How to treat sinusitis during pregnancy

Sinusitis is a fairly common and well-known disease, it is an inflammation of the maxillary (maxillary) sinuses. The maxillary sinuses are located on both sides of the nose, just below the eyes. Healthy sinuses are lined with mucous membranes. However, if a bacterium gets inside, inflammation begins, the mucous membranes swell, redden, and hurt. In addition, inside the mucus begins to accumulate - purulent, sometimes with blood spots. All this is accompanied by painful sensations, a general deterioration in well-being. The disease is quite serious and with insufficient or incorrect treatment can lead to dangerous consequences. Everything is aggravated several times if a pregnant woman falls ill with sinusitis.

Difficulties in the course of sinusitis in pregnant women

Everyone knows that any disease that manifests itself during pregnancy is considered to be much more serious. Self-medication in such a situation can be dangerous not only for the woman herself, but also for her child. Treatment of sinusitis during pregnancy is aggravated by the following factors.

1. Sinusitis is often mistaken for an ordinary protracted runny nose. To identify the true diagnosis, you need to resort to a number of diagnostic measures - ultrasound, x-ray of the sinuses, a study on a thermal imager. Some of the types of diagnostics can be dangerous during pregnancy, so the doctor has to prescribe only those studies that will not harm the baby in the womb.
2. Another difficulty in treating sinusitis during pregnancy is the small number of medications that are acceptable during pregnancy. One of the main directions in the treatment of sinusitis is antibacterial therapy. However, the use of antibiotics during pregnancy is allowed only in extreme cases, when the threat to the health of a woman and a child from the disease exceeds the risk of side effects from taking the drug. Especially careful to use antibiotics should be approached in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the baby's organs are just forming.
3. Sinusitis during pregnancy lends itself to complex treatment also because a woman who is carrying a child has reduced immunity. The body is rebuilt, all its forces are directed to the growth and development of the fetus. Treatment in such a situation should be comprehensive to help the pregnant body cope with the disease.
4. Sinusitis is dangerous because with its prolonged course, a pregnant woman suffers from a lack of oxygen, which is so necessary for the baby. Therefore, he may experience hypoxia. Among other complications that sinusitis can lead to are myocarditis, meningitis, brain abscess, damage to the renal pelvis.

Despite this, sinusitis is quite treatable, however, if it arose in a pregnant woman, the diagnosis, selection of medicines and procedures should be more thorough. With progressive sinusitis, surgery is inevitable, which can be exciting for the woman herself and her child. Therefore, it is very important to play it safe and go to the doctor, even if you have a simple runny nose. But before we talk about treatment, we will try to find out how to recognize sinusitis and what are the reasons for its development.

Causes and symptoms of sinusitis

The most common cause of sinusitis is considered to be a running course of ARVI. That is, against the background of a viral cold, a bacterium can enter the mucosa, which is the cause of the development of the disease. However, not any runny nose leads to sinus inflammation.The fact is that at the very beginning of pregnancy a woman feels overwhelmed, as if at the onset of a catarrhal disease. This is normal, as the body reacts to the process of fertilization and attachment of the fetal egg to the uterus. During pregnancy, a woman may have rhinitis of pregnant women, which occurs against a background of a change in the hormonal status of a woman. Of course, it has nothing to do with sinusitis, but it can be a trigger for its development. In order to prevent sinusitis, it is very important during pregnancy to show ENT, even with minor rhinitis. So you can prevent the development of the disease. But how to recognize sinusitis? Here are the main symptoms of this disease.

