Medication treatment is contraindicated for pregnant women, with rare exceptions. What to do with a cold and cough? Steam procedures come to the rescue, which do not affect the entire body and will not harm the unborn child. Is it possible to inhale saline during pregnancy? Let's consider all the options for steam procedures for the safe treatment of colds.
Saline
What is saline solution? This is a 9% salt solution, which is identical to the composition of human blood. Saline solution is used:
- for diluting drugs for intravenous and intramuscular injections;
- administered inside the body during dehydration;
- it is sometimes used as a blood substitute.
It is completely safe for the body and is perceived by it as a natural liquid. Therefore, the use of saline solution for inhalation during pregnancy is completely safe and justified.
If you don’t have a pharmacy saline solution on hand, you can prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to dissolve a heaping teaspoon of salt in warm boiled water (liter). This solution can be used throughout the day and stored in the refrigerator.
However, this solution is not sterile, and therefore poses a certain danger to pregnant women. It is best to have a sterile saline solution in ampoules purchased in advance at the pharmacy. Sometimes you can use bottled alkaline mineral water without gas.
Is it possible for pregnant women to inhale with saline solution?
During pregnancy, the use of medications is always a risk. Even drugs that seem harmless at first glance can cause harm to the baby. Doctors agree that pregnant women can do inhalations with saline, but only 0.9% NaCl, which is completely safe in each trimester.
A woman must adhere to a list of important rules:
- Choice of drug. It is necessary to exclude medications that can provoke allergies. If any adverse reactions occur in the body, the session should be stopped immediately. Many herbal infusions and essential oils are prohibited for pregnant women, so pure saline solution, without additives, is best suited for inhalation.
- Temperature of the composition for inhalation. The session is allowed to be carried out only if the temperature of the inhalate does not exceed 40 degrees Celsius. It is also important to control that there are no sudden temperature changes, that is, you should not inhale too cold air immediately after inhalation. Otherwise, you can only make the situation worse.
- Breathing technique. During inhalation, you must take deep breaths through your nose or mouth. The procedure can last about 10 minutes. If a woman feels a deterioration in her health or dizziness, she should stop the session immediately.
If the expectant mother has a cold accompanied by an increase in body temperature, inhalation is strictly prohibited.
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Nebulizer
How to properly inhale with a nebulizer? This device is sold in a pharmacy and is a container with water and a container for medications. Using a special mask, the patient can inhale small particles of medicinal substances - aerosols. The medicine settles evenly on the mucous membranes and has a healing effect on the affected tissues.
Important! The advantage of inhalation in a nebulizer is that medicinal substances do not enter the blood and tissues, but have a vector effect on the lesions.
This is very important during pregnancy, because the medicine can reach the fetus through the blood. Is it possible to do inhalations during pregnancy? It’s not just possible, but necessary. How many procedures can be performed during the day? 2 or 3 procedures are enough.
However, before starting the procedure, you must notify your gynecologist so that he is aware. The doctor must approve your decision to do inhalations, and also clarify the medicinal herbs or remedies used. The saline solution is safe for inhalation, however, you should notify your doctor.
What is the procedure
The essence of inhalation is the administration of a pharmacological drug by converting it into vapor and small particles. The medicine immediately enters the respiratory passages and acts locally on the mucous membranes of the bronchi and nasopharynx. This treatment allows medications to bypass the stomach and almost bypass the general bloodstream, and therefore they do not have a negative effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
The procedure does not cause discomfort, works great for colds and can be recommended for pregnant women, as it quickly and safely eliminates the symptoms of the disease, suppresses the development of the virus and prevents further complications.
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Herbal treatments
Inhalations with saline during pregnancy do not pose a threat to the fetus. What about medicinal herbs, such as chamomile and sage? Can pregnant women take herbal inhalations? You can use chamomile during pregnancy if there are no allergic reactions. Chamomile is also useful for newborns, as it is considered a safe antiseptic natural remedy. How to do inhalations with chamomile? To do this, it is better to use a regular kettle and make a funnel out of the spout - insert a cone made of cardboard. You need to breathe through the spout of the kettle; you do not need to cover your head with a towel. Breathing should be calm and not deep when you have a runny nose, and deep and slightly delayed when you cough. When you cough, you can breathe through your mouth.
