Stuffy nose pregnant remedy

Sinus Infection While Pregnant - American Pregnancy Association

Sinus pressure, a stuffy nose, and a sore throat? Welcome to a sinus infection during pregnancy. Sinus infections while pregnant at the same time makes being sick even worse.
Sinusitis occurs when there is an infection in the lining of one of the four nasal cavities, which can cause inflammation and a nasal obstruction inhibiting the proper drainage of mucus. This can result in symptoms such as a stuffy nose and painful pressure around your cheeks and eyes. Such infections may be caused by a bacteria, virus, or fungus, although the cold is the most common contributing factor of sinus infections. Learn more about dealing with a cold during pregnancy.
If you have a sinus infection during pregnancy, you may be tempted to take some medication for a quick fix. However, while certain medications are safe to use during pregnancy, other commonly used medications may not be safe to take while pregnant. You may also find that some home remedies may be just as effective in alleviating your symptoms and helping you recover.

Medication: How to Alleviate Sinus Congestion While Pregnant:

Medications used to treat acute sinus infections include cefprozil (Cefzil) and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is also regarded as safe to use during pregnancy for pain relief and/or headaches. Additionally, short-term use of decongestants, antihistamines, expectorants, and cough suppressants for upper-respiratory infections are generally regarded as safe during pregnancy in limited amounts.
However, you will need to avoid aspirin, and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc…).
You may want to talk with your doctor for specific information on which medications pose the least risk for you and your baby. Overall, while there are some safe medications to take during pregnancy, it is best to limit your use of medication while pregnant and opt for other safer remedies.

Home Remedies: How to Alleviate a Congestion Naturally

There are many safe home remedies you can use to alleviate your symptoms and recover from a sinus infection:

Drink plenty of fluids such as water, broth, and citrus juice. Staying hydrated is important for helping you fight infection and for clearing a stuffy nose.
Use saline nasal irrigation or saline nose drops. You can make your own saline drops by combining 1 cup of warm water with 1/8 tsp salt and a tiny pinch of baking soda.
Use a humidifier at night. This will help clear nasal passages. You may also lean over a pan of boiling water taken off the stove, place a towel over your head, and breathe in the steam. This helps open your nasal passages and loosens mucus in your chest.
Elevating your head with a couple of pillows while lying down may make breathing easier. Using nasal strips also helps open nasal passages.
For a sore throat, gargle salt water (1/4 tsp salt per 8 ounces of water), drink a warm liquid or suck on ice. Honey and lemon may also soothe a sore throat.
Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep as this will help your immune system fight the infection.
During pregnancy, it is common to lose your appetite, and feeling sick may not help. However, even if you don’t have an appetite, it is important to eat well. If you lose your appetite, it may help to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Make sure you are eating nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables. Soup may also be a soothing option.

For headaches:

Use hot or cold packs on your shoulders or neck or a cold pack on your forehead.
Getting a massage, or taking a warm bath may also help alleviate headaches.

When to Contact Your Doctor:

If you are coughing up green or yellow mucus
If you have a fever above 101° F
If you cannot eat or sleep

If your infection is not improving, your doctor may prescribe medication. Your doctor will determine the best medication to take that is safe for you and your baby. While sinus infections are not fun, there are ways you can take care of yourself either through medication or home remedies to alleviate your symptoms and promote your recovery.

Want to Know More?

Getting Sick While Pregnant
Vitamin D and Pregnancy
Cough and Cold During Pregnancy: Treatment and Prevention
Keep track of your medication by downloading 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.

Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. Harms, R. W. (Ed.). (2004). Mayo Clinic guide to a healthy pregnancy (2nd ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

2. Jordan, R. G., Engstrom, J. L., Marfell, J. A., & Farley, C. L. (Eds.). (2014). Prenatal and postnatal care: A woman-centered approach. Ames, IA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

3. Larson, D. E. (Ed. in chief). (1996). Mayo Clinic family health book: The ultimate illustrated home medical reference. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

4. Simkin, P., Whalley, J., & Keppler, A. (1991). Pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn: The complete guide. Gorham, K. (Ed.). Deephaven, MN: Meadowbrook Press.

