Coughing during pregnancy

It is very difficult to fight viral infections, especially when the "cold season" begins. Pregnant women have it doubly harder due to weakened immunity. Cough during pregnancy is one of the signs of a cold. Cough can be dry or wet. But the main problem with cough in pregnant women is that it is very difficult to treat, since during this period, drug treatment is contraindicated due to possible harm to the fetus.

But it is absolutely necessary to treat a cough during pregnancy, first of all, because with a weakened immune system, a common cough can develop into bronchitis, viral tracheitis, pneumonia, etc., and in this case, you cannot do without medication.

Any disease, even the most minor, puts a significant strain on the immune system. The blood produces antibodies that help the body cope with viruses. As a rule, only maternal antibodies can penetrate the placenta, but if there is placental insufficiency, the infection can penetrate to the child, which can cause birth defects. This is why cough treatment should be started immediately to reduce the risk of possible complications to a minimum.

Women who have had a risk of miscarriage should be especially careful. When coughing, the pressure on the abdominal cavity increases, which can cause uterine tone. Hypertonicity of the uterus can provoke not only a miscarriage, but also intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus (lack of oxygen) due to spasms of the uterine vessels.

Cough is a kind of protective reaction of the body, it occurs when receptors are irritated, which leads to the removal of sputum from the respiratory tract. Sputum contains pathological bacteria, which, if present in the bronchi for a long time, lead to pneumonia. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to find out the type of cough (wet, dry) and the reason for its appearance. With a dry cough (unproductive), sputum is not released or is released in small quantities. In order for the cough to acquire the form of a productive (wet) cough, it is necessary for mucus to form. For this, special antitussive drugs are usually used. But pregnant women are contraindicated in taking any medications. But a dry cough during pregnancy can cause significant inconvenience (constant sore throat, loss of voice, attacks of night coughing), so the benefits of using an antitussive drug outweigh the possible risks for the mother and child.

There are no absolutely harmless drugs, all drugs can cause an allergic reaction or some other side effect, especially in pregnant women. In this regard, it is not recommended to take drugs for a long time, if there is no improvement in a few days, it is better to consult a doctor again. Often you can do without taking any drugs and cure a cough with the help of effective folk remedies.

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Causes of cough during pregnancy

There may be several reasons for coughing, including various viral diseases (whooping cough, measles, tuberculosis, sinusitis, etc.), allergies, acute respiratory infections, and smoking. Coughing during pregnancy usually occurs against the background of acute respiratory infections; often, a woman suffers from a runny nose, fever, weakness, and other symptoms of a cold along with a cough. If a dry cough appears, you cannot wait until it turns into a wet cough on its own for several reasons. First of all, with a dry cough, the abdominal cavity is under constant pressure, which prevents you from getting a good night's rest. Therefore, you need to treat, or rather soothe, a dry cough without delay.

One of the most common causes of cough is chronic or acute inflammation in the upper and lower respiratory tract. If a cough appears against the background of a runny nose, then the reason for this may be the flow of mucus down the back of the nasopharynx, which leads to irritation of the mucous membrane and, accordingly, to a coughing fit. With inflammation of the throat (pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis), a cough appears as a reaction to the inflammatory process.

Inflammation of the bronchi, lung tissue (bronchitis, pneumonia) leads to the appearance of a cough as a result of the accumulation of sputum in the lower respiratory tract in large quantities. Allergic diseases can also provoke a cough, this reason is also widespread among pregnant women. Allergic cough is caused by obstructive bronchitis, bronchial asthma, allergic tracheitis. Much less often, cough occurs against the background of neurotic reactions of the body, diseases of the ear canal, stomach, diaphragm, cardiovascular system, thyroid gland.

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Symptoms of cough during pregnancy

Cough during pregnancy occurs for a variety of reasons, but many are mistaken in assuming that cough develops only against the background of respiratory or lung diseases. Cough can indicate heart failure, cancer, tuberculosis. In such conditions, a long-lasting cough usually bothers.

A cough against the background of a viral infection, for example, with flu, is unproductive in the first few days, and then mucus appears, possibly with purulent impurities. A person experiences chest pain, cough is accompanied by fever, weakness, headache.

If the cough is caused by bronchitis, it is productive from the very beginning. A sharp and strong cough is the main symptom of bronchitis, which is a complication of a cold. With bronchitis, the temperature rises slightly, weakness and lethargy appear. If bronchitis becomes chronic, the cough is dull, with sputum production, sometimes with pus, and later the sputum takes on a brownish tint. Coughing attacks worsen in the cold, in stuffy rooms, causing pain in the chest area. The temperature may be insignificant, general weakness appears.

