple recommendations that are available to everyone:

• During the period of frequent weather changes, it is necessary to dress warmer, paying special attention to footwear.
• During an epidemic, it is better for a pregnant woman to refrain from being in crowded places - transport, metro, shops and hospitals. If there is an urgent need, to prevent possible infection, a protective respiratory mask should be worn before leaving the house.

• Be especially careful about hygiene after visiting the street and public places. Upon returning home, the first thing to do is wash your hands thoroughly.

Interesting: More than 90% of all acute respiratory infections are caused by viruses, about 10% are bacteria and other pathogens. Accordingly, any soap can be used, not necessarily antibacterial.

• Before going outside, you can lubricate the nasal mucosa with oxolinic ointment. Upon returning home, flush the upper respiratory tract with soda solution.

• Rationalization of nutrition and intake of vitamins will strengthen the immune defense. It is especially useful to eat fruits and vegetables that are enriched with vitamins and have not undergone heat treatment.

Interesting: our grandmothers used to say: in order not to get sick, you need to drink chicken broth! Strange, but until recently, scientists did not attach much importance to this prophylactic. Pulmonologist Stefan Rennard decided to find out if this was true or not. The professor conducted a study and proved that the use of chicken broth affects the mobility of neutrophils, white blood cells that protect the body from infections and activate the immune system.

• Vitamins can be taken using ready-made pharmaceutical multivitamin complexes. Before choosing a drug, you should consult your doctor.
• Compliance with the regimen and duration of sleep - at least 9 hours a day. The possibility of psychotraumatic situations should be minimized.
• Maintaining cleanliness in the living quarters (ventilation, wet cleaning).
• Air humidification is an important aspect in the prevention of influenza and respiratory diseases. If air conditioners or heaters are used in the house of a pregnant woman, it would be best to purchase a mechanical humidifier.

Medications for prevention

• Grippferon - a drug in the form of drops for the nose, which provides prevention and treatment of influenza, is not contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women. The medicine stimulates an increase in immunity, has a pronounced antiviral effect that can protect against colds, infections and influenza varieties.
• Ascorbic acid - can be used as a separate source of vitamin C in a synthetic version, with a reduced daily intake from food. Ascorbic acid not only prevents infection, but also fights viruses that have already entered the body of a woman.
• Viferon - nasal ointment, which is prescribed for the prevention of influenza and respiratory infections during an epidemic. The ointment has protective and immunomodulatory effects, and also allows you to deal with disorders that are already occurring in the body at the time of use. Viferon in the form of a nasal ointment has no contraindications for use in pregnant women at any time, including the first trimester.
• Aquamaris is a natural drug in the form of a nasal spray that allows you to moisturize the nasal mucosa, thereby reducing the risk of influenza viruses entering the nasal cavity.

I would like to say a few words about such a method of prevention as vaccination. Most often, the expectant mother may be at risk of infection due to the annual influenza epidemic. This disease is dangerous for a pregnant woman precisely because of its complications: pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis media. Influenza in a pregnant woman can also affect the health of the fetus. Most of all, it is dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy, when the tissues and organs of the human embryo are laid and formed. Viral intoxication or drug exposure can lead to pathology of the child's organs. In later pregnancy, there is a risk of infection of the fetus.

The most dangerous consequence of influenza in a pregnant woman is threatened miscarriage or premature birth!

It is quite natural that expectant mothers often wonder whether or not to vaccinate.

Studies have concluded that the use of inactivated ("killed") influenza vaccines does not have a teratogenic effect on the fetus and does not harm the health of a pregnant woman. After consulting with your doctor about such an inoculation, you can come to an optimal solution. If an influenza epidemic is inevitable, and the pregnant woman has no contraindications, then the vaccine should be given. If a pregnant woman has a negligible risk of infection, she does not come into contact with a large number of people, or is opposed to vaccination, then you can not do it. According to research, it is known that vaccination of mothers reduces the risk of influenza infection of a born child by 63%. Seasonal influenza prevention is carried out in September, October. Vaccinations for pregnant women are recommended from the second trimester of pregnancy.

