Pregnancy is a happy time for the expectant mother and her loved ones. While waiting for the child, there are many pleasant troubles ahead, but anxiety regarding the state of health cannot be ruled out. It is believed that pregnant women need to beware of drugs - this statement is not so far from the truth, but not all remedies.
Refusing treatment if the throat hurts is dangerous not only for the patient, but also for the child she is carrying.
Gargling is usually perceived as the best alternative to lozenges and sprays with antiseptic components.
What are the means for local rinsing therapy to choose? How to gargle during pregnancy so that you don't have to worry about side effects?
Purpose of rinsing
During pregnancy, women may resort to gargling in various cases:
- to eliminate dryness of the mucous membrane in the absence of an infectious process;
- with pharyngitis of a viral, bacterial and fungal nature;
- with tonsillitis of a viral, bacterial and fungal nature.
If the air in the room is too dry and overheated, the patients complain of slight soreness and perspiration, which usually disappear after eating or drinking water, tea, compote. For the purpose of humidification, saline solutions of various concentrations can be used - in particular, isotonic (0.9% saline sodium chloride solution). It is used several times a day. Despite the availability of such therapy, dryness will return until the microclimate parameters are adjusted. Therefore, the meaning of rinsing is temporary relief of the condition.
A completely different approach is used for infectious diseases. Moisturizing should be combined with cleansing, and preferably with a decrease in the amount of pathogenic agents on the surface of the mucous membrane. To do this, use salt, soda solutions, as well as antiseptics - for example, Furacilin, Chlorhexidine.
Inflammatory processes of any etiology determine the use of local therapy. During pregnancy, it is advisable to choose medicines with herbal ingredients. But they cannot be considered completely safe - like any other drugs, such solutions and infusions for rinsing require careful control of the composition and dosage.
For women who are expecting a baby, the rinsing procedure is most often needed for viral respiratory infections. Since these diseases are more often recorded in the cold season, they are called colds.
Pregnant women with a cold do not need active local antibiotics - simple remedies will be enough that help prevent the mucous membrane of the oropharynx from drying out and have a moderate antiseptic effect.
If we are talking about bacterial tonsillitis (sore throat), more serious drugs will be required.
Salt and soda as medicine
Salt, soda and soda-salt solutions - "first aid" for inflammation of the oropharynx of any etiology. Such gargling during pregnancy allows you not to be afraid of side effects, and the ingredients for preparing the medicine can be found in any kitchen. What do you need to know about using these tools?
- A safe medicine is a medicine with a minimum number of components. The fewer active substances are combined in a solution, the lower the risk of adverse effects of drug use. In the case of salt and soda products, the components "do not contradict" each other, if taken in the right ratio.
- Cooking salt and sea salt can be equally beneficial. Both regular table salt and sea salt are ideal ingredients for preparing a solution. The second of the named ingredients does not contain as much iodine as is commonly believed, therefore it is permissible to use it even for women carrying a child. The main thing is to choose salt without flavors and dyes, marked "Suitable for food".
- Both salt and soda can have a bactericidal effect. In the case of a saline solution, this is directly related to the concentration. Isotonic solutions moisturize, hypertonic ones exhibit antimicrobial activity. Soda is a mild antiseptic. The action in comparison with officially recognized antibacterial drugs is moderate, which does not allow replacing active antiseptics with soda-salt rinses.
What to use for rinsing a pregnant woman? If there are signs of a viral infection - nasal congestion combined with profuse mucus production, fever of varying severity, headache and sore throat - solutions of soda and salt are suitable. To prepare them, dissolve a teaspoon of each ingredient in 0.2 l of water. The quantity is indicated for one procedure, which must be repeated at least 10 times a day. The same funds will be useful in the complex therapy of a bacterial infection, but they must be combined with the use of antiseptic drugs and systemic antibiotics.
Bacterial tonsillitis cannot be treated on its own; all appointments must be made by a doctor.
