Indeed, the issue of treating rhinitis of various etiologies in pregnant women is not so simple - most drugs are either not allowed during gestation, or have not been studied at all for their effect on intrauterine development. Nevertheless, there are drugs that can be used even in the early stages (the first, second and third months of gestation). We will tell you how you can treat a runny nose in pregnant women.
Possible diseases
Many are accustomed to the fact that a runny nose is a sign of a cold. Perhaps this is true. Nevertheless, this symptom is far from always due to hypothermia, especially when it comes to a woman in a position. So, a runny nose can be a symptom of the following disorders:
- ARVI (acute respiratory infection);
- exacerbation of chronic diseases of the nasopharynx (chronic rhinitis or sinusitis);
- allergic rhinitis (hypersensitivity to dust, wool, pollen and many other allergens);
- vasomotor rhinitis (hypersensitivity to non-allergenic irritants - rapid temperature changes, strong odors, etc.);
- rhinitis of pregnant women is a specific disruption of the nasal mucosa that occurs in pregnant women as a result of hormonal changes.
How to treat snot during pregnancy depends on the causes of the disease. For example, with a runny nose of pregnant women or acute respiratory viral infections, specific drugs are not required - it is enough to take care of the nasal cavity, but with bacterial infections (for example, sinusitis), strong medications are needed, including antibiotics. In view of this, it is necessary to treat a runny nose during pregnancy after being examined by a doctor and determining the causes of the disease.
Causes
As you know, the immunity of a woman carrying a child is physiologically reduced. This is necessary to prevent rejection of the fetus, the cells and tissues of which are foreign to the mother's immune system, because the mother and the child have different genotypes. Thus, the mother's immunity is temporarily reduced so that the pregnancy proceeds normally. This also has a negative effect - the mother becomes more susceptible to various infections, her chronic diseases become aggravated, which did not make themselves felt before pregnancy.
In addition, the body of a pregnant woman experiences significant hormonal changes. Many hormones, the action of which is aimed at preparing for childbirth and breastfeeding, affect not only the reproductive system, but also the respiratory system - cause swelling of the mucous membrane, abundant mucus production, etc. All this leads to the fact that almost every woman is faced with a runny nose during pregnancy.
What is "rhinitis of pregnancy"?
From the very first days of pregnancy, the level of estradiol, estriol and other hormones is constantly increasing. Many of them promote vasodilation and increase the volume of circulating blood, resulting in edema, including the nasal mucosa. That is why the nose is blocked. The sensitivity of the mucous membrane to irritants also changes - inhalation of dust, dry air, etc. can provoke a profuse discharge of nasal mucus.
Earlier, rhinitis of pregnant women was not isolated as a separate disease, defining it as one of the variants of vasomotor rhinitis. Indeed, these conditions have much in common - they are associated with hormonal changes, are accompanied by profuse watery discharge and nasal congestion, and are also quite difficult to treat. The only difference is that rhinitis of pregnant women disappears on its own in the first weeks after childbirth, and vasomotor rhinitis can bother for years.
Rhinitis of pregnant women occurs no earlier than the second month of gestation (at 6-33 weeks). Having appeared, he worries for a long time, constantly increasing.
It is necessary to treat rhinitis of pregnant women if it significantly affects the state of health, in other cases it is enough to ease its course by washing the nasopharynx, humidifying the air, etc. This is especially true for rhinitis of pregnant women that arose in the last month of pregnancy - two to three weeks later it will go away on its own, and you will avoid taking pharmacological agents. If rhinitis occurs in the early stages, and it is accompanied by severe congestion, the help of a specialist is needed, because hypoxia harms both the mother and the child.
Features of treatment at different stages of pregnancy
What medications for the common cold during pregnancy are possible and which are not? It depends on the causes of rhinitis, and on its severity, and on the period of gestation. Of course, ideally, one should do without medications altogether, preferring rinsing the nasopharynx, drinking plenty of fluids and various procedures that reduce the symptoms of the disease. The best remedy for a cold for pregnant women is purified sea water.
It is especially important to limit medication intake during early pregnancy. It is known that in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, almost all organs of the baby are laid - this is the basis for its further development. Some medicines for the common cold during pregnancy interfere with the processes occurring in the placenta and in the child's body, which can lead to irreversible developmental disorders.
At the same time, if a woman is seriously ill (for example, purulent sinusitis occurs), taking medications is less dangerous than letting the disease take its course.
In medical practice, there is a concept "when the benefits of taking the drug outweighs the potential risk" - this is exactly the case.
In the second trimester, the fetus is more protected, since the placenta is well developed by this time. How to treat a runny nose during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester? The list of approved drugs is slightly expanding - for example, hormonal drops from the common cold, some vasoconstrictors are allowed from the second trimester, but the basis of treatment is saline drops and solutions for rinsing.
In the third trimester, the baby mostly grows and prepares for birth. On the one hand, medications no longer have such an effect on its development; on the other hand, some drugs can cause disruption of the uterus and placenta, which sometimes leads to premature birth. How to treat a runny nose during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester? You can use sea water, approved hormonal and vasoconstrictor. But with traditional medicine, you need to be more careful - it is no secret that many medicinal plants cause muscle spasms and can even provoke abortion.