In the period of a planned pregnancy, a flu shot is given 1 month before it: the formation of immunity occurs 2-4 weeks. Protection after vaccination lasts about a year.

If infection does occur, action should be taken immediately if at least one symptom of the disease is detected. The health of a pregnant woman and her unborn child depends entirely on her responsibility and respect for her own body.

Proven folk remedies will be used first. Since pregnant women cannot steam their legs, steam their hands, and this will facilitate nasal breathing. Bundle up, put on woolen socks and crawl under the covers: warmth, peace and sleep are good for colds. Do not forget to drink plenty of water - hot green tea with lemon and honey, lime blossom tea, cranberry juice, rosehip broth, dried fruit compote. Ginger in the form of tea also helps, not only with catarrhal symptoms, but with nausea in the morning.

Various hot milk drinks are also suitable. Honey can be added to milk, and it is best to boil it on onions. It must be emphasized right away that not all herbs for colds during pregnancy can be used. Here is a list of medicinal plants that are contraindicated: aloe, anise, barberry, elecampane (grass and root), sweet clover, oregano, St. John's wort, strawberries (leaves), viburnum (berries), raspberries (leaves), lemon balm, lovage, wormwood, licorice ( root), celandine, sage. Accordingly, preparations containing these plants should not be taken.

The use of medicines for colds during pregnancy must be treated with great care!

It is contraindicated to use the following drugs : Pertussin, Tussin plus, Joset, Glycodin, Ascoril, Travisil, Broncholitin, ACC, Grippeks, Codelac, Terpinkod. Do not use lozenges and lozenges for sore throat or cough are also undesirable due to the likelihood of allergic reactions.

Spray Pinosol, judging by the components indicated in the instructions, is not dangerous during pregnancy. However, the essential oils contained in the preparation - pine, peppermint, eucalyptus, thymol, guaiazulene (wormwood oil) - can lead to an allergic reaction with swelling of the nasal mucosa.

Viferon suppositories are allowed to be used only after 14 weeks from the start of conception. This drug contains recombinant human interferon alpha-2, ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol acetate and has antiviral, immunomodulatory and antiproliferative effects. It is used in the treatment of various infectious and inflammatory diseases in adults and children (including newborns). In the form of an ointment, Viferon is used to treat herpetic lesions of the skin and mucous membranes. The ointment is applied in a thin layer to the affected areas of the skin 3-4 times a day for 5-7 days.

The homeopathic preparation Stodal, which includes predominantly herbal ingredients, acts on various types of cough and has an expectorant and bronchodilator effect.

Viburkol - homeopathic suppositories - have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, antispasmodic action. They are prescribed in the complex therapy of acute respiratory viral infections and other uncomplicated infections (including in newborns), as well as in inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract and inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system.

So, you can try to eliminate a slight ailment on your own, but there are conditions under which you need to call a doctor at home:

• Prolonged fever;
• Myalgia, fatigue, fatigue, general malaise;
• Difficulty breathing, nasopharyngeal lumps and dry or wet barking cough;
• A pregnant woman is troubled by severe pressing headache.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the importance of treating chronic diseases before pregnancy, a healthy lifestyle during childbearing and following all doctor's orders.

I wish expectant mothers and their loved ones to try to maintain a good mood: optimists live longer and happier, they are more productive. Remember your victories and pleasant moments more often and everything will be fine!

Cold during pregnancy, what can pregnant women with a cold, how to treat if the temperature, what you can drink.

