ARVI during pregnancy 1st trimester: how to treat

Colds during pregnancy: causes and symptoms

Signs and causes of the disease

Colds in pregnant women most often occur due to the development of viruses in the body. During this period, women’s immunity very often weakens, which makes her body sensitive to the effects of viruses. Very often, illness occurs as a result of communication with a sick person or with those who have recently recovered.

A fairly common cause of colds is hypothermia during the wet season. If a woman experiences stress very often, this leads to the appearance of a cold. The disease occurs as a result of the development of allergic reactions. With active or passive smoking, the risk of developing a cold increases significantly.

With the development of colds, a female representative initially appears slightly unwell. Some women complain of headaches, fatigue or weakness.

Further development is observed:

If a cold occurs without complications, then its duration is from 2 to 4 days. After this time, a gradual decline in symptoms is observed. During the course of colds, complications due to secondary bacterial infection may occur. In this case, treatment should be carried out in a hospital.

There are a lot of causes and symptoms of colds; in order to avoid their occurrence, a pregnant woman must avoid factors that negatively affect her body.

When the first symptoms of a cold appear, it is imperative to seek help from an obstetrician-gynecologist with whom the woman is registered.

Cough treatment

Cough during pregnancy - safe treatment

If a woman develops a cough during pregnancy, she needs to seek help from a doctor. During this period, taking medications is prohibited, as they can negatively affect the child’s condition.

In order to calm the cough and ensure complete removal of sputum, it is necessary to take warm milk. At the same time, a pinch of baking soda and a little butter are added to it. Plantain leaves, coltsfoot, black currant are characterized by the presence of an antitussive effect. That is why, when there is a cough, decoctions of these components are often used.

If the patient has a wet cough, then inhalation must be used to treat it.

To increase the effect of inhalation, eucalyptus and tea tree oils are used. It will be enough to add just a few drops of oil to a glass of boiling water. To soften the larynx, decoctions based on plants such as sage, plantain, linden blossom, and chamomile are widely used.

When using all of the above remedies during pregnancy, you can get rid of cough as quickly and effectively as possible.

Treatment for sore throat

Recipes for gargling for sore throat during pregnancy

When pain in the throat appears, one can judge the appearance of more serious diseases in female representatives than a cold. When the first pain or sore throat appears, rinse it.

For this purpose, decoctions based on plants such as:

A solution based on iodine and salt can also be used to gargle. Pregnant women who have a sore throat are strictly prohibited from sucking on lozenges sold at pharmacies. They can be replaced with a spoon of sea buckthorn oil or a piece of aloe leaf.

To alleviate sore throats and eliminate the possibility of spreading infection, it is necessary to use warm decoctions.

To prepare one of them, you need to take 1 teaspoon of rosehip syrup, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. Add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed red beet juice and juice from half a lemon to it. The resulting medicine is necessary when the first signs of a sore throat appear.

If you take comprehensive medications for pain in the throat, you can get rid of them in the shortest possible time.

Temperature - what to do

Ways to lower body temperature during a cold

If a female representative’s temperature does not exceed 38 degrees, then taking antipyretics is not recommended. Pregnant women are prohibited from taking most pharmaceutical medications when they have a fever. That is why in most cases folk remedies are used.

To relieve pain and make it easier to tolerate heat, cold compresses are most often used. To do this, you need to soak a piece of cloth in water at room temperature and apply it to your forehead.

The most harmless way to lower the temperature is to wipe with vinegar. To do this, you need to dilute it with warm water in half and wipe the entire body of the pregnant woman. If a female representative has a high temperature, then vinegar compresses are applied under the large arteries.

Tea made from linden blossom is quite effective in combating high temperatures.

When it is used, the pores of patients open, which allows them to sweat and get rid of fever. Also, herbal teas based on coltsfoot, oregano, raspberry, etc. are used to combat the disease.

All these remedies give a high effect, which guarantees a decrease in temperature in pregnant women in the shortest possible time.

Runny nose - safe treatment

Vasoconstrictor drops or sprays are most often used to treat a runny nose. In this case, the female representative must strictly adhere to the dosage of the drugs. It is necessary to use drugs to treat a runny nose as rarely as possible. This is explained by the fact that the body of women who are in an interesting position very often gets used to the drugs, which negatively affects their health.

