Runny nose during pregnancy (1 trimester). Cold during early pregnancy

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

A woman's body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. Each trimester has its own challenges and anxieties. But when the expectant mother falls ill, a real panic begins for both the woman and her relatives. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable during the first trimester, when hormonal changes, decreased immunity, and mood swings occur. Most often, the "current" nose delivers trouble. Moreover, such an ailment can occur in any weather and season.

Why is pregnancy accompanied by a runny nose?

The most common cause is the well-known cold. If earlier frosts, winds and rains were tolerated steadfastly, now a pregnant woman can easily catch SARS (acute respiratory viral infection) due to weakened immunity. Which, by the way, is a natural mechanism for the adoption of the embryo by the body of the expectant mother. Otherwise, fetal rejection would occur.

There are other causes of a runny nose in women in a delicate position. It can be a situational reaction to various factors from the outside,such as cold air or a strong smell. Sometimes there is a drying of the mucous membrane, caused by the dryness of the air in the room where the woman is constantly located.

Vasomotor rhinitis in pregnant women is associated with a hormonal surge due to the restructuring of the body. It usually resolves without treatment after childbirth. It is characterized by swelling of the nasal mucosa with abundant accumulations. Other chronic diseases, such as sinusitis, polyps, sinusitis, etc., can also cause a prolonged runny nose.

Well, everyone knows that a runny nose is also a manifestation of an allergy, chronic or seasonal. During pregnancy, it occurs as an individual reaction to the external environment due to the increased sensitivity of the body.

What to do with a cold in the early stages?

Obviously, first of all, you need to find out its cause. If this is not a common cold, then the treatment regimen is built exclusively by a doctor. In the case of an allergy, it is imperative to make complex tests in order to determine the substance that the woman's body rejects.

At the slightest sign of any ailment, a pregnant woman should immediately seek qualified help from a leading doctor. The difficulty is that they are not immediately registered with the antenatal clinic, and meanwhile, in the early stages, there is a high risk of spontaneous abortion. Therefore, if a woman wants to bear a he althy child, at first she needs to take care of herself on her own. But first you need to know about some of the processes associated with the development of the embryo.

What's going oninside the expectant mother in the first weeks?

So, there are no "trivial" reasons for a woman expecting a baby. This rule also applies in the case when a runny nose occurs during pregnancy. The first trimester is especially risky. At this time, the main organs of the future man are formed. Consider weekly the importance of ongoing processes. Already in the third week, the embryo takes shape, its nervous, muscular and skeletal systems begin to form.

Gill slit appears from 4th to 7th week. From this point on, oxygen saturation of the placenta is extremely important. Also, the embryo begins to beat a heart. This is already a living creature with a head, arms, legs. On the seventh week, the "tadpole" has a sense organ, the vestibular apparatus. Starting from the eighth week, the embryo becomes like a little man. His face is formed - a mouth, nose, ears appear. By the ninth week, a small lump, less than 1 cm long, moves, moves the arms and legs, on which tiny nails are visible. While others do not notice changes in the outlines of the figure, complex processes of the birth of a new life are taking place inside the woman.

Needless to say, the well-being of the expectant mother at this time is extremely important. It is necessary to be careful and try to play it safe so as not to fall ill. Even if it's just a runny nose during pregnancy. The 1st trimester is also characterized by the fact that the emerging baby already has tactile sensations. At the 11th week, he distinguishes between tastes and if mom ate something wrong, he will wince and try to swallow less. Obviously not every drughe will like it, not to mention the "benefit". Most medications are contraindicated during pregnancy, as they enter the amniotic fluid and are completely absorbed by the embryo.

What threatens a runny nose during pregnancy? Danger to the fetus

While the little one is in the body of a pregnant woman, her lungs are filled with fluid and do not work. The placenta is the only source of oxygen, which is enriched through the woman's blood. Thus, mother and fetus are closely related to each other.

When a pregnant woman has difficulty breathing, the placenta does not receive enough oxygen. This causes fetal hypoxia. Thus, the common cold can be very dangerous if it is accompanied by inflammation in the nasal cavity and a runny nose during pregnancy. The 1st trimester is the most important stage in the development of the embryo. Oxygen starvation causes deviations in its formation, including brain pathology.

How dangerous is a runny nose for a pregnant woman?

In addition to the risk to the child, diseases of the nasal cavity lead to a number of complications in the pregnant woman herself. A severe runny nose sometimes flows into tracheitis or bronchitis, as it contributes to inflammatory processes in the mucous membranes. After all, these diseases are provoked not only by viruses, but also by bacteria.

During pregnancy, even a common cold is insidious. The runny nose that accompanies it may be caused by an infection. This creates risk factors for childbearing. For example, for a cold you cantake the flu, which is dangerous in its consequences.