Relief for Ongoing Nasal Congestion Is Possible

If you're expecting a baby, you may be dealing with a stuffy nose that doesn’t seem to go away. This hassle is called pregnancy rhinitis. The cause of this condition isn’t really clear. However, it may be caused by hormonal changes.Having a history of allergies or asthma does not raise your risk of getting pregnancy rhinitis.

More than just a stuffy nose

Pregnancy rhinitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the nose. This causes nasal congestion. Increased blood flow to the nasal passages and enlargement of the nasal veins also play a role.

Symptoms occur during pregnancy. They can last for several weeks. On top of feeling uncomfortable, your sleep may be disrupted. This is because the congestion gets worse when you lie down. This may make you to feel more tired during the day. Long-lasting congestion also can lead to complications. These can include sinusitis and ear infections.

Be cautious when seeking treatment

Many women use non-prescription, over-the-counter (OTC) decongestant sprays to open up their nasal passages. Know that these medicines don’t work for pregnancy rhinitis. These medicines may give you temporary relief. However, they may actually make your symptoms worse and lead to a complete nasal blockage.

How can you get relief from pregnancy rhinitis? Experts say you can breathe easy with these measures:

Don’t use OTC nasal decongestants.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Increase the humidity levels in your home. Use a humidifier.
Don’t use nasal irritants, such as cigarette smoke.
Get moving. Regular, moderate-intensity exercise can reduce congestion. It can also help you sleep better. But first, check with your healthcare provider to see what exercises are safe for you.
When you go to sleep, raise the head of your bed. For instance, use an extra pillow or a wedge.
Ask your healthcare provider about using OTC nasal strips and saline sprays or drops.

The good news? Even if you don’t do anything, you can expect your stuffy nose to clear up soon after your baby is born. It often goes away within two weeks of childbirth.

Online Medical Reviewer: Bowers, Nancy, RN, BSN, MPH Foley, Maryann, RN, BSN

Date Last Reviewed: 4/12/2016

© 2000-2019 The StayWell Company, LLC. 800 Township Line Road, Yardley, PA 19067. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.

Treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections and influenza in pregnant women in the clinic Health Territory

The first signs of acute respiratory viral infections - what should a future mother do?

How to help your body cope with illness, how not to harm the unborn child, and when serious professional help is needed? To help mothers, the specialists of our Center (obstetrician-gynecologist, midwives, homeopaths, ENT, naturopath and aromatherapist) offer an algorithm of actions that is consistent with all modern data from international recommendations.

But, most importantly, remember that an expectant mother, like no one else, is very important emotional mood - positive emotions will help you quickly cope with all the troubles.

Let's repeat, following our specialists: "Word and thought are material!".