With frequent use of vasoconstrictor drugs, they can enter the esophagus and be absorbed into the blood. After this, the drug narrows the blood vessels of the placenta, which leads to disruption of the baby’s blood supply.

Cold symptoms during pregnancy

The main symptoms of a cold during pregnancy include:

• loss of strength
  Runny nose in a pregnant woman
• headache
• pain in the throat, swelling and redness
• runny nose, nasal congestion
• cough, hoarseness, sore throat
• loss of appetite
• increase in body temperature
• chills
• febrile state

It is advisable to prevent the disease at the first signs and not delay it for a long time.

The causes of colds include:

• hypothermia
• airborne contact with an already sick person
• viruses and bacteria that were dormant in the body of a pregnant woman and with weakened immunity acquired an active stage

If you notice the first symptoms of a cold, you should initially take the following actions:

• The first thing you need to do is cancel all your activities and lie in bed for several days, that is, apply bed rest, which will help you gain strength and prevent the disease from developing further.
• Don't forget to drink a lot. It is better if it is simple clean water; also, if you have a cold, it is good to take tea with lemon, lingonberry cranberry juice, milk with honey.

During pregnancy, women tend to swell, so you need to be careful with drinking too much.

• When you have a cold, you need to watch your diet so as not to overload the digestive tract; food should be as digestible as possible. This will help the body fight viruses without being distracted by food processing.

Prevention

To avoid colds during pregnancy, it is imperative to adhere to preventive measures. First of all, a pregnant female needs to avoid places where large numbers of people gather.

If there is a flu epidemic in autumn or winter, then a pregnant woman needs to wear a gauze bandage. After going outside, you need to rinse your nose and gargle. This will prevent the virus from entering the body.

To strengthen the body of a pregnant woman, it is necessary to drink vitamins, natural juices and dietary supplements daily, which are permitted by doctors.

Following all these preventive measures will help pregnant women avoid colds. Treatment of colds in pregnant women is carried out using drugs that are made based on natural ingredients. Traditional medicine is highly effective in this case.

What is a cold during pregnancy?

A cold is a disease caused by the influenza virus or ARVI. You can catch a cold at any time in a person’s life, including during pregnancy. The peak incidence is observed in the cold season: winter and early spring. A cold can also be the first sign of pregnancy. It all depends on how long the symptoms appeared. Each trimester is characterized by certain consequences of the disease. To avoid a cold, it is necessary to consult a specialist at the first symptoms. The doctor will prescribe adequate therapy depending on the diagnosis.

The symptoms of a cold in pregnant women are practically no different from the symptoms in other people. Initially, mild malaise, headache and fatigue appear. The condition gradually worsens over the course of the day. Further, colds in pregnant women are accompanied by symptoms such as:

• cough;
• sneezing;
• loss of appetite;
• pain and sore throat, swelling and redness;
• chills;
• state of fever;
• tearfulness;
• itching sensation in the nose, mucus discharge.

The cough is often dry and mild, and the temperature does not exceed 38 degrees if the disease is not too serious. Influenza causes more severe symptoms than the common cold caused by other viruses. After 2-3 days, the signs of the disease gradually regress. This is due to the end of the active period of the cold. Its symptoms are very similar to those of other diseases such as pneumonia, sinusitis or bronchitis. For this reason, it is important to consult a doctor at the first manifestations.

It is more difficult for pregnant women to protect themselves from colds. The reason is that the woman’s body perceives the fetus as foreign. To prevent it from being rejected by the body, the latter specifically reduces the functionality of the immune system. This prevents conflict between mother and baby. This process is called immunosuppression. It is absolutely normal, but at the same time it increases a woman’s vulnerability to viral diseases, so the main reason for their development is reduced immunity. Particular factors in the development of the disease are:

• stress;
• prolonged exposure to the street in cold weather;
• smoking;
• eating large amounts of fatty foods and sweets;
• contact with an already sick person.

Why is it dangerous?

A cold during pregnancy can affect the development of the baby's vital organs or lead to spontaneous miscarriage. Intrauterine infection and fetal death are considered dangerous consequences. With the flu, there is a high risk of bacterial infections, which in the future also causes malformations or miscarriage. There is still no need to panic, because according to statistics, 75% of pregnant women suffer from a cold, but serious consequences are observed only in a few patients. The main thing is to start treatment on time.

