What to do with a cold, runny nose or cough in the third trimester of pregnancy?

Everyone knows that diseases, commonly called colds, are dangerous during pregnancy. But rarely does a woman manage to make a journey of nine months without any disease at all. And therefore the question often arises of what to do and how to be treated if SARS or flu overtook the future mother in the final, third trimester of pregnancy.

When we talk about colds, viral infections are commonly referred to as widespread. Respiratory viruses usually enter the body through the nose or mouth, causing inflammation along the way, which causes the symptoms - a runny nose, sore throat, cough. The temperature rises as a defensive reaction, because in the heat, the production of protective antibodies is activated.

Viral infections for pregnant women are dangerous both by themselves and by their possible complications, including pneumonia, meningitis, bronchitis and other unpleasant diagnoses. The virus can lead to multiple malformations of the fetus during the period when the formation of organs and systems of the baby is active, that is, in the first trimester. Somewhat later, influenza and SARS can cause disruption of the placenta.

By the final third of the period of gestation of the fetus in women is extremely depleted immunity, but because the disease during this period is not at all uncommon. To endure the symptoms of the disease in the later stages of pregnancy is much more difficult for a woman than in a non-pregnant state. If the disease occurs immediately before childbirth, the woman has very real chances to get into the observational department of the maternity hospital, where women with infections and unexplored patients lie.

Despite the fact that viral diseases are not dangerous in the third trimester, A woman should take the disease seriously, because possible complications can affect her own internal organs. - renal function may be impaired, the heart muscle, the brain may suffer, and such conditions will require aggressive medical treatment. And although the list of drugs allowed for use in the third trimester is extended compared with the early terms of gestation, severe and serious antibacterial therapy will not bring benefits to the baby.

The main danger of the disease in the third trimester lies in the possibility of the development of placental insufficiency, premature aging of the placenta, in connection with which the baby will begin to receive less nutrients and oxygen than he needs in the current term.

If there are characteristic symptoms - a sore throat, a stuffy nose, a cough appeared and the body temperature rose, during pregnancy it is strictly forbidden to try to treat this condition on your own. Be sure to call the doctor at home. To do this, just call the clinic and register a call to the house of the district therapist.A woman must be examined by a specialist, because under the clinical signs of a cold both a viral illness and a bacterial infection can lie, and the treatment in these two cases will be completely different.

It is not necessary to go to the clinic yourself, a woman from the first hours of the manifestation of the disease shows strict bed rest - in this condition and you should wait for the doctor from the clinic.

The appearance of symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, pain when swallowing, coughing, fever, are a good reason to invite the doctor to your home, especially if you are talking about the expectant mother.

Despite the fact that in the 3rd trimester, the strictest ban on taking many medications is lifted, it is not necessary to prescribe yourself a drop in the nose or pills for temperature - as before, each drug must be agreed with the doctor.

If a bacterial infection is detected, antibiotic treatment is prescribed. In the final third of the term of gestation, antibiotics of the penicillin group, cephalosporin antibiotics and macrolides are acceptable if necessary. Only ototoxic antibiotics (neomycin and gentamicin) are not prescribed, since they can cause deafness in the child and the occurrence of hearing problems in the mother herself. Quinolones and sulfonamides are also banned. But now, unlike earlier periods, many broad-spectrum antibiotics are permissible.

In most cases with the symptoms described above, the doctor states a viral disease. It does not in any way need any antibiotics, because viruses are insensitive to antibacterial agents. As for antiviral drugs, there are not so many drugs with proven efficacy - these are several types of anti-flu drugs that are not advertised. They are injected in the hospital in case of severe flu and during pregnancy, they are prohibited at any time.

For home treatment, the doctor may recommend "Anaferon", "Oscillococcinum"," Viburkol "," Viferon "and other means. To use them or not is up to the patient herself. Most of these remedies are homeopathic, they contain extremely small doses of some substances in decimal dilution, clinical trials have not revealed any of their effectiveness. This means that with such a tool, and without it, the disease will last for exactly as long as the woman’s immunity will be needed to control the situation and develop enough antibodies to fight the invader virus. If you do not want to once again take pills or syrups, without remorse, you can refuse antiviral drugs, the benefits of which are very doubtful.

If you have a sore throat in the third trimester of pregnancy, a woman can use remedies for local anesthesia and reduction of inflammation, for example, STOPangin spray, such local remedies as Tantum Verde and Hexoral are not contraindicated. Using these sprays and sprays, it is important to remember that eat and drink immediately after irrigation of the throat is not worth it, wait 1.5 hours. Also, do not apply the tool immediately after a meal.

