Rhinitis during pregnancy: symptoms, treatment methods, reviews

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Rhinitis is one of the most common diseases during pregnancy. This phenomenon is considered an easily tolerated ailment. But during preeclampsia, one cannot neglect this pathology. Rhinitis during pregnancy can lead to complications for both the woman and the baby. Moreover, it is impossible to uncontrollably use drugs for the common cold, because many of the usual remedies are contraindicated for a woman who is in an interesting position.

What is rhinitis in pregnant women

The human nose is responsible for proper breathing, protects the body from environmental irritants and biological hazards. Inside the nose there are passages that are lined with a mucous membrane. In a he althy person, the mucosa produces mucus that flows down the back of the nasopharynx. The function of mucus is to trap toxins and other irritants inhaled by a person. With irritation of the mucous membrane, an increase in mucus formation occurs, flowing into a runny nose.

Rhinitis during pregnancy is usually caused by hormonal changes in a woman's body. The placenta produces a large amount of hormones that affect the increase in the number of mucous secretions. As a result, nasal breathing is disturbed in a pregnant woman and a runny nose occurs. Another reason for the appearance of rhinitis in women in position, doctors call an increase in the volume of circulating blood. This phenomenon can cause swelling of the small vessels of the nasal mucosa and congestion in the surrounding tissues.

When does rhinitis of pregnancy appear and how long does it last

The statistics of the appearance of rhinitis during childbearing is as follows:

• Beginning of the 2nd trimester - 30%.
• End of 2nd - beginning of 3rd trimester - 38%.
• End of 3rd trimester and before delivery - 42%.

Rhinitis during pregnancy in the 1st trimester is not very common, since hormonal changes are not so significant at this time. Usually, the first signs of a runny nose in pregnant women begin at the 12-13th week. The painful condition can last up to four weeks. Then the symptoms go away on their own. But there are times when rhinitis bothers a pregnant woman for 2 months. The reason for this may be the development of chronic rhinitis or another form of pathology.

Symptoms

Signs of rhinitis during pregnancy may differ, depending on the type of pathology and the individual characteristics of the woman's body. However, there are general symptoms that are characteristic of any formsuch a phenomenon as rhinitis with gestosis. A woman may complain of pain or sore throat, respiratory failure, coughing, sneezing, loss of appetite, headache. Often, patients also experience a loss of smell, a sensation of a foreign body in the nose, and poor sleep. Symptoms may be overt or mild. Constant nasal congestion, discharge, shortness of breath also affect the mood of a pregnant woman. She becomes irritable and tired.

Types of rhinitis

During the entire period of pregnancy, a woman may experience various types of rhinitis. Any of these are dangerous to the fetus.

1. Hormonal rhinitis. This variety during pregnancy occurs due to vascular edema in the sinuses against the background of hormonal changes. Signs of such rhinitis will be: nasal congestion, rare sneezing, secretion of liquid mucus. In another way, this phenomenon is called vasomotor rhinitis during pregnancy. Its treatment must be very careful. You should not immediately resort to the use of drugs, because until the body gets used to the ongoing changes, the symptoms of hormonal rhinitis will not disappear.
2. Infectious rhinitis. This kind of pathology occurs against the background of weakened forces of the body and its susceptibility to various kinds of viruses and infections. Symptoms characteristic of infectious rhinitis are: muscle and / or joint pain, weakness, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, fever, fever, chills, severe runny nose. Infectious rhinitis (especially in the early stages) is very dangerous for the unborn baby. If it's nottreat, then there is the possibility of developing pathologies and abnormalities in the fetus.
3. Allergic rhinitis. The reason for the appearance of this phenomenon is the development of an allergic reaction to animal hair, flowering plants, dust, food and other allergens. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that during pregnancy a woman's body can react more sharply to irritants. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis are as follows: frequent sneezing, watery eyes, itching or burning of the mucous membrane, dry cough. The presence of these symptoms may indicate the development of allergic rhinitis during pregnancy. Its treatment involves the exclusion of the allergen, the restoration of the respiratory function of the nose and the strengthening of the immune system. Allergic rhinitis must be treated without fail, because it can develop into a chronic one and be transmitted to the baby.
4. Chronic rhinitis. Such a runny nose can have atrophic or hypertrophic forms. Any of them poses a serious danger, because chronic rhinitis during pregnancy can lead to the development of asthma, otitis media, tonsillitis or pneumonia. Symptoms of pathology are: nasal congestion, difficulty in nasal breathing, discharge from the nose, cough, voice change. Usually, with a chronic runny nose, a future mother is prescribed douching with saline solutions.

