Aloe in pregnancy

It is important to remember that there are special rules for preparing tinctures and medicinal poultices from aloe that must be followed to maintain the maximum beneficial effect.

Aloe during pregnancy is a remedy that is often used by women, but the indications for its use are often limited due to possible harm to the fetus. Despite the fact that aloe has many beneficial properties, the state of pregnancy requires an assessment of the use of the plant only in certain cases and an individual approach is necessary. There are several types of this plant, but they all have many positive effects. In Ukraine, the most common type is yarrow or tree aloe.

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Is aloe safe to use during pregnancy?

The use of aloe during pregnancy is widely discussed, as it is the number one remedy for colds. But other properties of this plant require caution when prescribing it to pregnant women.

Aloe is a plant that lives for several years and with age its beneficial properties only increase. This is due to the fact that all the beneficial substances and vitamins are able to pass into a more active form.

The chemical composition of aloe is a multitude of vitamins, microelements and other useful biologically active substances, including:

• vitamins B, C, A, E;
• amino acids;
• carotenoids;
• phytoncides;
• tannins;
• flavonoids;
• calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, magnesium, zinc, bromine, iodine.

Such a rich composition contributes to the widespread use of aloe during pregnancy, but there are special indications for this. To increase the local immune status with a runny nose, aloe juice is used very often, since in addition to a pronounced anti-edematous effect, it also has a bactericidal effect. There are cases when aloe is used internally during pregnancy - this is in the first trimester of pregnancy, when early gestosis is expressed in the form of nausea and vomiting, as well as during breastfeeding to stimulate lactation. But you should be careful when prescribing this type of treatment to pregnant women in the third trimester, since aloe also contains special substances - atraquinones, which have a pronounced effect on the muscles of the uterus and can provoke their premature contraction with a high risk of premature birth. This is especially true for women from the risk group who already have a predisposition to such conditions, for example, with isthmic-cervical insufficiency.

There are also a number of other contraindications when the use of aloe as a medicine for pregnant women requires an individual approach. Such conditions include a tendency to diarrhea, cholelithiasis with gallstones, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, urolithiasis with renal colic in the anamnesis. These conditions are accompanied by a risk of complications in case of excessive stimulation of smooth muscles when using aloe.

Thus, when discussing the question of whether aloe can be used during pregnancy, it is necessary to say that it can, but, as with other medications, there are indications and contraindications, so the issue of using aloe during pregnancy should be approached in a differentiated manner, taking into account all the pros and cons.

Some Features of Using Aloe During Pregnancy

Aloe is used not only during pregnancy as a medicinal plant, but also in the treatment of infertility it is also widely used. This confirms the multifaceted and rich properties of aloe, which was used by our grandmothers. Today, aloe helps to conceive a child when planning a pregnancy as a result of a pronounced tropic effect on the reproductive system of a woman. Aloe has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and, thanks to many enzymes, has the ability to break down adhesions. Due to this, it is possible to eradicate many microorganisms and cure latent infections of the internal female genital organs. Therefore, aloe is widely used both for the prevention of complications with conceiving a child and for the treatment of infertility. For this, injectable forms of aloe are used, which are sold in pharmacies.

The composition of such a drug includes dry aloe extract and saline solution, released in ampoules of 1 milliliter. Such aloe injections are used intramuscularly, often with other components such as placental extract, the course of treatment is 10-15 days. It is better to dose injections every other day. The use of such treatment stimulates the regeneration of damaged tissues by adhesions, improves the movement of the egg through the fallopian tubes, and also stimulates the regeneration and proliferation of the uterine endometrium for better implantation of the fertilized egg. Many women have achieved good results in the treatment of infertility, using aloe in the complex treatment of this pathology.

The main ways of taking aloe are external use, internal use and nasal application. Aloe can be used in any form during early pregnancy, in the absence of contraindications. This is due to the fact that the main concern in the form of premature birth in the case of using aloe is not justified. But do not forget that if there is a threat of termination of pregnancy, aloe is not allowed even in the early stages. The main cases when aloe is used in the early stages are early gestosis of pregnant women. Since aloe has anti-inflammatory, direct bactericidal, antimicrobial, immunostimulating effects, and also affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, this plant has a beneficial effect on the severity of toxicosis. It not only kills pathogenic microorganisms, but also activates the gastrointestinal tract and relieves irritability and hyperactivity of the intestine, due to which nausea and vomiting are reduced. This is the main use of aloe juice during pregnancy, which is directly related to this condition of the woman.

Aloe juice during pregnancy is also used locally - in the nasal cavity. This is not a discovery, since this remedy has been used for a long time, both for adults and children. Aloe for a runny nose during pregnancy is used by instilling aloe juice, 1 drop of freshly squeezed solution in each nostril. Aloe juice should not be used more often than 5 times a day, since this leads to addiction and the therapeutic effect disappears. You can prepare an alcohol tincture, which has a more pronounced effect in case of excessive mucus secretion. To do this, you need to mix a teaspoon of aloe juice with a teaspoon of alcohol, leave this solution for several hours, then dilute in a one-to-one ratio with warm boiled water and instill in the nose. If such a tincture dries the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity too much, then you need to dilute it with water. For the most pronounced effect, you need to choose the right plant. The most pronounced immunostimulating effect is possessed by a plant that is more than three years old. If you do not know the exact age of the aloe, then you need to take a leaf that is more than 15 centimeters long and its tip is a little dry. To prepare the juice, you need to grind the aloe finely or grind it in a blender and squeeze out the juice, then use as directed. Store the remaining solution in the refrigerator. Aloe is also widely used for coughs during pregnancy. To do this, you need to make tea based on two tablespoons of honey and ten drops of fresh aloe juice per half a liter of boiled hot water. Aloe with honey during pregnancy treats not only cough, but also helps to increase the immune status, while during pregnancy there is a state of relative immunosuppression.

Aloe during pregnancy is used internally, as already mentioned, in the early stages to prevent or correct early gestosis, as well as to treat other diseases. These include gastric ulcer in the remission stage, acute and chronic gastritis - then the use of aloe juice internally stimulates reparative processes and prevents the proliferation of opportunistic organisms, which helps to normalize the intestinal microflora.

Aloe for hemorrhoids during pregnancy is generally contraindicated as a treatment, but there are some peculiarities.

If you use aloe during the period outside of exacerbation and in a corrected manner, then such treatment may well be effective, since aloe has an anti-inflammatory effect. In this case, it is better to use aloe locally - make tampons from aloe and insert into the rectum for an hour. This method of use can reduce the systemic effect and prevent the development of possible complications.

External use of aloe during pregnancy is used in cases of late gestosis of pregnant women in the form of dermatitis. Such allergic reactions often occur in the third trimester of pregnancy and are characterized by skin rashes and severe itching, so the use of aloe helps to reduce the local inflammatory reaction and, due to the immunostimulating effect, reduces the degree of expression of the body's allergization.

Aloe vera should be used with caution during pregnancy, since it is a drinking gel that is taken internally and in addition to the above-mentioned side effects, it can cause an increase in blood pressure and impaired glucose tolerance, so it is better not to use this remedy, but to limit yourself to external local use. That is, it is better not to use such a concentrated drinking extract during pregnancy, since there is no proven positive effect, and the risk of complications during pregnancy is quite high.

Aloe during pregnancy is a remedy that is widely used by women, both for local treatment of runny nose and allergic skin rashes, and is used internally. It should be remembered that despite the rich composition of this plant, it has contraindications for use, especially when used internally. Therefore, before using any medicine, it is necessary to think about the possible harm to the baby and consult a doctor on an individual basis.