With bronchial asthma, the cough is chronic, very severe, and can sometimes provoke an attack of suffocation. Such a cough worsens at a certain time of year, usually in spring or autumn, and occurs under the influence of an allergen. As a rule, with bronchial asthma, the mucus is very thick and transparent, and is secreted in fairly small quantities.

Pharyngitis, sinusitis, rhinitis in chronic form cause frequent attacks of dry cough. As a rule, the cough intensifies at night. Pain in the forehead and under the eyes is possible.

With diseases of the pleura, a dry cough is observed, which gives pain in the sternum. Inflammation of the pleura is accompanied by a very high temperature, shortness of breath, severe pain in the chest. With tuberculosis, the cough is initially mild, mostly dry, then develops into a severe wet cough that exhausts a person. Usually it intensifies at night, bloody impurities may appear in the mucus. With the disease, the temperature remains at 37-38 degrees, the person loses weight sharply, he is tormented by profuse sweating, chills. The disease, as a rule, develops as a result of contact with a sick person.

When you get whooping cough, from the very first days you begin to cough very strongly, which often ends in vomiting.

Measles is accompanied by a dry, debilitating cough, a rash appears on the skin and mucous membranes, and the temperature rises.

In the case of a cancerous process in the lungs, a dry cough appears first, and then a wet cough with the release of pus. If the cancer is in the bronchi, then the sputum is similar in color to raspberry jelly.

Heart failure is accompanied by a debilitating dry cough, shortness of breath appears, attacks usually occur with exertion, worsen at night, very similar to an asthma attack, with the only difference that with heart failure, the cough stops when getting up. With heart failure, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness are observed - all these signs, as a rule, do not cause suspicion and the disease goes unnoticed.

Wet cough during pregnancy

A wet cough usually appears in the autumn-winter period, during the period of exacerbation of colds. Cough is a kind of defense of the body against the penetration of viruses, irritation of the mucous membrane, etc. A wet cough during pregnancy can be provoked by both a common cold and more serious diseases - bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, pneumonia.

Doctors call a wet cough productive because it has an effective result for the body, namely the removal of phlegm containing viruses from the bronchi. This is a good sign that the body is fighting the disease.

In respiratory diseases, a wet cough usually occurs, the body increases bronchial secretions, as a result of which sputum with harmful bacteria and viruses begins to be released. The type of sputum can indicate the disease, for example, a transparent color indicates bronchial asthma, a reddish tint indicates pneumonia.

A wet cough manifests itself as one of the symptoms of various diseases that affect the respiratory system. Often, a wet cough occurs with a disease of the lungs or bronchi (flu, acute bronchitis, acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis).

Dry cough during pregnancy

Dry or unproductive coughs tend to be more troublesome. Dry coughing spells can cause increasing irritation of the airways and may even trigger vomiting.

If a dry cough appears during pregnancy, it may mean that the bronchi are unable to get rid of accumulated phlegm. The body activates coughing to push the trachea and bronchi to remove mucus.

A long-term, incessant dry cough may indicate pneumonia, especially if there is a high temperature. If the temperature is not elevated, but when coughing, there is a sore throat, severe pain, then in this case, there may be inflammation of the throat.

Quite often, a dry cough develops against the background of viral infections, respiratory diseases. If the cough has acquired a barking sound, then inflammation of the larynx or vocal cords may have begun. In this case, it is necessary to urgently begin treatment, since inflammation of the larynx can lead to suffocation. A dull dry cough occurs with cancerous processes in the respiratory tract or tuberculosis. A dry paroxysmal cough, which can break down to vomiting, may indicate whooping cough or bronchial asthma.

To ease the condition of a pregnant woman with a dry cough, you need to calm it down first. For this, you can use some syrups (but not in the first trimester), which will soothe the mucous membrane and probably push the bronchi to remove phlegm.

A dry cough can appear for a variety of reasons, but the most common is respiratory diseases. Very often, a cough is accompanied by a runny nose, fever, weakness, poor appetite, sore throat, etc. You can’t wait until a dry cough turns into a wet cough on its own for several reasons, primarily due to the tension of the abdominal muscles, which can harm the child, and a dry cough also prevents you from getting a good night’s rest. All this does not give a pregnant woman time to wait until the body copes with the disease on its own; you need to calm the dry cough as soon as possible.