Herbs, juices, vinegar and honey
It is believed that no gargling during pregnancy is more beneficial than based on herbal infusions and vegetable juices. If a woman tolerates honey and vinegar well, they are often added to home remedies too. How correct is this therapy and is there anything to be afraid of during its implementation?
First of all, you need to understand that herbs and any other plant components can have an adverse effect on the body of the expectant mother and her child. Therefore, when purchasing plant materials, you should first ask: can pregnant women use it for the purpose of treatment? An example is sage - the leaves of this plant are included in rinses and breast preparations. Although it is mainly contraindicated for ingestion, it is better to refuse even the local use of the named ingredient. Chamomile and eucalyptus are often recommended for treating inflammation in the oropharynx.
During pregnancy, only local application is allowed no more than 5 times a day.
To prepare the infusion, you can take vegetable raw materials in the amount of a tablespoon and pour boiling water. After infusion for 15 to 30 minutes, the strained agent is cooled to a comfortable temperature and used immediately.
You can also gargle with beet juice. A small fresh vegetable is thoroughly washed, peeled and rubbed on a grater, then filtered through cheesecloth. The amount of juice should correspond to a volume of 0.2 liters.
The resulting juice is heated to comfortable temperature values (approximately equal to body temperature), a teaspoon of honey is added to it.
The classic recipe also contains apple cider vinegar - pregnant women are allowed to add a teaspoon of this ingredient to the solution.
Antiseptics and pregnancy
Any antiseptic and topical antibiotics should be recommended by your doctor. He chooses a medicine based on the indications identified, since an individual approach is required for successful treatment. At the same time, attention is paid to those funds that are permissible to use during pregnancy. These include:
- Hydrogen peroxide;
- Furacilin;
- Chlorhexidine.
Antiseptic drugs are indicated mainly for bacterial infections.
They cannot replace systemic therapy (antibiotics in tablets, injections), but in combination with it, they can achieve the desired effect, reduce the number of drugs and the duration of treatment.Thinking about what you can gargle with, you should choose a drug with a suitable spectrum of antimicrobial activity.
Hydrogen peroxide
The description of the use of antiseptics should start with the mention of hydrogen peroxide, a three percent solution of which is intended to stop low-intensity bleeding (abrasions, small wounds), treat wounds, and remove sulfur plugs. Application for the treatment of the oropharynx during pregnancy should be very careful. First of all, the solution should be diluted at least three times - for this, use ordinary boiled warm water.
Furacilin
Furacilin and its dosage are prescribed by a doctor. The medicine is produced in tablets, which the patient dissolves in water or saline solution.
It is a strong antiseptic, effective against streptococci, staphylococci and other pathogenic microorganisms. The classic ratio is 1 tablet per 100 ml of liquid.
The drug can cause allergies, irritation of the mucous membrane, so you need to monitor the concentration in the solution and the frequency of use.
Chlorhexidine
Chlorhexidine affects a large number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, protozoa, as well as some viruses (in particular, herpes simplex). It is considered safe for a woman who is expecting a baby, therefore it is permissible to use it at any stage of pregnancy. In this case, it is important to adhere to all the recommendations of the attending physician. The standard frequency of application is up to 3 times a day.
Antiseptic solutions should never be swallowed.
Both hydrogen peroxide and any other antiseptic drugs that are used during the rinsing procedure are intended solely for external use. Ingestion carries a high risk of adverse effects. However, this only applies to the intentional swallowing of a significant amount of the drug. The ingestion of a small amount of saliva solution is not dangerous.
Sometimes pregnant women are offered a topical antiseptic, Hexetidine, for gargling. Its advantage is long-term preservation of activity after a single application (up to 12 hours), the ability to affect not only bacterial, but also fungal flora. But this drug cannot be used during the 1st trimester of pregnancy.
Gargling is a procedure that helps to restore health without fear. However, it is only effective if other necessary methods are used. Choosing a rinse solution is best done under medical supervision.