A cold is also dangerous for the pregnant woman herself. In the future, she may develop serious complications during or after childbirth. These consequences include:

• massive blood loss during childbirth;
• inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system;
• release of amniotic fluid ahead of schedule;
• chronic infections;
• complications of the postpartum period.

Consequences

A cold is most dangerous in the first trimester. The reason is that during this period the most important formations of the egg occur with its transformation into a human embryo. At this stage, the nervous system, sensory organs, esophagus, limbs, and heart are formed. If before the 10th week of pregnancy a viral disease affects the embryo, then the risk of miscarriage is high. Also at this stage, fetal malformations occur.

Not only a cold is dangerous, but also treatment with antibiotics, hormones, immunomodulators, enzymes and other drugs. The expectant mother can use them without knowing about her situation. In the second trimester (from 12 to 24 weeks), the baby is already slightly protected thanks to the formed placenta. It is a shield from all dangers, but catching a cold during this period is still dangerous. Consequences include:

• fetoplacental insufficiency, which can cause a lack of oxygen and nutrients;
• birth of a child prematurely with a high degree of dystrophy and low weight;
• disruption of the development of the nervous and endocrine systems;
• miscarriage at 14 weeks;
• disruption of intrauterine oogenesis, which makes future girls infertile.

In the third trimester of pregnancy, colds are also dangerous, especially in the later stages. This increases the risk of the baby contracting a viral infection and premature birth. The baby is at risk of hypoxia and developmental delay. Other consequences of a cold in late pregnancy include:

• polyhydramnios;
• blood loss during childbirth;
• difficult postpartum period;
• early rupture of amniotic fluid;
• high risk of birth trauma;
• infectious diseases of the internal genital organs of women;
• threat of miscarriage.

What medications are allowed for pregnant women?

The choice of medications for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections should be treated very carefully, as they can cause no less harm to a developing baby than viruses and bacteria. There are a number of drugs that are approved for use in the first trimester of pregnancy, but, nevertheless, they are recommended to be used only under the supervision of a doctor.

Cough preparations

A dry paroxysmal cough not only causes severe discomfort to the expectant mother, but also prevents the supply of oxygen to the fetus. In addition, constant tension in the abdominal muscles can tone the uterus and even provoke a miscarriage. You can fight cough with the following medications.

Medicines for sore throat

A sore throat can be a consequence of inflammatory diseases of the mucous membrane (sore throat, pharyngitis) caused by bacteria and viruses. This situation is fraught with the development of serious complications and delayed fetal development. A sore throat caused by the streptococcal virus is especially dangerous - it requires immediate medical attention and treatment in a hospital setting.

Drugs for the treatment of runny nose

A runny nose, like a cough, is dangerous because it makes it difficult for a pregnant woman to breathe, as a result of which the baby may suffer from a lack of oxygen. When treating a runny nose in expectant mothers, it is important to remember that all vasoconstrictor drugs (Nazol, Naphthyzin, etc.) are strictly prohibited during pregnancy.

Antipyretic drugs

As antipyretic drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy, you can only use those that contain paracetamol (for example, Panadol). It is recommended to lower the temperature only when it rises above 37.5-38 °C, but if the thermometer shows 39.5-40 °C, you should immediately seek medical help.

Call a doctor if the thermometer approaches 39 degrees

How to treat a cold during pregnancy

The methods for treating colds during pregnancy are slightly different from the usual ones. Some traditional medications may not only not be beneficial, but also have a negative effect on the fetus. First of all, it is important to remain calm, lie down at home for a couple of days, and cancel all activities. Bed rest also involves giving up household chores. To speed up recovery, you must eat a balanced diet and drink enough fluids. Drug treatment for colds during pregnancy is determined depending on the stage of pregnancy.

Contraindications

Pregnant women who are being treated for a cold should not:

• drink alcohol or alcohol-containing drugs;
• take antibiotics other than those prescribed by your doctor;
• take water procedures such as relaxing hot baths, which... Indeed, they could help in the absence of pregnancy, but in this case they are contraindicated;
• soar your legs, as this process causes blood to flow into the lower part of the mother’s body and reduce the flow of nutrients into the child’s body.

How to treat colds during pregnancy: rules of treatment in each trimester

Cold. Absolutely everyone faces this disease, and if in ordinary life the symptoms of a cold disappear already on the 3-4th day, and in most cases you can get by with well-known remedies (both medicinal and folk), then during pregnancy even this banal disease poses a danger.