A dry cough can be soothed with special medications, they will have a calming, analgesic effect. When choosing a medicine, be sure to read the composition of the drug, it should not contain narcotic substances (morphine, codeine). During pregnancy, preference should be given to those drugs that are recommended by manufacturers for children under three years of age. But in any case, it is not advisable to take any medications, especially in the first trimester, it is better to try to soothe a dry cough with the help of traditional medicine. In this case, everything depends on the individual characteristics of your body, including intolerance to some components. The simplest and most effective help for a dry cough is inhalation. Inhaling warm steam (especially potatoes boiled in their skins) will soothe well and bring long-awaited relief. You can also use a decoction of chamomile, sage, linden blossom, plantain. If you don't have a special inhaler, you can use the method our grandmothers used - inhaling steam over a saucepan, covered with a towel. But such procedures are contraindicated for high blood pressure and temperature.

In case of dry cough, the main treatment should be aimed at converting it into wet cough. As soon as the process of sputum removal begins, the bronchi will start to get rid of infection, bacteria and inflamed bronchial particles.

Of course, first you need to get rid of the cause of the cough (allergy, infection, etc.). But it is better to take any medications on the recommendation of a doctor, depending on the nature of the cough, he will prescribe the appropriate (thinning or expectorant) drugs.

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Severe cough during pregnancy

A strong, exhausting cough during pregnancy not only causes great inconvenience, but can also cause severe pain. When a coughing fit begins, there is no way to breathe, the woman cannot fully rest at night, the cough can torment her to the point of vomiting. A strong cough during pregnancy occurs for various reasons, as already mentioned, the most common is a viral infection of the respiratory tract. Often, a cough occurs against the background of a runny nose - mucus flows down the nasopharynx, which irritates the mucous membrane and, accordingly, a strong coughing fit.

Inflammation can begin in the pharynx, larynx, trachea - all this will cause coughing fits. If inflammation affects the tissues of the bronchi or lungs, bronchitis and pneumonia begin, as a result of which a large amount of mucus accumulates in the bronchi, which is removed along with the infection when coughing.

In addition, severe coughing fits can be caused by allergic conditions. Rarely, cough occurs with diseases of the stomach, thyroid gland, heart, etc. As you can see, there are plenty of reasons for a severe cough, but the underlying disease that causes a severe cough is the immediate threat to a pregnant woman. But the cough itself cannot be ignored. With a severe cough, a woman's intra-abdominal pressure increases, and this is very dangerous for a pregnant woman. Tension of the abdominal muscles and high pressure in the abdominal cavity can provoke premature labor, placental abruption, miscarriage. That is, a severe cough during pregnancy is a serious threat, and you cannot postpone or delay treatment. Cough is the body's natural defense against bacteria, viruses, dust, and foreign particles entering the lungs. When they get into the bronchi, the "unwanted guests" dismount with mucus and are then pushed out with a cough. A kind of cough performs the role of cleaning the lungs from various contaminants that get there when inhaled. But you should not completely rely on your immune system and wait until the body copes with the infection itself, especially pregnant women. First of all, the woman's immunity is in a depressed state, so it is not able to perform its functions 100%, in addition, coughing fits can lead to unwanted complications of pregnancy.

Cough treatment should be started from the very beginning of the disease, so you can achieve a positive effect in the first few days, preventing the development of more severe symptoms. A strong cough is dangerous for both the mother and the child, so at the first stages it is good to fight it with folk methods, for example, honey with warm milk - it will calm well and relieve a coughing fit. You can do a chest massage with honey (if there is no allergy to honey). A woman should rest more, you need to drink enough liquid (tea with jam, lemon, warm compotes, herbal infusions, etc.), it is advisable to ventilate the room as often as possible.

Consequences of coughing during pregnancy

Coughing in a normal state of a person is not dangerous, rather the opposite. When coughing, the bronchi are cleared of accumulated mucus, pus, bacteria, etc. But coughing during pregnancy poses a direct threat to the baby, and it is necessary to start treating it as early as possible.

The consequences of coughing are felt almost immediately by a pregnant woman. A coughing fit provokes tension in the abdominal wall, as well as the uterus. Frequent, long and regular coughing fits lead to a strong tone of the uterus, which at the beginning of pregnancy can cause a miscarriage, and at a later stage - premature birth, but in both cases, the life of the mother and child is exposed to serious danger.

