How to treat rhinitis during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many pregnant women will have various problems. For example, many women will develop rhinitis, an inflammation that is difficult to completely treat. Because the recurrence rate of rhinitis is very high, prevention is the main approach for rhinitis, with treatment as a supplement. Of course, if you have rhinitis during pregnancy, you cannot take medication at will. So, how to treat rhinitis during pregnancy?

Rhinitis during pregnancy may be mainly related to the increase in estrogen and progesterone levels after pregnancy. The increase in these hormone levels can cause edema and congestion of the nasal mucosa, excessive mucus secretion, and in severe cases, it can affect breathing.

Rhinitis during pregnancy usually does not have adverse effects on the fetus, but it can cause discomfort to the mother, and may even affect sleep, cause fatigue, and increase the incidence of ear inflammation and sinusitis.

Under normal circumstances, we use nasal breathing, which has advantages over oral breathing:

1. There are nasal hairs in the nasal cavity, which can prevent dust and bacteria from entering the body with breathing. Any tiny dust that enters the nasal cavity can stick to it and prevent it from continuing to invade. The dust and bacteria blocked by the nasal hair are caught by the mucus secreted by the nasal mucosa, forming nasal mucus and being discharged from the body. In addition, the nasal mucosa can also secrete immunoglobulin A, which can help kill invading pathogens.

2. The capillaries in the nasal cavity have a warming effect on the air.

3. The mucous membrane in the nasal cavity can also secrete mucus, which has a moisturizing and cleansing effect on the air. If you breathe through your mouth, your mouth will lose moisture when exposed to warm and humid air, which will make your throat dry and cause coughing. Therefore, breathing through your nose is better than breathing through your mouth. However, if you have pregnancy rhinitis and cannot breathe well, you may need to supplement with mouth breathing.

2. Treatment of rhinitis during pregnancy

Pregnancy rhinitis is not a major problem, but it can be uncomfortable and treatment is not always satisfactory, but there are some general measures you can take to help relieve symptoms.

First of all, non-drug methods are recommended, such as drinking more water, using a humidifier to increase the humidity in the room, and reducing or avoiding irritants in the environment, such as the smell of cigarettes.

In addition, you can also take a hot bath to enhance blood circulation throughout the body and improve symptoms such as nasal congestion. Adjusting your sleeping posture and doing moderate exercise can also help reduce the symptoms of nasal congestion.

3. Drug treatment of rhinitis during pregnancy

Of course, when these general measures are ineffective, you can still use medication to relieve symptoms:

Rinse the nasal cavity with saline solution: This is the safest and most commonly used method. It can help clear mucus, improve nasal congestion symptoms, and aid breathing. General pharmacies will have saline solution or other saline preparations for nasal irrigation.

Antihistamines: Antihistamines can help relieve symptoms of nasal congestion, sneezing and runny nose. Most commonly used antihistamines can be used safely during pregnancy. Your doctor will help you make the appropriate choice.