Since many medications are contraindicated during pregnancy, a woman needs to know how to treat a cold while pregnant.

What should pregnant women not do if they have a cold?

First of all, you need to know what drugs are prohibited in the first trimester of pregnancy. These are almost all antibiotics, antiviral and vasoconstrictor medications, all antipyretics based on aspirin, as well as special anti-influenza drugs.

Most drugs are contraindicated in pregnant women

In addition, you should refrain from excessive consumption of vitamin C - hypervitaminosis in the first trimester is no less harmful than a lack of nutrients.

Large doses of vitamin C are dangerous

In any case, pregnant women are strictly not recommended to self-medicate - at the first sign of ARVI, you need to call a doctor at home as soon as possible.

General recommendations for treating colds in pregnant women

The first and main symptom of a cold is an increase in body temperature - during pregnancy it is strictly forbidden to take complex medications (Coldrex, Fervex, etc.), both acetylsalicylic acid and analgin are prohibited. Doctors generally do not recommend taking any measures to normalize body temperature if it does not exceed 38 degrees.

How to reduce fever in pregnant women

What can pregnant women use when their body temperature rises:

1. Paracetamol. At any stage of pregnancy, you can take paracetamol as both an anesthetic and an antipyretic, but no more than 3 days in a row. If you take a course of paracetamol according to the recommended dosages, it will not have any effect on the developing fetus, although this drug crosses the placenta.
2. Cold compress. It is done on the forehead, for which it is enough to moisten a towel or textile napkin in water at room temperature. Apply the cloth to your forehead, hold it until it warms up, then turn it over. Instead of a napkin with water, you can use a heating pad with ice, just place 2-3 layers of cloth on your forehead. Such a compress will lower body temperature, alleviate the patient’s condition, and make the headache less intense.
3. Rubbing with vinegar. This method can be used at any stage of pregnancy, but please note that vinegar essence cannot be used for this procedure; you will need 5% vinegar. It is not recommended to use alcohol or vodka for wiping - even through the skin and respiratory tract, alcohol penetrates the placenta and from there to the fetus.

Please note: if a woman’s hands and feet are not hot, there is no redness of the skin, then cold compresses are not recommended - such a procedure can lead to a sharp narrowing of the blood vessels.

1. You can take linden blossom tea - this is allowed at any stage of pregnancy, and it is useful both at elevated body temperature and at normal temperature. You can brew linden blossom in a thermos - 10-15 minutes are enough to infuse, but you need to take ½ cup twice a day. To improve the taste of the broth, you can add honey or raspberry jam to it.

How to treat a runny nose during pregnancy

While carrying a child, a woman is strictly prohibited from using vasoconstrictors to treat a runny nose - Naphthyzin, Tizin, Nazol and Oxymetazoline drops are contraindicated during pregnancy. They affect the fetal heartbeat - it increases, which can lead to the development of pathologies in the cardiac system of the unborn child.

You can help a pregnant woman cope with a runny nose and make her breathing easier by rinsing the nasal passages. The procedure is done using a saline solution - 2 g of ordinary table salt per 200 ml of warm water. If the nasal passages are severely blocked and breathing is impossible, then you can make a stronger salt solution - add 4 g of table salt to 200 ml of warm water.

Please note: the procedure for rinsing the nose with saline solution can be carried out 2-3 times a day, but you should be careful not to get infection from the nasal passages into the ears. To prevent this situation, you need to rinse without straining, allowing the saline solution to flow calmly out of the nasal passage.

More detailed recommendations on the treatment of a runny nose and other manifestations of colds during pregnancy are in the video review:

How to treat cough in pregnant women

Doctors say that it is cough caused by a cold that is most difficult to treat without specific medications. A pregnant woman with a cough is given the following recommendations:

• you cannot breathe cold air - if the weather is cold outside, then walking should be avoided;
• observe bed rest - if a pregnant woman works, then it is necessary to take out sick leave;
• you need to talk as little as possible, shouting is generally prohibited;
• do not breathe forcefully - inhalation/exhalation should be calm, without tension;
• You can apply a pepper patch to your chest and back;
• the chest and back can be rubbed with ointments with a warming effect;
• you need to drink a lot of liquid - it can be tea with raspberries, or water with lemon, but always warm;
• keep your back, arms and legs, chest warm at all times;
• At night you should drink a glass of warm milk with the addition of baking soda (half a teaspoon) and butter (a teaspoon).