Thus, when choosing a medicine for the common cold for pregnant women, it is necessary to take into account the gestation period. Let's talk in more detail about the features of taking various medicines for the common cold during pregnancy.
Approved drugs
The first drug recommended for pregnant women is purified sea water (or sterile physiological sodium chloride solution, i.e. salt). This remedy for the common cold during pregnancy has no side effects, does not affect the fetus and is not addictive.
The saline solution can be used to irrigate the nasal cavity, rinse the nasopharynx, and gargle if there is a tickle or pain.
What are the benefits of such procedures? There are several main effects:
- elimination of dryness in the nose;
- some relief of nasal congestion;
- flushing microbes, allergens and other particles from the mucous membrane that enter the nasal cavity with air;
- facilitating the work of the cilia of the ciliated epithelium, which ensures the cleansing of the nose;
- liquefaction of mucus and facilitation of blowing it out, thereby preventing complications of the common cold.
For this purpose, various nasal preparations based on sea water can be used - Aqua Maris, Marimer, Physiomer, Humer and others.
If it is required to treat acute rhinitis, in which a severe runny nose and complete nasal congestion are concerned, you can use hypertonic saline drops - Aqua Maris Strong, Nazomarin Dr. Theiss, etc. They have a higher concentration of salts, due to which a drying and decongestant effect is achieved.
Another nasal spray that can be used during pregnancy is Pinosol. It contains oils of eucalyptus and Scots pine, as well as menthol, due to which a decongestant and antiseptic effect is achieved. Pinosol is used in the treatment of acute and chronic infectious diseases of the nasopharynx (ARVI, bacterial rhinitis, sinusitis, etc.).
Hormonal nasal drops (topical corticosteroids) may also be used as directed by your doctor. Among them are Nasobek, Nazonex, Bekonaze, Tafen Nazal and others.
Corticosteroids are hormonal substances with a strong anti-inflammatory effect. After instillation into the nose, corticosteroids are not detected in the blood even in minimal amounts.
Consequently, nasal preparations containing corticosteroids are theoretically unable to interfere with intrauterine growth. However, their effect on pregnancy is not well understood, and doctors do not recommend using them during the first trimester. In the second and third trimesters, the question of prescribing corticosteroids is discussed on an individual basis - if it is possible to do without them, the doctor will prescribe drops of a simpler composition (for example, saline).
What not to do
During pregnancy, it is prohibited:
carry out thermal procedures - put mustard plasters, soar legs, do steam inhalations;- put banks;
- to relieve fever, drink tablets Aspirin, Analgin and their analogues;
- use immunostimulants;
- use vasoconstrictor drops (Naphtizin, Nazivin, Dlyanos, Evkazolin and analogues).
carry out thermal procedures - put mustard plasters, soar legs, do steam inhalations;Why are vasoconstrictors for the common cold for pregnant women contraindicated? It is known that vasoconstrictor drugs affect smooth muscles, and this action affects not only the nasal mucosa, but also the placenta. Contraction of the placenta vessels is fraught with a deterioration in the trophism of the fetus, because all the nutrients his body receives through the blood. Vasoconstrictors are also dangerous for the mother's body - they disrupt the work of the cardiovascular system as a whole, and she already suffers severe stress during pregnancy.
If the nose is completely stuffy, the doctor may prescribe a child's vasoconstrictor drug (Naphthyzin Children's, Nazo-Spray Baby, Nazik For Children).
During pregnancy, the time and frequency of vasoconstrictor use are reduced - no more than 2 instillations per day for 3-4 days. Better to do without them altogether.
Traditional methods
It is so accepted in our country that pregnant women are advised to be treated with folk methods - they say, absolutely natural and no chemistry. But is it so harmless to use them during gestation?
In fact, there is no connection between "natural" and "harmless". Many poisons are of plant origin - but we are not saying that they are useful. So, some medicinal plants can disrupt the course of pregnancy. These include arnica, anise, aloe, elecampane, echinacea, licorice, and others.
During pregnancy, do not experiment with folk remedies. It is permissible to use only those agents whose effects are well studied and beyond doubt.
Honey, garlic, onions, citrus fruits, raspberries, currants, viburnum (if you are not allergic) will be useful. They can be taken exclusively internally - no dripping juice into the nose, laying honey, etc. The exception is dry inhalation: it will not harm if you breathe over a plate of chopped onions or garlic.
Conclusions
We told what is possible for pregnant women from a cold, and what is not. However, you should understand that at the slightest discomfort, it is not necessary for pregnant women to run to the pharmacy and buy everything that is allowed from the common cold. In most cases, a runny nose during pregnancy can be cured without the use of medication. So, acute rhinitis during pregnancy disappears literally in 4-5 days, if the conditions and care of the nasal cavity are correct: moist air, drinking plenty of fluids, rest and regular rinsing of the nasopharynx.