But these are not the only consequences that coughing can lead to. With hypertonicity of the uterus, blood circulation worsens, as a result of which the child in the womb does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients and oxygen starvation (hypoxia) develops.

No less serious consequences are placental abruption, high blood pressure, which also leads to negative consequences during pregnancy. A strong dry cough can cause vomiting, which will result in dehydration, weakness, loss of important vitamins and microelements. Plus, nights of poor sleep are added to everything. But all these conditions occur in advanced forms of cough, which is extremely undesirable to allow.

It is important to remember that cough does not develop on its own, it develops against the background of a certain disease, sometimes extremely severe. It is important to know that completely different methods are used to treat dry and wet cough. Future mothers should undergo any drug treatment under the strict supervision of a doctor, so as not to harm themselves and the baby.

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Cough Treatment During Pregnancy

In case of a dry cough, which is accompanied by a sore throat (due to a cold), inhalations help well, which can be done with a special device, an inhaler, or you can use a simple method - breathe in steam over a wide cup or saucepan. To enhance the effect, you can cover yourself with a towel. You need to breathe for about 5-10 minutes, during the procedure you should not have any unpleasant sensations. You can repeat no more than 5 - 6 procedures per day, in this case you need to monitor your well-being.

Inhalations are contraindicated at high temperatures, as they can rise even higher. After the procedure, you need to give your throat maximum rest - do not drink, do not eat, do not talk.

The following inhalations are well suited for pregnant women and are permitted in such cases:

• honey - dissolve one part honey in five parts warm water (approx. 40 degrees), breathe over the resulting solution through your nose and mouth, alternately.
• sage tincture – pour 2 tbsp with boiling water (200 ml), leave under the lid for 20 minutes
• Add pine needle extract (you can use essential oil), 2 teaspoons of dried eucalyptus leaves, crushed garlic (1 teaspoon), and a validol tablet (as a source of menthol) to boiling water.
• soda - 2-3 tablespoons of soda per liter of boiling water, such inhalations for coughs relieve spasms well, and also do not cause allergic reactions.

Ultrasonic inhalers that use cold steam are now available for sale; such inhalers are well suited for high temperatures. But such devices need to be filled with specially prepared solutions, so before treatment, you need to carefully study the composition of the drug so that it does not contain components that are contraindicated during pregnancy.

When coughing, you can use gargles that will soothe an irritated throat. The following recipes help relieve coughing fits:

• Mix eucalyptus, calendula flowers and sage in equal proportions. Pour boiling water (200 ml) over 1 tbsp of the resulting mixture, then heat in a water bath for about ten minutes, making sure it does not boil. Gargle with the resulting cooled decoction several times a day. This infusion has short-term healing properties of only a few hours, so it is always better to use freshly prepared.
• Take raspberry leaves, pine buds, mint, chamomile leaves, marshmallow root, clover flowers, coltsfoot, fireweed in equal proportions - 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 200 ml of boiling water, heat in a water bath for about 15 minutes, then pour the broth into a thermos (or you can use a jar, wrapping it well) and leave for 2 hours, after the broth has infused, you need to strain it and use it for rinsing several times a day.
• 1/2 teaspoon of soda per 200 ml of warm water

Reduces pain in an irritated throat, softens a cough, liquefies phlegm, facilitates coughing and improves the general condition of drinking plenty of fluids. When coughing, it is recommended to take the following decoctions and tinctures:

• Take 2 dried figs and boil them in milk for about 20 minutes. It is best to drink this decoction warm before bed.
• warm milk, honey, butter and soda on the tip of a knife. You need to drink it several times a day.
• prepare a mixture of dried apples, raspberries, raisins, rose hips and hawthorn, take 4 tablespoons and brew 400 ml of boiling water. Heat in a water bath for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover and let it brew for half an hour, strain. Drink the infusion warm several times a day, for taste you can add a little honey.
• Half a glass of dried viburnum fruits should be poured with 400 ml of boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes, then strained. You can add honey to the drink, take half a glass several times a day.

