Allergies in pregnancy

Allergy during pregnancy is not a serious pathology that threatens the process of bearing a child, but allergic reactions can provoke many problematic health conditions of the expectant mother. Therefore, when diagnosing an allergy, the expectant mother needs constant monitoring by an allergist and the attending gynecologist.

Allergies in pregnant women rarely "start" during pregnancy, more often they manifest themselves even before conception. If a woman has had at least a single case of an allergic reaction, it is worth taking preventive measures long before planning a pregnancy. Women predisposed to allergic reactions are at risk if they are going to become mothers.

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Symptoms pregnancy allergies

Allergies during pregnancy can be accompanied by skin allergic reactions, especially for women who are carrying a child for the first time. Any contact with an external irritant considered a standard allergen, and this can be dust, pet hair, cigarette smoke, can provoke urticaria. Urticaria often goes away without a trace within three to four days, as the immune system copes with it. If the period of skin manifestations lasts more than a week, you should immediately contact an allergist to find out the real cause. Allergies are often cross-reactive, that is, primary reactions may indicate an external allergen, but there is another hidden one, not manifesting itself for the time being. A pathological union of a dust irritant and a food allergen and other equally serious compounds are possible.

It happens that an allergist makes a paradoxical diagnosis - an allergy to pregnancy. This does not mean that the female body refuses to bear the fetus, but rather indicates an atypical active hormonal surge. Such a manifestation of allergy passes rather quickly, during the period of placenta formation all allergic reactions subside.

How can a history of allergies affect pregnancy?

• All trimesters of pregnancy proceed calmly, without signs of allergy;
• Pregnancy can reduce the occurrence of allergic reactions due to general shifts in the functioning of organs and systems;
• During pregnancy, all signs of allergy worsen, and the disease itself progresses with exacerbations.

If a woman has never suffered from allergies, this does not mean that allergic reactions do not threaten her. During pregnancy, many body systems work in a complex mode, because the same immune system performs dual functions - protecting the mother and fetus. That is why a woman should be especially careful during pregnancy, maximally neutralize the possibility of contact with allergens. Moreover, it would not be superfluous to consult an allergist who will tell you which products should be avoided, which household chemicals should not be used, and so on. If pregnancy is planned, it may be worth thinking about the seasonality of allergic phenomena, as a rule, this is the period of flowering of plants and trees.

If a woman has already suffered from allergies before pregnancy, it is possible that the reactions will not be so acute and painful. This decrease in allergic aggression is explained by the fact that the body of the expectant mother intensively produces a specific hormone - cortisol. This is a hormone with high biological activity, and the ability to preserve the body's energy reserves. For pregnant women suffering from allergies, cortisol is an internal, natural drug that reduces the manifestations of allergies, neutralizing the aggression of histamine. It is no coincidence that glucocorticoids are far from the last place in a series of antiallergic drugs. Statistics say that allergies during pregnancy are often asymptomatic and even its most serious types - hay fever, bronchial asthma manifest themselves in a mild form. Clinicians have noted that on the eve of childbirth, two to three weeks before, any existing allergic reactions in a pregnant woman seem to subside. The only downside is that immediately after childbirth, the level of cortisol begins to normalize and the allergy can return in its previous form.

It should be noted that pregnancy does not always mean an easy, allergy-free period. Runny nose of allergic etiology, watery eyes and even skin rashes can occur in the second month of pregnancy in those who did not know what an allergy was before. Everything depends on the condition of the woman's body and how much the changes associated with bearing a child have changed the functioning of organs and systems. The likelihood of diseases that are considered severe forms of allergy is very small. According to statistics, no more than 1% of women develop bronchial asthma during pregnancy. But those who have been diagnosed with asthma earlier may fall into a different risk group. About 5% of the total number of women with chronic bronchial asthma during pregnancy suffered from attacks more severe than before pregnancy. As a rule, exacerbations can occur from the 24th week to the 36th week.

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Prevention

Allergies during pregnancy require a whole range of preventive measures. First of all, it is a reasonable diet and a well-designed menu. The dietary stage is connected with the fact that most often those pregnant women who do not follow the rules for selecting products and abuse dishes that provoke allergies suffer from allergies. Citrus fruits, despite the presence of a complex of vitamins in them, legumes, nuts, honey, chocolate, in a word, all those products that are on the allergenic list, should be consumed in moderation and with caution. If a woman is already allergic, during pregnancy she needs to eat according to a diet specially designed by a doctor, strictly observing it. Fortunately, the list of permitted foods is quite large - porridge, boiled lean meat, stewed vegetables, greens will only benefit the body of both the mother and the future baby. One of the threatening factors that provokes not only allergies, but other serious problems is smoking. Along with alcohol, cigarettes should be excluded from the life of a pregnant woman categorically and preferably forever. After childbirth, the mother's body works with double force under the condition of breastfeeding. The list of preventive recommendations includes regular wet cleaning, as well as airing, in order to get rid of household dust. It is advisable to replace feather, down bedding with hypoallergenic, as well as synthetic clothing with a wardrobe of natural, cotton materials.

Allergies during pregnancy, with all their unpleasant symptoms and threats, are well controlled with timely diagnosis. Of course, any pregnant woman should avoid taking medications, especially antihistamines. That is why preventive measures, the observance of which is not so difficult, are important for the health of the mother and the future baby.

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