Is it possible to inhale chamomile through a nebulizer? A regular herbal decoction is not suitable for inhalation in a nebulizer, since plant particles can enter deep into the lungs with aerosols. For a nebulizer, you need to buy ready-made solutions or use essential oils (this depends on the nebulizer model).
Benefits of the procedure
Modern inhalation has many advantages. The procedure is allowed to be performed during pregnancy, but cannot be performed using a nebulizer if the patient has a fever. Inhalations are indispensable in the fight against colds, especially when the patient cannot take conventional medications.
Using this method in the early stages of a cold will make it possible to reduce the activity of pathological microflora, prevent the subsequent development of the disease, and speed up the overall recovery process. Effectively works against runny nose and cough, and also eliminates unpleasant sore throat.
Bottom line
Treatment of colds in a pregnant woman should be safe. You cannot take medications, especially not treat them with antibiotics. Steam procedures and a nebulizer come to the rescue. Inhalations with chamomile during pregnancy are the best way out. Procedures with saline solution or alkaline mineral water are also suitable. If you tolerate inhalations well, then there is no prohibition on treatment. However, you should still inform the gynecologist, because pregnancy leaves its mark on a woman’s health and immune system.
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Inhalation during pregnancy: what to do for expectant mothers
When a runny nose starts, it is advisable to see a doctor who will offer the correct treatment. But this does not always work out. But when a runny nose begins, what can pregnant women do at home?
Nasal rinsing
Rinse the nose with saline solution or other saline solutions intended for these purposes. It helps to safely treat rhinitis during pregnancy. Salt solutions can be purchased at a pharmacy or prepared independently at home. They have a gentle effect on the nasal mucosa, while washing away all viruses, dust, and reducing its swelling. For washing use: Dolphin, Aquamaris, Aqualor, Humar, Quix and other salt solutions. Some are designed for a course of treatment, for example Humar, others for several courses, for example the Dolphin washing system. But it is important not to forget to disinfect the bottle after treatment.
It is important to know that you cannot rinse a stuffy nose full of mucus; there is a chance of getting an inflammation of the middle ear - otitis media. Therefore, first the nose is cleared of mucus, each nostril is blown in turn, with the mouth slightly open, and then washed with the selected saline solution.
Inhalations
You can treat a runny nose in pregnant women using an inhaler.
There are several types of inhalers for home use:
- pocket liquid (metered dose liquid inhaler);
- pocket powder (spinhalter, turbohalter, etc.);
- steam;
- ultrasonic;
- compressor
Ultrasonic and compressor inhalers are classified as nebulizers, which translated from Latin means fog or cloud.
To treat the upper respiratory tract and, in particular, a runny nose, which is caused by viruses and bacteria, either steam inhalers or compression nebulizers are used. With this treatment, it is important that drugs that are inhaled settle on the nasopharyngeal mucosa.
For a good effect of treatment, when carrying out inhalation for a runny nose during pregnancy, you should follow some rules:
- the procedure is carried out 1-1.5 hours after eating or physical activity;
- Do not talk or read during inhalation;
- the procedure is carried out in a sitting position, and the sprayer must be in a vertical position.
- inhale and exhale through the nose without tension, calmly;
- inhalations for a runny nose in pregnant women with a nebulizer are carried out 1-2 times a day, sometimes the procedure is repeated 3-4 times a day;
- procedure duration is 5-10 minutes;
- per course of treatment – from 6 to 10 procedures.
Let us consider in more detail what to use for inhalation for colds and rhinitis during pregnancy. A runny nose during a cold goes through three stages, and each of them uses its own inhalation medications.
At the beginning of the disease in the first 1-2 days, when you feel dry nose, itching, and sneezing, it is good to do the following:
- inhalations with saline or mineral water, they moisturize the mucous membrane and wash away some of the viruses from the nasal mucosa, relieve swelling;
- inhalations with interferon, leukinferon, cycloferon help the pregnant woman’s body fight the virus and significantly reduce the duration of a cold or ARVI.
In the second stage of a runny nose, when watery and then mucous and thick nasal discharge appears, the following is suitable:
- inhalation with saline solution or mineral water;
- inhalations with rotokan, which contains chamomile, calendula, yarrow, will have an anti-inflammatory effect;
- inhalations with ambroxol will help to dilute the mucus as much as possible and quickly evacuate it from the nasal cavity;
- inhalations with malavit, miramistin will exhibit an antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal effect on the mucous membrane.