Cold treatment

In addition to the use of medications, a pregnant woman must take the following preventive measures:

• cancel all serious plans for the next couple of days;
• try to lie down more;
• maintain bed rest;
• do not do housework;
• If cold symptoms persist for several days, consult a doctor.

During pregnancy, you should also follow a proper diet and drink enough drinking water at room temperature. The liquid will help remove excess toxins and pathogens from the body. Although everything that pregnant women can drink when they have a cold (and this includes not only water, but also linden or raspberry tea, as well as carrot juice) should be taken within reasonable limits - up to 2 liters per day. Drinking too much can lead to accelerated elimination of nutrients from the body, kidney problems or edema.

When treating a cold, you should eat only light foods and not overload your stomach with excess weight. The ideal option would be to add to the diet of a pregnant woman who has a cold:

• stewed vegetables;
• porridge;
• dietary broths.

Salty and spicy foods are completely excluded from the menu - although this would be worth doing and not only for a cold. Food should be warm and liquid. If desired, add 1-2 cloves of garlic to the diet, which can also have an effect on the disease.

Treatment of colds in the 1st trimester of pregnancy

It is in the early stages of pregnancy that a woman’s likelihood of catching a cold is very high - the body’s immune system is greatly weakened. It is the early stages of pregnancy that are extremely undesirable for colds; doctors say that even at the 10th week of pregnancy, the disease in question is less dangerous for the unborn baby.

What should a pregnant woman do:

• maintain bed rest;
• exclude walks in the fresh air and any physical activity in general;
• to alleviate the condition, you can inhale with a decoction of chamomile;
• To ease breathing, you can use rinsing the nasal passages with saline solution;
• the room where the pregnant woman is located must have humidified air;
• The expectant mother needs to be provided with plenty of fluids - linden blossom tea with the addition of honey, raspberry jam;
• when the temperature rises, you can only apply a cold compress and wipe with vinegar.

Please note: if the first signs of a cold appear in early pregnancy, you should seek professional help - only a doctor can determine the risk of using medications as part of therapy.

According to statistics, there will be no consequences after a cold in the 1st trimester of pregnancy if you respond to the symptoms of the disease in a timely manner and follow the prescriptions and recommendations of doctors.

Pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky will talk about the treatment of acute respiratory infections in pregnant women in the early stages in a short video review:

Treatment of colds in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy

A cold in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy is, to put it mildly, an undesirable event. The danger is that the development of such a pathology can negatively affect the health of the unborn baby - it is in the 2nd trimester that the fetal nervous system is formed and develops, and fetoplacental insufficiency can develop along the way. In turn, placental insufficiency provokes a delay in fetal development, oxygen starvation (hypoxia) and an increased risk of premature birth.

A cold in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy cannot cause any serious malformations of the fetus, but this does not mean that a woman can calm down and wait for an independent recovery. Here's what experts warn about:

• 14th week of pregnancy - a common cold can provoke a miscarriage or disturbances in the development of the fetal endocrine system;
• 16-17 weeks of pregnancy - a cold negatively affects the process of formation of the musculoskeletal system, in particular, bone tissue;
• 19th and 20th weeks of pregnancy - if a female fetus develops in utero, then a cold will affect the formation of eggs.

What a woman can do:

maintain bed rest;

• ensure that you drink plenty of fluids – tea with raspberries, lemon/honey;
• You can gargle with a decoction of chamomile or a solution of baking soda;
• The nasal passages can be washed with saline solution.

Please note: pregnant women are strictly prohibited from taking any medications or products from the “traditional medicine” category without consulting their doctor and gynecologist.

What is forbidden to use for treatment?

Remember! In the first trimester of pregnancy, you should not use herbs that can cause miscarriage:

• wild rosemary;
• viburnum;
• raspberry leaves;
• celandine;
• oregano;
• sagebrush;
• valerian;
• ginseng;
• sweet clover;
• sage;
• St. John's wort.

Herbs that can be used for treatment cannot be used to prepare alcohol tinctures.

Among the medications during pregnancy are strictly prohibited , as well as the drugs Ambrobene, Ambroxol, Askofen, Analgin, Citramon, Aspirin, Theraflu.