Those who chronically suffer from allergies may be on prescription drugs just about all of the time. If you are a woman who takes allergy medications and you become pregnant, you need to take some precautions to ensure the health of your growing baby.
A growing fetus could potentially be harmed by either allergy symptoms themselves or medications taken to prevent them. Discussing your allergy prescription with your doctor is important to finding a solution to your allergies that will be healthy while you are pregnant.
The following are three important things to be aware of if you're dealing with both pregnancy and allergies:
Allergies that trigger asthma responses can compromise the health of a growing fetus.
In some allergy patients, allergies cause the most severe health threat when they provoke asthma. Asthma is especially dangerous to a pregnant woman because it can reduce her oxygen intake.
Pregnant women need to take in enough oxygen both for their own body and for the growing body of their fetus. If a fetus does not get enough oxygen while it is growing, the baby's brain may not develop properly.
Pregnant women who suffer from allergy-triggered asthma need to be especially aware of how their allergy medications need to be adjusted during their pregnancy.
Women who are trying to get pregnant may need to allergy-proof their home before they become pregnant.
Women with light or mild allergy symptoms and no asthma may be able to go off of their allergy medications while pregnant. However, this may require them to allergy-proof their home by minimizing the presence of potential allergens like pollen and pet dander.
Allergy-proofing a home involves thoroughly cleaning the home. It's especially important to wash bedding with a hypoallergenic laundry detergent because bedding is typically placed right against one's nose and mouth during sleep. It's a good idea to purchase an air filter or have an air infiltration system installed while allergy-proofing to enjoy the best possible effect on indoor air quality.
While antihistamines are often safe for expectant mothers, decongestants may be more risky.
Antihistamines may be important for a pregnant woman with potentially severe allergic symptoms that could lead to anaphylaxis. Like asthma, anaphylaxis may compromise a woman's ability to take in adequate oxygen. Fortunately, antihistamines like chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine have been proven safe for pregnant woman.
One type of allergy treatment that is potentially problematic for pregnant women is decongestants. Decongestant nasal sprays can be absorbed into the blood stream, and this can expose a growing fetus to potentially harmful chemicals. A pregnant woman with allergies who uses a decongestant to avoid or treat asthma attacks may need an alternative prescription during pregnancy.
For more information, contact experts at locations like Billings Clinic.
Share6 September 2016
Having a daughter comes with a number of challenges. One challenge that you will one day need to tackle is determining when to introduce your daughter to the gynecologist. Do you take your daughter to the same gynecologist that you see or take her somewhere else? Do you wait until she gets her first period or do you take her in to learn about the menstrual cycle from the doctor? There is a long list of questions you likely have about introducing your daughter to the world of gynecology. Having gone through this twice myself, I have learned quite a bit and have included a lot of helpful information in my site to help other parents get through this complicated time a little easier.