Consequences of rhinitis in pregnant women

The biggest danger for a woman and a baby is a runny nose caused by a viral infection, as there is a risk of infection of the fetus and the development of pathologies. Hormonal runny nose during pregnancy is not dangerous,but it can make the life of an expectant mother uncomfortable, because nasal congestion affects the quality of sleep. Rhinitis during pregnancy can cause the following negative effects:

• Since a woman breathes through her mouth, nasal congestion dries out the oral mucosa, making it susceptible to infections. Against the background of such a condition, the development of pharyngitis or tonsillitis is possible. Infectious acute rhinitis during pregnancy can cause sinusitis, sinusitis or otitis media.
• Infectious rhinitis is dangerous not only due to swelling of the nasal mucosa. It can cause thickening of the walls of the placenta, which will provoke a lack of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. This can lead to the development of pathologies, lag in growth and development, and in the first trimester this situation threatens to miscarry.
• In the first trimester, rhinitis caused by viruses and bacteria can cause the fetus to freeze.
• Rhinitis of any kind contributes to impaired breathing of the expectant mother, and this is fraught with the development of placental insufficiency and fetal hypoxia. Such complications are dangerous with spontaneous miscarriage, premature birth or the birth of a small baby.
• If infectious rhinitis overcame a woman before childbirth, then the child can become infected from the mother immediately after birth.

In any case, rhinitis during pregnancy is dangerous for both the expectant mother and the baby. Therefore, do not delay a visit to the doctor in order to start taking the necessary medical measures on time.

Therapeutic interventions

How to treat rhinitis during pregnancy? Among the many drugs, you should choose the safest. The choice of this or that medication should be discussed with the doctor. It is better to give preference to folk methods of treating the common cold. The solution to the problem should begin with a visit to your doctor, who will determine the form of rhinitis and prescribe effective therapy.

Drops from the common cold

This is a kind of lifesaver, which is used by almost all patients suffering from nasal congestion. But during pregnancy, not all nasal drops can be used by a woman. In the first 12 weeks, it is strictly forbidden to use any vasoconstrictor drugs: Naphthyzin, Galazolin, Nafazolin, Oxymetazoline and others. Treatment of rhinitis during pregnancy with vasoconstrictor drops is prohibited for the following reasons:

• The effect of the drug also extends to the vessels of the placenta, as a result of which they narrow. This makes it difficult for oxygen to reach the fetus, which can cause hypoxia.
• With repeated use, addiction to drops occurs, and this involves increasing the dose to achieve the effect. This will only aggravate the situation and increase fetal hypoxia.
• Drops can provoke an increase in pressure, and in the 2nd and 3rd trimester this is undesirable, because during this period many women already suffer from this problem.
• Vasoconstrictive drops make the nasal mucosa dry, and this has a beneficial effect on the penetration of infections and bacteria.

How to treat rhinitis during pregnancy? What drops can be used? Doctors recommend the drug "Pinosol". It contains pine oil, peppermint and eucalyptus. The drug will facilitate breathing and will have an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect. Drops "Pinosol" are absolutely safe for the expectant mother and fetus. In small doses, some vasoconstrictor drops can be used for rhinitis. During pregnancy, it is "Nazol Baby" or "Nazol Kids". With a severe runny nose, the doctor may prescribe these drugs, but subject to special recommendations: instill the remedy no more than three times a day for 2-3 days (no more).

Flushing

The procedure for washing the sinuses is considered quite effective in the fight against the common cold. It helps remove mucus, dust and germs. You can rinse your nose with saline or medicines. The most famous means for this procedure are:

• "Aqualor".
• "Humer".
• "Dolphin".
• "Aquamaris".

Due to the difficulty in maintaining the correct dosage, self-preparation of saline solution is not recommended for the treatment of rhinitis during pregnancy. The nose can be rinsed with a solution of chamomile. To do this, you need to buy grass in a pharmacy and brew one tablespoon in a liter of boiling water. The solution should be infused for one hour, then it is filtered and used for its intended purpose.