It is allowed to use lozenges such as "Lizobact"And" Faringosept ", but from the pharmacy candy for sucking with eucalyptus, honey and other components should be abandoned, because they often contain dyes and preservatives.

If the cough is dry and unproductive, expectorants are prescribed, for example “Mukaltin"," Evkabal ", inhalation is recommended. With a wet cough, you can not take anything, but only pay attention to the abundant warm drink, which will contribute to the discharge of sputum.

With a cold, if there are no other symptoms, it is not necessary to drip anything into the nose, because a cold before birth is physiological, associated with a slight swelling of the mucous membranes. With a cold, “in the set” with which there are other symptoms of the disease, drops with vasoconstrictor action are contraindicated. They constrict not only the vessels of the nasal passages, but also other vessels in the body, including vessels of the placenta. On the other hand, preparations based on a saline solution - Aquamaris, Marimer, as well as preparations from raw materials of plant origin, such as Pinosol, Dolphin, are allowed.

At high temperatures, it is imperative to reduce it, because the fever negatively affects the state of the uteroplacental blood flow. As long as the thermometer does not exceed the value of 38.0 degrees, there is no need for receiving antipyretic - high temperature is necessary for the immune system to more effectively combat the virus.

A woman who got sick in the last weeks of her pregnancy needs rest and bed rest - the body does not have much strength to quickly withstand infection, and attempts to move, actively doing something can lead to serious complications.

Do not wrap up if there is a temperature. A minimum of clothes and cover sheets - this is the best way to establish thermoregulation and prevent overheating of the body.

A woman should be in a well-ventilated room, and during the day you need to open the window at any time of the year and ventilate several times. It is necessary that someone from the household did a wet cleaning and began to actively humidify the air in the room - the drier the air, the higher the likelihood that the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs will dry out and the complication will develop.

Moisten the air is very simple - if there is no humidifier, you just need to hang wet towels or diapers over the radiators. When dry, they will release moisture to the air.

Drinking plenty of water is necessary, but the exact amount of fluid should be coordinated with the doctor - for preeclampsia and edema, a large amount of fluid is contraindicated. If the pregnancy proceeds without pathologies, you can drink up to 2.5 liters of fluid per day. Drinking should be neither hot nor cold, best at room temperature. Drinking too hot can cause additional swelling of the throat if it is already sore and inflamed.

Drink non-carbonated water, homemade juices, fruit drinks, comfort from dried fruits with a minimum sugar content. Do not drink black tea, because it contains caffeine - a substance that is dangerous in any period of pregnancy.

Even folk remedies for treatment during pregnancy must be coordinated with the doctor, because plant substances are not as safe as they are considered.

Reduce the intensity of dry cough, faster to remove phlegm will help green tea with the addition of a small amount of broth pharmacy chamomile. She can also gargle and rinse the nose. If a woman is not allergic to honey, you can take a spoonful of honey 2-3 times a day, drinking it down with plenty of warm liquid. But we must remember that products with a high allergenic index are dangerous from the point of view of the development of allergy in a child after birth, so it’s better not to overdo it with honey even with excellent tolerance of the product.

Vitamin C, which all ill suck so much, does not affect the virus and recovery, so there is no need to choke on sour lemons if the woman does not like them. In addition, citrus fruits are also products with a high allergenic status. Aloe juice, previously diluted with water by half, can be dripped into your nose.

In the third trimester, as in any other, it is important to avoid such plants as coltsfoot, ginseng and echinacea. Also, do not rub with alcohol or ice water at a temperature, do inhalation with high heat, rub with fat, soar legs and pour mustard into woolen socks.

In fact, it is quite difficult to avoid the disease in the final trimester - the body has reached critical overloads, the immune system is exhausted. Therefore, it is important to pay special attention to prevention.

• Visit less crowded places, shopping centers, public transport during peak hours - it is there that most often occurs infection with infectious diseases.
• If there is no urgent need, give up on trips to polyclinics and hospitals in the seasons when the incidence of ARVI and influenza naturally increases.
• Help your immunity - eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, if necessary, use multivitamins, do not neglect meat, fish, foods that are rich in animal protein.
• Try to limit contact with the sick, even if it is close relatives. If there is no such possibility (for example, the eldest child is sick, and the grandmother cannot sit with him), use gauze bandages, change them every 2-3 hours, lubricate the nostrils with “Oxolinic ointment”.
• It is best to get a flu vaccine at the very beginning of pregnancy, but if this has not been done, contact the clinic at any time during the vaccination period - the vaccine will help reduce the likelihood of complications, even if the flu infection does occur.

All these measures contribute to the maintenance of immunity in working condition, even while carrying a child.

About how and how to treat ARVI during pregnancy, Dr. Komarovsky is responsible in the next video.