Cold treatment during pregnancy

Acute respiratory diseases, also called colds, can also occur in pregnant women. Over the entire period of bearing a child, approximately 2/3 of expectant mothers suffer one or more episodes of a cold, which can have a course of varying severity. In most cases, colds are caused by viruses. ¹

A cold while carrying a child can adversely affect its development. Oxygen deficiency due to a runny nose negatively affects the baby. At the same time, the treatment of a cold is fraught with difficulties - pregnant women should not take many medicines, as they can also affect the development of the fetus.

Causes and risk factors

Most often, pregnant women get sick with a cold in the autumn-winter-spring periods. It is during these seasons that flu and SARS epidemics are observed. The main cause of the development of a cold are pathogens from the group of rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, enteroviruses, as well as influenza and parainfluenza viruses. Bacteria usually lead to the development of lower respiratory tract infections - tracheitis, bronchitis, etc.

Risk factors include various concomitant diseases in pregnant women. These can be diseases of the cardiovascular, digestive, immune, endocrine and other systems. Respiratory diseases are considered the most dangerous risk factor, especially if they occur in a chronic form. Pregnancy itself is also a risk factor, since in this natural state for a woman, immunity decreases and protective mechanisms weaken. ¹

Cold risk for pregnant women

Cold pathogens initially enter the upper respiratory tract (usually the nasal cavity) and begin to actively multiply in the epithelium of the mucous membrane. As a result, an inflammatory reaction develops, which leads to the appearance of characteristic symptoms - a runny nose, nasal congestion and difficulty in nasal breathing.

In case of a severe course of a cold (flu), other parts of the respiratory system may also be affected with the development of more serious complications that affect the health of the mother. These complications can also affect the course of pregnancy, leading to conditions such as:

• Fetal malformations.
• Miscarriages.
• Intrauterine infections.
• Intrauterine growth retardation.
• Placental abruption.
• Fetal hypoxia.

The effect of a cold on pregnancy can occur in a variety of ways. First of all, any infection leads to a change in the functioning of the immune system, namely, to the development of immunodeficiency. Against the background of an already existing immunodeficiency during pregnancy, such changes can lead to the activation of diseases that have been in a “dormant” state for a long time (allergies, bronchial asthma, etc.). In addition, ARI pathogens have a toxic effect on the body of the expectant mother, which manifests itself in a change in the circulatory system. As a result, the risk of developing thrombosis or bleeding increases. Toxic effects can lead to oxygen starvation of the mother and fetus, which is also accompanied by an increased risk of complications.

Fortunately, acute respiratory infections in pregnant women usually occur in a mild form, like a cold. ¹ Therefore, when prescribing timely treatment for colds during pregnancy, health risks can be reduced to a minimum.

Pregnancy 1st trimester

The most dangerous period. At this time, the organs of the fetus are just being formed, so the risk of pathology is high. In addition, the onset of gestation is accompanied by a decrease in the mother's immunity. At this stage, prevention is very important.

Complications that may require antibiotics are no less dangerous. It is advisable to treat a cold during pregnancy using rinsing the nose and throat with solutions of sea water, bed rest and drinking plenty of water.

Pregnancy 2nd trimester

In this period, the placenta is formed, as well as the main organs of the child, so the risks of the disease are less. The therapy is predominantly symptomatic: washing the nose and throat with solutions of sea water, antipyretic at high temperatures.

Pregnancy 3rd trimester

It is characterized by more severe symptoms, because the woman's body at this stage has to work for two. The disease can provoke premature birth, so bed rest is recommended. For the treatment of colds, seawater solutions are also used to wash the nose and throat. Additionally, you can use other drugs that are allowed during pregnancy, which are prescribed by a doctor.

Features of the course of a cold during pregnancy

In pregnant women, acute respiratory infections can have a long course. The causative agents of infections from the upper respiratory tract, together with the blood, enter the placenta, where they begin to multiply actively. This is associated with a high risk of fetal complications. ²

The symptoms of a cold during pregnancy are the same as those of other people. These include cough, runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion. Also, a cold during pregnancy can be manifested by an increase in body temperature. Along with this symptom, there are complaints of weakness, fatigue, poor appetite.

