Colds in early pregnancy: symptoms, methods and means of treatment, prevention, consequences

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

Colds in early pregnancy are a major worry for pregnant women. Avoiding illness is quite difficult, especially given the constantly changing weather conditions and viral infections.

Of course, a cold does not have a positive effect even on a he althy person. If we talk about pregnant women, it all depends on the degree of the disease, on how well the immune system works, on how quickly the expectant mother takes measures to combat the virus.

In the 1st trimester, a cold during pregnancy is the most fearful. To determine which medicines should be taken and which ones should be avoided, it is recommended to learn more about the causes of ailments.

Why pregnant women often get sick

In this case, everything depends on many reasons. A woman may not go out for weeks, but still catch the virus. There is also no relationship between seasons and colds in early pregnancy.

Most often, women begin to suffer from ailments due to a decrease in immunity. This is a natural process whichnecessary for the embryo to be able to attach well to the wall of the uterus. The body perceives the fetus as a foreign body, therefore, it puts all its strength into fighting it, due to which the protective properties of the body of a young mother decrease, and she becomes more susceptible to viral diseases.

Symptomatics

If we talk about the main symptoms of a cold in early pregnancy, they can be very diverse. Up to 12 weeks, women are most likely to suffer from:

• headaches;
• general malaise;
• weaknesses;
• cough;
• runny nose;
• high temperature;
• sore throat.

Since ordinary colds last about 7 days, the peak of the most unpleasant symptoms comes in the first 3 days. During this period, you should pay the most attention to he alth and be sure to consult a doctor.

Many begin to wonder if a cold is dangerous in early pregnancy, only after the manifestation of the most obvious symptoms (very high fever and so on). However, you should not be so negligent about your condition and the he alth of the unborn baby. If the disease is started, then in some cases it can even provoke a miscarriage.

How is a cold in pregnant women

This process is practically no different from the manifestation of symptoms of the disease in non-pregnant women. Some patients in an interesting position report increased nasal congestion, but this happens on an individual basis.

If a woman has an elevated levelprogesterone, then this can really affect the condition of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.

There is an opinion that even a mild cold in early pregnancy can adversely affect the process of bearing a he althy baby. This theory is exaggerated. In most cases, the disease disappears after 7 days, and this does not affect the baby's condition.

However, there are more harmless ailments that can lead to unpleasant consequences.

A cold on the lip in early pregnancy - is it dangerous?

As a rule, most young mothers who have found unpleasant pimples while carrying a baby have repeatedly encountered this problem before conception. In this case, don't worry. The mother's body quickly produces all the necessary antibodies to protect the fetus.

If before that a woman has not encountered this type of herpes, then a cold on her lip in the early stages of pregnancy can affect the course of the process of carrying a baby and his he alth. This is because the virus multiplies very quickly. Due to this, it is able to penetrate the placenta and infect the fetus. This happens in 50-60% of cases. This can lead to a violation of the formation of the internal organs of the baby. Very often, children are born with damage to the nervous system, brain, vision and hearing. There may be general physical and mental retardation.

If a cold appeared for the first time, and the woman only found out about her interesting situation, then there is a riskmiscarriage. In such situations, doctors sometimes advise even to artificially terminate the pregnancy.

However, most people have already developed antibodies to the herpes virus, so the incidence of such effects is minimal.

How a cold affects fetal development

If we talk about official studies, then 16.8% of women suffering from colds gave birth to babies with congenital anomalies. However, 14.4% of the fair sex, who gave birth to perfectly he althy babies, also experienced problems with viral ailments.

There is no reliable evidence that there are serious consequences of a cold in early pregnancy. Exceptions include only those cases when the bearing of babies was accompanied by a fever (very high temperature). Studies confirming that this is a teratogenic factor have long been carried out. They confirmed that fever has a negative effect on the fetus. Therefore, if a high temperature appears, a cold in the early stages of pregnancy should be treated under the supervision of the attending physician.

However, each situation is different. Anomalies in the development of the fetus can be associated with hundreds of other factors that colds have nothing to do with.

How cough affects pregnancy

As a rule, this symptom always accompanies viral diseases. When coughing, the diaphragm and the anterior wall of the abdomen tense up, so many are worried that this will not harm the fetus.

Not worth itworry. As a rule, coughing is not capable of leading to negative consequences. But a woman who is worried about this issue is able to provoke a stressful state in herself. It just can negatively affect the process of bearing a baby.

Nervousness provokes the production of cortisol, which can cross the placenta. Therefore, do not worry once again because of every sneeze.

What to do with a cold

First of all, it is worth transferring the woman to a quiet room, in which the air temperature is maintained within 22-23 degrees (it is not worth warming up the room more strongly). The humidity level should also be comfortable. The room needs to be ventilated periodically.

Like any other person, when a cold occurs in early pregnancy, a woman should adhere to bed rest, do not lift weights, sleep more.

At the initial stages of the development of the disease, many recommend drinking as much liquid as possible. However, ladies in an interesting position should be more careful. It is worth giving up herbal teas, sugar and a lot of honey.

If we talk about nutrition, then pregnant women should reduce their food intake, as this is an additional burden on a weakened body. Light soups, vegetables and fruits are recommended.

The cold itself cannot cause serious harm to the fetus. However, when the first symptoms of viral illnesses occur, everyone begins to take drugs that can quickly improve well-being. ladies in positionyou have to be very careful in this matter. Not all cold medicines are as safe as they seem.

Antipyretics

The safest drug of this type is paracetamol. This tool has repeatedly passed various studies, during which it was possible to find out that this medicine is not capable of provoking a malformation or complications during pregnancy and childbirth. However, as with all drugs, it is important not to exceed the recommended dosage.

