What should I do if I have rhinitis and sneeze frequently during pregnancy?

Rhinitis is a very common disease, and there are many causes of it. Some women suffer from rhinitis during pregnancy and sneeze constantly, fearing that it will affect the health of the baby in their belly. In fact, generally speaking, the impact on the fetus is not particularly large, but regular prenatal check-ups are necessary. If rhinitis is more serious, do not use medication indiscriminately, and be sure to use medication under the guidance of a doctor to relieve the symptoms.

Does sneezing during pregnancy have an impact on the fetus?

Pregnant women with rhinitis often can't help sneezing, but in fact, sneezing is a normal defensive reaction of the respiratory tract, so sneezing in pregnant women with rhinitis has little effect on the fetus. Moreover, the fetus is surrounded by amniotic fluid as a buffer in the abdomen, so the impact force of the sneeze can be tolerated, so mothers don't need to be too nervous.

However, if the pregnant woman suffers from habitual late miscarriage or the placenta is located lower or has placenta previa, you should be careful, because the abdominal pressure when sneezing is more likely to cause vaginal bleeding than usual, so the pregnant mother should control the strength when sneezing.

1. Pregnant women with habitual late miscarriage

A common cause of habitual late miscarriage is relaxation of the internal cervical os, which is mostly caused by mechanical damage to the cervix or congenital developmental abnormalities. After the second trimester of pregnancy, due to the increase of amniotic fluid and the growth of the fetus, the pressure in the uterine cavity increases and the fetal sac may protrude from the internal os of the cervix. When the pressure in the uterine cavity increases to a certain level, the membranes will rupture and miscarriage will occur.

For those with a loose cervix, cervical suture and fetal preservation treatment can be performed between 12 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the time of previous miscarriage. If these pregnant women cough or sneeze for a long time, the amniotic membrane may rupture prematurely, resulting in failure of fetal preservation.

2. Pregnant women with placenta previa or low-lying placenta

For pregnant women with placenta previa or low-lying placenta, the placenta is located close to the cervical opening, which can easily cause bleeding when abdominal pressure increases, increasing the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.

Pregnant women with rhinitis and sneezing tips

1. Cover your nose with a tissue or handkerchief, but leave some space.

Some people often cover their mouths or pinch their noses to make the sound smaller when they sneeze, thinking that this is polite, but this is wrong. When you sneeze, do not pinch your nose or cover your mouth, because the human ears, nose, and throat are connected. There is a "Eustachian tube" between the nasopharynx and the middle ear tympanic cavity, which maintains the pressure balance between the middle ear and the outside world.

If you pinch your nose or cover your mouth when you sneeze, the pressure in your nose will increase. Bacteria and viruses will easily follow the airflow through the Eustachian tube into the middle ear tympanic cavity with low pressure, thus causing acute otitis media. The pressure that cannot be released will also act on the ear canal tympanic membrane through the Eustachian tube, and in severe cases, cause perforation of the tympanic membrane. Therefore, if you sneeze, you should react quickly and take out a tissue or handkerchief to cover your nose, but leave some space.

2. Sit or squat with one hand behind your back or on your thigh.

Many people have the habit of bending down and lowering their heads when they sneeze, but this is actually wrong. The habitual instantaneous action of bending over when sneezing may cause lumbar muscle injury or intervertebral disc herniation due to the strong reactive twisting and uncoordinated contraction of the lumbar muscles.

In order to reduce the possibility of certain dangers caused by sneezing, it is best to sit or squat when sneezing, which can reduce the pressure changes in the chest and abdominal cavity. Place one hand behind your back or on your thigh for support to protect your spine. If you cough or sneeze too quickly and don't have time to put one hand behind your back or on your thigh, you can squat down to avoid hurting yourself. As the pressure changes in the chest and abdominal cavity decrease, the possibility of the above-mentioned dangers occurring will naturally be much smaller.

3. Pressing and kneading the outer sides of both nostrils with the index fingers of both hands can quickly suppress sneezing.

Sometimes when there are some precursor symptoms of sneezing (such as the nose suddenly becoming sour or itchy, etc.), or when you sneeze continuously and cannot stop, you can use the index fingers of both hands to press and knead the outer sides of both nostrils, which can usually quickly suppress the sneezing.