At the first sign of a cold (sore throat when swallowing, hoarseness or sore throat, runny nose, headache, body aches, weakness) - stay at home, keep a gentle regime, put on masks for all family members, remind everyone wash your hands more often.
If it is impossible to get to a homeopath for the exact prescription of an individual remedy, you can take complex homeopathic remedies: "Ocillococcinum" once (!) Or homeopathic remedies "Agri" (according to the scheme in the instructions), "Influenza-Heel" (also according to the instructions).
For pain in the throat, drugs - Tonsilotren, Tonsilgon or Angin-Heel will help. Necessarily - regular gargling with infusions of herbs (eucalyptus, calendula, chamomile) three to seven times a day.
With a runny nose - "Corizalia" (with the first symptoms of a runny nose with strong discharge). You can use nose drops - hypertonic solutions of sea water, "Pinosol" (if there is no allergy). With nasal congestion - alkaline inhalation. If it helps you to breathe over boiled potatoes, then you can breathe.
For coughs and colds, you can drink ginger tea - pour half a glass of grated ginger on a coarse grater to the top with good honey, insist for a day. Drink by adding 1-2 tsp. mixture per cup of hot water. Useful cranberry juice. With a dry cough, homeopathic preparations "Bronhalis-Heel" and "Tartefedrel" can be used.
If hypothermia occurs and you feel chilly, drink hot tea with dried raspberries or raspberry jam. Chicken broth (strictly fresh) also helps.
Aromatherapy will help not only to alleviate the symptoms, but also to cope with bacteria. Have an antiviral and antibacterial effect - noble laurel, peppermint, eucalyptus. Oils can and should be mixed (up to 8 drops per “portion”). To the above, you can add orange or lemon oil. And for evening-night spraying, add a soothing one to antiviral and microbial ones - lavender oil or tangerine oil. To treat a runny nose, cough, sore throat, you can prepare the following mixture: 4 tablespoons of peach oil (used as a base), 1 drop of lavender, 2 drops of eucalyptus, 1 drop of tea tree. This mixture is instilled into the nose 1-2 drops after washing the nose with a sea water spray.
Motor mode (at the first sign - stay at home, but if you feel well, do not refuse a short walk in nature, in the park (not in the mall!).
Mood. To improve your mood, you can hang garlands of Christmas trees (a variant of natural aromatherapy), pine twigs, cones. Let the sun into the house - light candles, and put bright fruits in places you can see - in the bedroom, for example - oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelo (again, natural aromatherapy) or pineapples - any favorite fruit. To wake up in the morning and immediately see a lot of bright “suns” by the bed, which accumulated all this joyful energy for us.”
And most importantly - be sure to tell your doctor about your health! The doctor will recommend you what is especially important for you.
“If the temperature does not exceed 38.5, do not take antipyretics. If you have a very high temperature, severe weakness, bad breath, severe cough and any deviation from the course of a common cold, and if there is no improvement within THREE DAYS, be sure to consult a doctor "(chief physician of the Health Territory, obstetrician-gynecologist Alexander Sergeevich Gavrilenko).

For help in preparing the material, we thank the obstetrician-gynecologist of the Health Territory Irina Stepanovna Arefyeva.

Additions and recommendations of our specialists:

Elena Lvovna Ten, ENT, homeopath.

“If the cold has penetrated deeply, then there is a watery coryza or sore throat, and then a cough. Then you can drip into the nose "Derinat" (not contraindicated for pregnant women, but recommended after consultation with a doctor) or "Pinosol". Gargle with calendula, and I also recommend gargling with NATURAL (!) apple cider vinegar (2 teaspoons per glass of water) 3-4 r / d. it is necessary to treat the whole body, to understand the cause of the cough! Is it just from hypothermia? Then it will pass quickly. But, if there is a “weak link” in the respiratory (lungs) or genitourinary (kidneys) systems, or there may be a problem in the intestines, then the treatment must be comprehensive.

Olga Bannikova, obstetrician.

“You can turn on the aroma lamp for a long time (for the whole night, for example). But if you are not sure about the body's response, try turning it on for 2 hours, then wait a few hours and turn it on for another 2 hours. It is better to use ultrasonic aroma lamps (they are more efficient and, unlike those heated by a candle, are designed for a large area of application - 20-30 sq.m)”.

Yulia Krushanova, microbiologist, Ph.D., specialist in medical aromatherapy and Ayurveda:

“You can prepare a universal solution for an aroma lamp: 5 ml of alcohol, 200 ml of water and 10 drops of a mixture of oils: coniferous oils, oils of lemon, leuzea, bergamot, grapefruit. This aroma mixture is good for both prevention and treatment. There is some correction for oils for the aroma lamp: you can’t evaporate thyme in the lamp (too active oil, can give bronchospasm), the aroma of orange increases appetite (it would be better to use lemon, grapefruit, bergamot), leuzea oil can only be used cold (that is, without heating in an aroma lamp with candles). In general, cold water sprays are preferable to heating, since when heated in an aroma lamp, some components of essential oils undergo changes and are destroyed, without having a beneficial effect. For the same reason, an ultrasonic aroma lamp is preferable to an aroma lamp heated by candles. It is very important that the aroma lamp heated by candles does not run out of water in the bowl, since it is clear that the oil should not burn, it should evaporate from the surface of the water.