Not harmless and allergy, which in some cases develops into bronchial asthma.

Therefore, before starting treatment, it is necessary to find out the causes of the common cold.

How can you help yourself?

As already mentioned, it is better not to self-medicate. The main problem that a pregnant woman faces is that not all cold medicines can be used in an interesting position.

In no case should you use vasoconstrictor drops. Firstly, they are addictive and after a while they stop helping. Secondly, they increase blood pressure.

Nasal drops can be replaced with folk remedies. For example, beet juice diluted with water. However, it is worth remembering that in large quantities it burns the mucous membrane. The situation is similar with the onion-based solution. In general, with folk medicine, not everything is so simple. Sometimes it is stronger than pharmaceuticals.

Today, homeopathic remedies for the common cold are a good alternative. They contain natural ingredients, but carefully calibrated in dosage. However, given the sensitivity during pregnancy and possible allergic reactions, they should not be used without the advice of a doctor.

The safest way to help get rid of a runny nose for adults and children is saline solutions.

Flushing

The use of s alt-based solutions allowsachieve multiple goals at once. Firstly, you can not use drugs for the common cold, that is, use it as an independent treatment. Or, on the contrary, combine with other drugs to improve their effect. Secondly, washing eliminates the cause of irritation and reduces the likelihood of allergic manifestations. Thirdly, the solution disinfects the nasal cavity. Fourthly, irrigation of the mucosa improves the functioning of capillaries, strengthening their walls and normalizing blood flow. Fifth, s alt relieves swelling, allowing the pregnant woman to "breathe".

The solution can be prepared at home. The usual concentration is 1 teaspoon of sea s alt per 1 cup of water. In addition, it is convenient to use ready-made sprays, such as "Humer", "Aqua Maris", etc. Initially, they were intended for children, but today there are their analogues for the common cold for adults.

Rinse your nose about 4 times a day. If a runny nose haunts a pregnant woman for a long time, then the procedures are carried out within 1-2 weeks. Then you can do prophylactic injections 2-3 times a week.

There are different ways of washing. In the advanced stage, it is necessary to absorb the solution with one nostril and spit it out through the mouth. This achieves complete liberation of the nasopharynx from mucous secretions. A more gentle option is spraying the nostrils or dropping it with a pipette.

Warming aids

Another gentle and effective remedy is inhalation for a cold. One of the easiest ways is to "breathe" over a pot of hot potatoes while coveredtowel to keep cold air out. Thanks to this “treatment”, the mucosa is moistened, inflammatory processes are removed, and sputum is removed. Inhalation can be done with essential oils or by brewing eucalyptus leaves. There is, however, an opinion that this is not harmless, and sometimes the vapors contribute to a deeper penetration of the infection, causing bronchitis, pneumonia or pleurisy. Inhalations are good at the first sign of malaise.

Therefore, safety measures must be observed during the procedure. Steam inhalation is recommended to be done 1-1.5 hours after eating. Their duration should not exceed 3 minutes. You need to add only proven drugs and essential oils, and no more than 3 drops at a time.

When pregnant, steam inhalation should not be carried out. They can be replaced by dry heating of the nasal septum with s alt or special devices.

Helpful tips

In order to avoid burns, it is better to use inhalation with a cold with a nebulizer. Recipes for the compositions vary depending on the cause of the disease. For example, with edema, you can not use essential oils, which can aggravate it. For colds, anti-inflammatory drugs such as Rotokan or Sinupret are safe.

Mineral water is used to moisturize the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, starting from the nasopharynx. The most harmless are herbal inhalations with a cold with a nebulizer. Their recipes are simple. Dried oak leaves, birch, linden and chamomile flowers, mint, lavender are considered useful. They have antibacterial properties andhelp fight infections.

Prevention of the common cold during pregnancy

Than to be treated, it is better not to allow misfortune! There are some easy ways.

1. Make a wet cleaning of the house every day. Get rid of dust in sofas, armchairs, carpets. Ventilate the room regularly and monitor the air humidity.
2. Irrigate the nasopharynx with saline solutions 1-2 times a week. After visiting public places, this procedure also does not hurt.
3. At home, you can hang a head of garlic around your neck, and put a plate of chopped onions or garlic next to your bed before going to bed.
4. Walk a lot, breathe fresh air.
5. Keep a good mood and good spirits. It has been noticed that people with a positive attitude fall ill several times less than pessimists.

Remember, there is no harmless runny nose during pregnancy. The 1st trimester is the most important period for the formation of the he alth of the unborn child! Take care of yourself and your baby's life. To do this, you need not so much - to find out the cause of the disease and choose a safe and effective treatment. And most importantly - to believe that everything will be fine.