In case of a dry cough that developed against the background of laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, you can ease the condition with herbal infusions:

• prepare a mixture of equal parts of rose hips, chamomile, plantain leaves, and primrose grass. Pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture into 400 ml of boiling water and slowly heat in a water bath for 20 minutes, then cover the broth with a lid and let it brew for 30 minutes, strain. Take 1/3 cup several times a day.
• Mix equal parts of thyme, flax seeds, and anise, pour 200 ml of cool boiled water over 1 tbsp of the resulting mixture, leave for two hours, then slowly bring the decoction to a boil, let cool slightly and strain. Drink the decoction three times, 1/3 cup at a time.
• 1 tablespoon of marshmallow root should be infused in a glass of cold water for 8-10 hours. It is good to prepare this medicine in the evening, then in the morning you only need to strain it and drink 1/3 of a glass three times a day.
• Prepare clover flowers like regular tea (use 2 teaspoons for a porcelain teapot), let it brew for 15 minutes and drink half a glass warm several times a day, you can add honey (this tea is suitable for bronchial asthma).
• For pneumonia, bronchitis, etc., a wet cough can be treated well with an infusion of three tablespoons of coltsfoot (you need to mix the flowers and leaves in equal proportions) per two glasses of boiling water. Leave it in a thermos for an hour and a half, then strain and drink 1/3 of a glass several times a day.

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How to treat cough during pregnancy?

Cough during pregnancy should be treated with one very important condition: not to harm the child. As soon as a woman feels unwell, she should immediately consult a doctor. When treating, you also need to take into account the period of pregnancy, since in the first three months it is forbidden to use any medications, and in the last months the use of some medications is allowed.

Treatment of a pregnant woman should be aimed at relieving the cough and eliminating the main source of the disease. In case of a respiratory infection, the body can be helped by folk remedies. With the correct use of medicinal herbs, you can get rid of even a very strong cough. Herbs work best when in direct contact with the sore area - the throat. Inhalations and gargles are well suited for these purposes. A chest collection (sold ready-made in a pharmacy) is well suited for both inhalations and gargles. If there is no special inhaler, you can use a saucepan, a teapot (breathe through the spout), you can also roll a piece of paper into a cone and breathe in this way. When treating a cough, it is best to choose several methods (gargling + inhalations + herbal infusions inside), with such a comprehensive approach, the effectiveness of the treatment will be higher and recovery will come faster.

If traditional medicine does not cope or there are any contraindications for treatment, for example, allergies, then you must consult a doctor about possible drug treatment. As a rule, in such situations, natural preparations are prescribed, which include herbs (plantain syrup, mucaltin). Rinses that reduce pain and irritation help well. Wet cough during pregnancy is treated much longer, since strong drugs are not used.

Essential oils are good for treating coughs. To do this, you need to drop a few drops into a special aroma lamp. If you don't have one, use a handkerchief or napkin. You can use asterisk balm, eucalyptus oil, sage oil for aromatherapy. When treating coughs, the main thing is to prevent the process from getting too advanced, otherwise there will be serious complications.

Cough Prevention During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, it is important to ensure that the weakened body receives sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially during the cold season, when the “cold season” begins.

If you are going to a place where there will be a lot of people (antenatal clinic, work, transport, store, etc.), you need to lubricate your nose with oxolinic ointment, which will prevent viruses from entering the body.

If someone in your household is sick, you can fight the infection with the help of aroma: finely chop garlic and place it around the room in small plates or saucers. Garlic contains a large amount of phytoncides (antimicrobial substances of plant origin), they will help protect against the spread of infection in the house.

It is necessary to air out the rooms daily, even in the cold season. It is best to air out the room before going to bed for 15-20 minutes (you should not be in the ventilated room at this time).

Aroma oil is a wonderful antimicrobial agent. Eucalyptus, tea tree, fir, and orange oils can be used to protect against viruses, both at home and in public places, by lubricating the nose with a drop of oil (provided that the aroma does not irritate or cause discomfort).

It is important to monitor the humidity of the air in the room. When using heaters, it is good to get special humidifiers to prevent the air from drying out. You can humidify the air with a wet towel on the radiator, but this is not as effective.

Coughing during pregnancy is a protective function of the body, it removes bacteria and viruses from the bronchi. A wet cough is more effective by its nature, since sputum with pathological contents is removed to the outside, whereas with a dry cough this does not happen. When treating a dry cough, it is important to soothe the irritated throat and help the cough to acquire a productive form, i.e. become wet. Coughing for a pregnant woman is an immediate danger, since it causes overstrain of the abdominal muscles, which threatens to complicate pregnancy. Cough, both dry and wet, should be treated immediately after its appearance. In the first days, you can try to cope with the disease with the help of traditional medicine, and if there is no improvement or it gets worse, you need to urgently consult a doctor so that the process does not go too far.