Also, while carrying a baby, other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are allowed. These include aspirin and ibuprofen. Acetylsalicylic acid was not recommended for pregnant women for a long time, but it should be borne in mind that modern drugs have come a long way. Today, aspirin is considered safe. At the same time, it is absorbed very quickly and does not damage the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.

Antitussives

If we talk about these cold medicines, then you should not be afraid of negative consequences if you take drugs that contain dextromethorphan. This component helps to overcome the cough pathogen, improves sleep and has a weak analgesic effect. Despite the fact that in the instructions of similar formulations there are contraindications for taking in the first stages of pregnancy, according to all known studies, dextromethorphan is absolutely safe and cannot harm a new mother or her unborn baby.

Decongestants

Pills for colds in the early stagespregnancies, effervescent formulations, capsules, teas and powders belong to this group of drugs. They are usually combination medicines that relieve pain and help manage high fever.

The most popular among these products are powder mixtures that quickly dissolve in water and are consumed in the form of drinks. However, if pseudoephedrine is included in such drugs, then it can be taken in minimal quantities so as not to harm the fetus.

Decongestants also include inhalers, nasal creams, and nasal solutions. According to early studies, such funds are not able to adversely affect the development of the fetus. However, additional tests have been carried out. Based on the data obtained, the doctors came to the conclusion that intranasal decongestants should not be taken 2 months before conception and during the first trimester. According to the same studies, there was no association between the use of oral decongestants and fetal abnormalities. Therefore, it is worth giving preference to these particular cold remedies in early pregnancy.

Expectorants

Preparations belonging to the group of expectorants are also often used for colds and are part of most cough mixtures and syrups.

If we talk about the safest components, then you can safely take Tussin, Coldrex Broncho' and other products based on guaifenesin.

Bromhexine,contained in most of the funds in this group, also does not pose a danger to women in position. But it is better to refuse the well-known "Muk altin" while carrying a baby. The fact is that it contains marshmallow root, which has abortive properties.

During a cold during pregnancy in the 1st trimester, you should be wary of all expectorants made on the basis of natural herbs. Most of them are absolutely safe for the woman herself, but can have a detrimental effect on the development of the fetus or provoke a miscarriage.

Echinacea

This plant began to enjoy great popularity. When deciding how to treat a cold in early pregnancy, many women prefer this particular remedy, which is part of a huge number of drugs. On the basis of echinacea, medicines, tablets, teas and more are prepared. At the same time, funds can be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor's prescription.

For a long time, this herb has been considered medicinal and helped fight toothache, itching from insect bites, skin damage and much more. Echinacea does have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

However, if we are talking about the treatment of a pregnant woman, then you should pay attention to one important nuance. The fact is that the extract from this plant affects the formation of blood vessels (this process is called angiogenesis). This property is veryuseful for people suffering from sarcoma, but can be devastating to the fetus. The process of embryonic development is always accompanied by angiogenesis, as it is responsible for the correct formation of small vessels.

Among other things, when a fetus is formed, there is a continuous process of cell division that develops even faster than some viruses and bacteria.

If all these processes are suppressed, this can lead to untimely development of the fetus, and in some cases even provoke the death of an unborn baby. Therefore, echinacea should be avoided. The same goes for some antiviral drugs. If they suppress the process of cell division in order to stop the development of the virus, then this can also negatively affect the embryo itself.

There is a huge amount of research confirming that echinacea has a positive effect on respiratory diseases. However, there is too little data on its effect on the fetus.

Vitamin C

Many women are worried about colds in early pregnancy. Not everyone knows what to do and how to treat it. Many people prefer vitamin C, which is popular today. It would seem that what could be more harmless than the component found in citrus fruits? In fact, it is very difficult to accurately answer this question.

A huge amount of research has been done on this component. However, all the tests carried out did not clarify the issue. Some scientists categorically deny the positive properties of ascorbic acid, while others, on the contrary,convinced of the benefits of this vitamin.

To be fair, most of the lab research was done without a control group. Such an approach is contrary to all the rules of medicine. Therefore, these results cannot be called reliable. There were also many controversial points regarding the dosage of the drug needed to prevent colds.

Although vitamin C is recommended to fight viral illnesses everywhere, it is worth noting that the effect of this component on pregnant women has not been fully studied. Also, there has not been a single official study that could answer the question of what effect vitamin C has on pregnancy. Therefore, to say whether taking this drug can provoke premature birth or other negative consequences is not taken by any doctor. In order not to take risks once again, it is worth abandoning such experiments and giving preference to proven means.

Prevention of colds during early pregnancy

In order not to puzzle over the treatment of a simple cough or runny nose, it is worth taking the necessary preventive measures. First of all, you need to eat right. If the body does not receive all the necessary trace elements and natural vitamins, then the immunity of a pregnant woman weakens even more.

Sports (but not strength exercises) and frequent walks in the fresh air will help keep the he alth of the fair sex in good shape. Also avoid crowded places.especially during periods of epidemics of viral diseases. If necessary, it is recommended to use a protective gauze bandage. In addition, you should refrain from communicating with sick people.

The apartment must be cleaned and aired regularly. The temperature and humidity in the room must be optimal.

If a woman is prone to viral illnesses, then you need to make sure that she has her own room. If you are allergic to plants and animals, you should also avoid contact with them. In such a state, the protective functions of the expectant mother's body can be significantly weakened.

Also, don't stress yourself out. If a woman is too nervous and does not sleep well, her immune system fails. Therefore, you should not worry about trifles. If you have a mild cold, you can see a doctor, but there is nothing to worry about. Since the body of the expectant mother is able to cope with minor ailments. If the temperature rises sharply, then you should immediately call for emergency help.