Inhalations andthermal treatments

The most famous thermal procedure is the application of hot boiled eggs or bags of heated s alt to the sinuses. The effect of the procedure causes an improvement in blood circulation in the mucosa due to blood flow. The mucus is thinned, the nasal passages are freed, breathing becomes free. The procedure cannot be performed if rhinitis is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. You can also warm your feet with dry heat. This means that during a runny nose, the expectant mother should wear woolen socks.

Effective methods of treating the common cold during pregnancy are steam inhalation. They also cannot be done at elevated temperatures. It is best to carry out the procedure using an inhaler with a special drug (it is prescribed by a doctor). But you can also use the methods of traditional medicine:

• Breathe over infusions of chamomile, mint, wild rosemary, eucalyptus or sage.
• Breathe over boiled potato peels or potatoes.

To carry out these procedures, you will need a towel. Place a container with a hot solution in front of you on a flat surface, cover your head with a towel and breathe over the steam for 5-7 minutes.

Other folk remedies

The recipes of healers for the treatment of rhinitis during pregnancy are quite widely used. Reviews of the results of such treatment are only positive. The most famous folk recipes for the treatment of a runny nose in pregnant women are:

• Inhaling the vapors of chopped onions andgarlic. To do this, you just need to chop the vegetables and breathe over them. These vegetables are also used for steam inhalation: onion and garlic are placed in boiling water and breathe over the steam. You can use onion or garlic juice diluted 1:1 with boiled water. Then the juice is instilled three times a day, drop by drop into each nasal passage.
• Carrot or beet juice. To prepare the product, it is necessary to squeeze the juice from carrots or beets and dilute with boiled water in a ratio of 1: 1. This medicine can be instilled up to 5 times a day.
• Mixture of apple and horseradish root. It has a decongestant effect, which helps to improve breathing. In addition, the mixture helps to strengthen the immune forces of the body. Cooking method: on a fine grater, grate an apple and horseradish root (proportion 2: 1), add 1 tsp. sugar and stir. The resulting mixture is taken in the morning and evening, one teaspoon.
• Self-massage. Massaging the reflex zones will help to cope with nasal congestion. With light circular movements, it is necessary to press both on the area under the nose and on the bridge of the nose. You can also massage the maxillary sinuses and the area under the eyebrows.

Vitamin infusion. For its preparation, you will need herbs St. John's wort and plantain. To prepare a vitamin infusion, you need to take two tbsp. spoons of each herb, mix, pour a glass of boiling water and leave to infuse for two hours. Then the infusion is filtered and drunk throughout the day. The remedy must be taken for 7 days. To do this, you need to cook it again every day

Treatment of viral rhinitis

Fortherapy for a runny nose caused by a virus, a pregnant woman should use all of the above methods. In addition, the doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs approved during pregnancy:

• "Oxolinic ointment" (nasal passages should be lubricated two or three times a day).
• "Derinat" (the dragee consists of medicinal herbs that have an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, take the dragee three times a day).
• Ointment "Viferon" (it is applied three times a day on the nasal mucosa).
• Drug "Sinupret". This is a plant-based product. It is often prescribed for acute sinusitis, sinusitis and viral rhinitis. The drug promotes the discharge of mucus and has an antiviral effect. During pregnancy, a tablet form of "Sinupret" is prescribed.

Drinking mode

Treatment of rhinitis during pregnancy is impossible without proper drinking regimen. Abundant discharge from the nose is the loss of body fluid, which is very dangerous during the period of bearing a baby. The patient should drink at least two liters per day. It is better if it is still water, herbal tea, berry fruit drinks or milk. The nutrition of a pregnant woman will also have to be reconsidered. It is necessary to exclude spicy and s alty foods, as well as foods that cause allergies, spices and seasonings.

Prevention

It is impossible to predict the occurrence of a runny nose during pregnancy. In some women, it is not observed, others suffer from it.long time. It depends on the individual characteristics of the woman's body, immunity and predisposition to diseases of the nose. But following simple recommendations will significantly reduce the risk of having a runny nose while carrying a baby. You need to do the following:

1. Stop smoking.
2. Be active, move a lot.
3. Avoid crowded places, especially during epidemics.
4. Strengthen immunity.
5. Timely treat viral and infectious diseases of the nose.
6. Spend more time outside, ventilate your home more often.
7. Regularly do wet cleaning.
8. Perform breathing exercises.

Rhinitis during pregnancy can cause complications in the expectant mother and fetus. Therefore, at the first symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo a course of treatment. This will help avoid problems and give birth to a he althy baby.