Prevention

Difficulties in treatment make prevention especially relevant. A product such as Aqualor can be used as a prophylaxis for washing the nasal cavity and removing pathogens of respiratory infections from it in the autumn-winter-spring period. It helps not only to prevent, but also to help treat the disease at the first symptoms.

Danger

Some viruses pose a threat to the fetus, they can cause changes in its development. Also, the disease is dangerous for its complications, so the treatment of a cold at home should be carried out only after consulting a doctor. A timely diagnosed cold in the nose allows you to stop the spread of infection, prevents the development of bronchitis, otitis media and other complications.

What to do at the first symptoms of a cold

Like the treatment of a cold in children, a disease in pregnant women requires medical supervision. You can help your body with a light plant-based diet, plenty of fluids, and regular nose and throat rinsing.

Aqualor sprays can help treat colds and runny nose: they remove pathogens from the surface of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat, cleanse the nose of crusts and excess mucus, moisturize the mucous membrane and create all the conditions for recovery.

How to treat a pregnant woman for a cold

The first question that worries expectant mothers is how to treat a cold during pregnancy so as not to harm the baby? "Classic" drugs in this case are not always used due to the lack of information about their safety. In some cases, women themselves refuse any drugs for fear of affecting the course of pregnancy. Therefore, the treatment of a cold in such cases begins with general recommendations. The main requirements are plenty of fluids, rest, light meals and cleansing of the nasopharynx. Treatment during illness with fever includes the use of antipyretics prescribed by a doctor. It is important to provide assistance as soon as possible and prevent the development of complications.

Exact treatment regimens are selected based on the causes and characteristics of the course of a cold in a particular patient. The disease can be caused by both viruses and bacteria, and it can occur in acute and chronic forms. Also, do not forget about possible complications that may require more complex and lengthy treatment.

In almost all cases, the treatment of a cold at home can be started with a universal method - irrigation of the mucous membrane with a solution of sea water. The unique mineral composition activates natural defenses, the optimal water-salt balance creates conditions for the normal functioning of tissues.

Aqualor refers to those drugs that are allowed and recommended for pregnant women for treatment. The product is based on sea water, improves nasal breathing, prevents maternal and fetal hypoxia.

The drug is available both in 150 ml bottles, suitable for long-term use at home, and in 50 ml mini-formats, which are convenient to take with you. All Aqualor products are suitable for pregnant women, with the exception of Aqualor Protect. The choice is made depending on the causes and characteristics of the course of a cold. Aqualor Soft spray is suitable for regular nasal rinsing, Aqualor Forte can be used to relieve congestion. With a severe runny nose, you can use the Aqualor Active Forte spray, with a prolonged runny nose - Aqualor Active Soft. The products of the Aqualor Active line are enriched with CO 9 bubbles0206 2 that contribute to the destruction of bacterial biofilms, which can cause prolonged and severe rhinitis.

What not to do

It is important to understand that therapy in pregnant women is very different from usual. It is strictly forbidden to take medicines without the consent of the doctor. Many drugs are contraindicated during pregnancy, others are prescribed only if the potential benefit outweighs the harm.

Symptomatic relief requires a cold without fever. Her treatment excludes drugs that include alcohol, antibiotics, sulfonamides. Their appointment should be supervised by a doctor.

Flushing and drinking plenty of water are good if the first signs of a cold are observed. Treatment of complications is always carried out by a specialist. Help is urgently needed if:

• high temperature (above 39 degrees) or it does not go astray;
• there is persistent vomiting;
• uterine tone or contractions are observed;
• there is bloody discharge from the vagina;
• on the fifth day there is no improvement, the general condition worsens;
• has rashes.

Terminals

Therapy of acute respiratory infections in pregnant women, as well as the treatment of a cold during breastfeeding, requires caution in prescribing medications.

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