Laima Lankmane, naturopath and herbalist:

“It is especially important for a pregnant woman to carefully read all the instructions for herbal preparations - first of all, this applies to the first trimester, when the body of the expectant mother is extremely sensitive to everything and undergoes a strong hormonal restructuring. But even during the entire pregnancy, one should be careful with herbal remedies and it is better to consult with your doctor before use. With hypothermia, the first signs of the disease, you can - ginger with lemon, honey (better bite, because when heated above 40-50 degrees, it not only loses many of its nutritional properties, but can also harm a sensitive stomach), green teas and all natural drinks with a lot of vitamin C (for example, rosehip broth helps well). Leaves of linden and dry raspberries - yes, but raspberry jam (unless, of course, it is a frozen berry) will not bring much benefit. Unfortunately, during prolonged cooking, berries lose many of their antibacterial and phyto-properties. In addition, in the jam, in addition to the taste “from childhood”, there is a lot of excess sugar that you don’t need now. However, if a cup of tea with a spoonful of such jam lifts your mood and spirit, then definitely this is a medicine! And do not forget that the word and thought are material!” Source: Bone, K. (2003), A Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs, Churchill Livingstone, USA

Health Territory doctors will always be happy to answer your questions! 8 (495) 988 52 52

Pregnancy rhinitis

Otorhinolaryngologist, surgeon at GMS Clinic Oleg Abramov talks in his article about rhinitis of pregnancy (hereinafter referred to as RH).

It was no coincidence that I chose this topic after a series of publications on the social network about allergic rhinitis (hereinafter referred to as AR), as recent studies note that although the cause of RB is not completely clear, the combination of AR, which is especially poorly controlled together with RB, can lead to severe nasal congestion, to insufficient oxygen supply, and, as a result, to increased fatigue, irritability, frequent SARS, sleep disturbance, which can certainly affect the development of the fetus. Moreover, the presence of AR is associated with snoring in women during pregnancy, and together they can provoke the development of sleep apnea syndrome (stopping breathing during sleep), which leads to arterial hypertension, preeclampsia, slowed fetal growth and low Apgar scores. Therefore, the relevance of this problem is only growing.

Definition and concept

Rhinitis of pregnancy is a disease accompanied by nasal congestion and discharge, periodic sneezing without signs of inflammation, allergies, or other causes. This condition can occur in any trimester of pregnancy and usually resolves within two weeks after delivery.

Occurrence

Nasal congestion is a very common problem during pregnancy (occurs in about 65% of cases), which can occur due to various reasons. RB, according to various sources, occurs in 9-40% of cases, and in one of the last observations there is an increasing incidence, that is, most of all RB is observed in the 3rd trimester - 38.9%, including those who did not have problems in the 1st and 2nd trimesters.

Causes and mechanism of occurrence

The mechanism of occurrence is not fully understood, and it is believed that RB occurs due to hormonal changes, in particular, under the influence of progesterone, estrogen, hCG and other hormones, the concentration of which gradually increases during pregnancy. Some authors believe that the occurrence of RB is associated with the worsening of concomitant AR. Some studies show that hormonal action leads to relaxation of the smooth muscles that make up the vessel wall of the nasal mucosa, resulting in nasal congestion. Such findings are supported by other studies that show that oral contraceptives cause similar effects in the nasal cavity (but not in everyone). Other studies show that elevated body mass index, overweight, multiple pregnancies provoke or aggravate RB.

