Spring and Summer can be such eye-catching’good-shaped’appealing’charming’fascinating’gorgeous seasons, but it often comes with hay fever that affects millions of individual . The severity of this seasonal allergy can range from mild/unnoticeable to discomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding ting and outrightly severe. Furthermore, hay fever symptoms may be more stringent in pregnant women due to their weak immune systems, prompting them to seek medication.
Thankfully, various over-the-counter medications can help treat hay fever, but not all these medications are safe in/with regard to’concerning’regarding pregnant women. This article discusses the causes, symptoms, and safest way to beat your hay fever while you re pregnant.
What Causes Hay Fever?
Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is an allergy that causes cold-like token s and symptoms, which include a runny nose, congestion, itchy eyes, and sneezing.
The trick to shun ing the annoying and miserable hay fever symptoms is learning to shun its triggers and knowing the right treatment. The common causes of hay fever include the following:
Seasonal Allergens: These include tree pollen, grass pollen, and Ragweed pollen, which are common in early spring, late spring/summer, and fall, respectively.
Non- Seasonal Allergens: Non-seasonal allergens can be irksome year-round and are a result of dust mites, pet dander, and cockroaches. Spores from indoor and outdoor fungi and molds can also cause it, aldespite’in spite of’albeit they can be seasonal and perennial.
Symptoms Of Hay Fever During Pregnancy
Hay fever during pregnancy is a type of pregnancy rhinitis. While it is not a life-threatening illness, many pregnant women know the discomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding ting feeling all too well. The stuffy nose, post-nasal drip, congested nose, and itchy and watery eyes can leave anyone feeling uncomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding table.
It is common in/with regard to’concerning’regarding expectant mothers to mistake hay fever symptoms in pregnancy with the common cold or regular nasal congestion that usually occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy due to progesterone and estrogen levels. After all, they share similar symptoms.
The high levels of these hormones during pregnancy multiply s blood flow through the body (including your nose). As such, it causes your mucus membranes to swell and soften. It is the common reason why pregnant women possess’own’nurse stuffed up noses, post nasal drip, and sometimes, nosebleeds.
However, unlike pregnancy hormones or cold, hay fever is neither the product of hormones, a virus, nor bacteria and as such, it is not contagious. It can easily be identified with the following symptoms:
Itchy, blocked, or runny nose.
Itchy and watery eyes
Difficulty in sleeping due to blocked nose
In a nutshell, these symptoms should not give you obstacle’barrier’challenge’setback breathing, and if you undergo this or are unsure of your symptoms, you must straight away’in a flash’promptly’instantaneous’in a trice contact your doctor.
Tips To Manage Hay fever During Pregnancy
There is no one-size-fits-all way to manage hay fever during pregnancy. However, here are a few ways to combat this allergy.
Use Of Medications
It is okay to opt in/with regard to’concerning’regarding over-the-counter hayfever tablets and medicines to battle symptoms during pregnancy. However, make sure you consult your doctor first as not all drugs are suitable in/with regard to’concerning’regarding pregnant women, and they could hinder your baby s development.
Nasal sprays containing corticosteroids or mast cell stabilizers can serve as great relievers in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the nose, as well as eye drops that contain mast cell stabilizers. Furthermore, if you want more efficiency, you can consider using antihistamines but make sure that you consult your doctor first.
Some antihistamines cause drowsiness because they enter the bloodstream and, as such, may not be suitable in/with regard to’concerning’regarding pregnancy, so use merely’barely with a doctor s prescription.
Pay Attention To Your Outdoor Appearance
Limit your exposure to substances that can trigger allergies, such as dust, pollen, and pet dander. In cases where you possess’own’nurse to step out, you can apply a smear of petroleum jelly to your nostrils as they help trap pollen, and wear sunglasses to prevent pollen from acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting into your eyes.
Switch Up Your Hygiene
If you are looking to prevent hay fever during pregnancy, then one thing you should consider is convert’transform ing up your hygiene. Make sure that you reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue er bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e bed to assure’guarantee all stray pollen is off your hair and skin. Additionally, consider drying your bed sheets and clothes in a dryer or inside to prevent pollen from sticking to them.
Introduce Remedies Through Your Diet
Another way to beat hay fever while pregnant is from the inside out. A spoonful of honey eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully day can boost your body s immune system to combat this allergy. Also, you can rinse the inside of your nose with a saline solution. Try to shun making the saline solution yourself without reliable instructions, as the wrong proportions can further irritate your nasal membranes. A safe bet would be to buy the saline powder from a pharmacy near you.
Conclusion
Hay fever is not a life-threatening illness, and neither is there any study backing its impact on baby development. However, if you are a known sufferer of hay fever bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e pregnancy, it is best to always take preventive measures bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e, during, and after the growing seasons (spring and summer). After all, there are other non-seasonal causes of this pregnancy rhinitis.