In the third stage, when the symptoms begin to subside, inhalations with saline or herbs, such as yarrow, calendula, and plantain, are suitable.
If a cold or acute respiratory viral infection occurs not only with a runny nose, but also with other manifestations. Then a solution of ambroxol, rotokan and others will help in inhalation against a runny nose and cough during pregnancy.
It is better to treat allergic rhinitis in pregnant women using inhalations after consultation with a doctor, since antiallergic drugs for them have contraindications and can negatively affect the health of the unborn baby, especially in the first trimester. For allergic rhinitis, only inhalation with saline solution is not contraindicated for expectant mothers. They help cleanse the nasal mucosa from exposure to allergens.
For rhinitis in pregnant women, inhalations with an isotonic solution or mineral water are also recommended, as they cleanse the mucous membrane well and relieve swelling. It is recommended to discuss the rest of the treatment for this type of runny nose with your doctor. More often than not, this condition does not require treatment.
Inhalation with a runny nose is contraindicated for pregnant women with a nebulizer when:
- there is drug intolerance;
- there are problems with the cardiovascular system, such as arrhythmias;
- high blood pressure;
- high body temperature.
Other home treatments
In addition to inhalation for a runny nose, expectant mothers can:
- drink enough fluids;
- carry out distracting procedures, such as mustard plasters on the chest, provided there are no allergies or skin diseases;
- observe bed rest.
You should find out which medications treat a runny nose and are not contraindicated for pregnant women.
It is important to know that taking vasoconstrictor drugs, such as xylometazoline, is contraindicated in pregnant women. Vasoconstrictor drugs are dangerous to take in the first trimester. And they are not harmless to pregnant women who have problems with high blood pressure or problems with the cardiovascular system.
Not only inhalations for a runny nose for pregnant women help cope with this problem. The correct protective regime, sufficient drinking, and compliance with the recommendations of the attending physician will help to avoid complications. But inhalation with a nebulizer during pregnancy for a runny nose will significantly improve the condition of the expectant mother.
What other inhalations are allowed for pregnant women?
If a woman, during the period of bearing a child, wants to do inhalation not with saline solution, but using ordinary water, a small amount of medicinal plants can be added to it. This is permissible after the doctor’s approval, and also if the pregnant woman has already had similar sessions before and they did not cause complications, nausea or allergies. You can use calendula, chamomile, linden. Such herbs will not be able to radically solve the cough problem, but they will help you relax and make the procedure generally more enjoyable.
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Is it possible for a pregnant woman to inhale with saline? This composition is not contraindicated during pregnancy, because it is, in essence, just water and salt. But as an inhalate, it effectively fights the symptoms of a cold, helps cope with a sore throat, cough, and runny nose.
It is convenient to conduct sessions using a nebulizer - a special inhaler that can be purchased for home use. The device is capable of breaking down the medicine into small particles and helping transport the resulting components through the respiratory tract. In any case, before starting such treatment, you should consult with your doctor. During pregnancy, a woman is responsible not only for her health and well-being, but also for the condition of the baby.
Types of inhalations. Steam
Despite the common name, inhalations are different. They are performed with hot steam and cold suspension. And more modern inhalers work with ultrasound and a compression effect. But the most familiar and famous is the steam procedure.
As a child, as soon as a cough and runny nose started, my parents would boil potatoes and take a terry sheet from the shelf. The patient was bent over the saucepan and covered with a towel. It was hot and hot, it was very difficult to breathe in this steam room, the patient blushed and sweated, but the cough stopped. As children, we did not like steam baths, but mothers and grandmothers were sure that this was the best remedy for colds .
During pregnancy, women remember the old method of treatment, and when they get sick, they try steam inhalations. For some diseases, this method actually helps quickly. We are talking about laryngitis and tracheitis, since large particles of liquid settle in the nasal passages, throat or trachea. But if a pregnant woman has bronchitis, then the steam form is useless, since hot steam and medicinal substances enter only the upper respiratory tract.
It’s also worth remembering the dangers of the steam option, especially over a hot saucepan. A pregnant woman should not do this when she is at home on her own, as dizziness . The saucepan itself should always be placed on a hard, flat surface so that there is no chance of knocking it over and getting burned.