Progression and potential risks

RB, in the absence of adequate treatment, has an adverse effect on the course of pregnancy and can lead to the development of rhinosinusitis, which is especially difficult to tolerate in the 3rd trimester. On the other hand, pregnancy is a special period in a woman's life, during which a large number of drugs are prohibited, and ENT pathologies, these restrictions have not been spared either. Very often I hear at the reception: "Doctor, I'm pregnant and I've been suffering with my nose all this time, but the doctors tell me - there's nothing to be done, I need to endure it. " On the other hand, the opposite situation is often observed: “Doctor, I am pregnant and I cannot live without vasoconstrictor drops.” These situations, of course, are not correct, since on the one hand there is a way out and optimal treatment, and on the other hand, constant exposure to vasoconstrictor drugs is not a way out of the situation at all.

Diagnostics

At the moment, there is no specific test to confirm or exclude RB. The diagnosis is made on the basis of the patient's complaints and the exclusion of other pathologies of the nasal cavity.

Choice of therapeutic tactics

Saline solutions

Before considering more serious medications, we should start with our favorite saline solutions. It should be noted that we are not talking about ordinary saline solutions, but hypertonic saline solutions (with an increased salt content, approximately 19-23 g/l). Such sprays are sold in all pharmacies, but they will not be sold to you right away (you need to ask). Several studies have noted significant efficacy in reducing congestion when used in AR, chronic rhinosinusitis. Also, comparative studies show their greater effectiveness compared to conventional isotonic solutions. Examples: Physiomer - hypertonic solution (my favorite), Aqualor-congestion, or Aqualor-severe runny nose, Aquamaris Strong.

Doctor, not helping...

As is known from past publications, intranasal glucocorticosteroids (iGCS) are the most effective in the treatment of AR today. They have proven efficacy in reducing nasal congestion, as well as nasal itching and watery eyes, and allow adequate control of symptoms. But, given their hormonal effect and possible harmful effects on the fetus, there are certain risks in their use. It should also be noted that at the moment there are no studies that provide reliable data confirming the danger of their use. Modern ICS — mometasone (nasonex, desrinit) and fluticasone (avamys, flixonase) has a very low systemic bioavailability, less than 1% and proven efficacy, thus can be considered as initial therapy for RB. The studies did not reveal a statistically significant relationship between the development of fetal defects and the use of these drugs.

Who are the US FDA and why is everyone listening to them?

Everything is very simple (it’s a pity that everything is not so simple with us). I copy the explanation from Wikipedia: “An agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services, one of the federal executive departments. The department is engaged in quality control of food products, medicines, cosmetics, tobacco products and some other categories of goods, and also monitors compliance with legislation and standards in this area.

Budesonide (Tafen Nasal) is classified as category B according to the FDA's classification for drug effects on the fetus, which means that there is evidence that the drug is safe to use during pregnancy. The bioavailability of budesonide is 33%. This drug has moved from group C to group B, thanks to several high-quality studies in Sweden since the beginning of the 21st century, proving its safety.

Also, according to the current recommendations of the American Academy of Allergology and Immunology (AAAAI), ICS are considered safe and effective in the treatment of rhinitis and rhinosinusitis during pregnancy. But at the same time, there is no indication of specific drugs. Other competent medical associations also do not give any recommendations in terms of choosing a drug. Therefore, summing up all of the above, and also according to the latest review, mometasone, fluticasone, budesonide can be considered as safe and effective agents in the treatment of RB. It should also be noted that an experienced ENT doctor should be involved in prescribing the drug and managing the patient, since these drugs are sold without a prescription in the Russian Federation; we strongly recommend not to self-medicate.

Yes, I will not take these hormones!

In some situations, acute respiratory viral infections during pregnancy may be accompanied (largely due to concomitant RB or AR, or their combination) with a prolonged runny nose, nasal congestion and heaviness in the face - classic symptoms of rhinosinusitis.