1. The nose is blocked almost constantly. Only one side can be laid at night.
2. With sinusitis, the frontal or mandibular sinuses can hurt. The pain can be aching or acute, worse when the head is tilted forward. With severe inflammation, the skin over the sinuses turns red. When pressing on the inflamed sinuses, pain is also felt.
3. With sinusitis, there may be a dry night cough, which is especially intensified at night. It occurs due to mucus, which in a horizontal position flows to the back wall of the larynx, irritates its surface and provokes a cough.
4. With sinusitis, the temperature may rise, although this is not an obligatory symptom.
5. As a bacterial infection develops in the sinuses, a large amount of mucus is released from the nose. As a rule, it is thick, yellow or green, purulent.
6. A common symptom with sinusitis is a constant headache.
7. Often inflammation of the maxillary sinuses is accompanied by conjunctivitis.

These are the main symptoms that may indicate the course of sinusitis in a pregnant woman. However, to make the correct diagnosis, it is better to consult a doctor.

Acceptable medications for the treatment of sinusitis in pregnant women

It is very important to get medical treatment from a doctor, and not rely on your own experience and the advice of friends. The doctor should understand that the drugs chosen should be safe for both the woman herself and the baby in her womb. Drug treatment is carried out in several ways.

1. Antibiotics. Many pregnant women literally get hysterical at the mere mention of antibiotics. However, they are not always harmful. Sometimes the risk of possible complications is much more dangerous than the side effect of the antibiotic taken. In addition, there are groups of modern antibacterial drugs that are quite acceptable for pregnant women to take (for example, Augmentin, Azithromycin, Biotraxon, Lendacin, etc.).
2. Probiotics Together with antibiotics, probiotics are prescribed that restore the killed intestinal microflora. This eliminates the possibility of constipation or diarrhea. Among them, Linex, Hilak Forte, Lacto and Bifidobacteria can be distinguished.
3. Vasoconstrictive drops and sprays. During pregnancy, this group of drugs is prescribed with extreme caution. They are needed to allow the body to breathe and replenish the lack of oxygen. But they must be used strictly as prescribed by the doctor - no more than twice a day and no more than seven days in a row. Among them, Nazivin, Otrivin, Vibrocil, etc. can be distinguished.
4. Medicinal drops in the nose. Among them, Protorgol, Isofra, Pinosol can be noted. They have a local medicinal effect, inhibit the development of bacteria in the sinuses.
5. Sinupret. In addition, there is a wonderful herbal preparation Sinupret, which treats various types of sinusitis. It relieves swelling well, inhibits the development and reproduction of bacteria, reduces the amount of mucus. In addition, it is absolutely safe during pregnancy.

In addition to the classic treatment for a pregnant woman, a sinus puncture can be prescribed. The procedure involves piercing the sinuses with a thin needle. Two important missions are being accomplished.The first is the removal of purulent mucus, which contributes to the development of inflammation. The second is the introduction of an antibacterial fluid into the sinus, which relieves swelling, redness and kills pathogenic bacteria. After this procedure, relief comes instantly - the head ceases to hurt, nasal breathing opens.

Flushing and inhalation

Home procedures - this is one of the most effective and safest ways to get rid of sinusitis. Washing and inhalation can only be carried out in combination with conservative treatment. However, with sufficient patience and regularity of procedures, they can significantly speed up the healing process.

Rinsing is a very effective procedure, both with a simple rhinitis and with sinusitis. It is best to rinse the nose in the office at the ENT specialist - a special Cuckoo apparatus will vacuum the purulent mucus and rinse the nasal passages and sinuses with an antibacterial composition.

If you go to the ENT department for procedures there is no time or money, washing can be done at home. To do this, prepare a warm antibacterial composition - it can be simple salt water, a solution of furatsilina, a decoction of medicinal herbs. Pour the broth into the teapot, place it on one nostril and turn your head so that water starts to flow out of the second nostril. You can also rinse your nose with a syringe without a needle. Water is injected into one nostril with a strong jet, and it can flow out through the second nostril or through the throat - as you prefer. After such washing, you can drip into the nose the medicinal drops that the doctor has prescribed for you.

If the nose is so blocked that flushing is not possible, inhalation can be done first. It is best to carry it out using a special device - a nebulizer. If it is not, you can breathe hot air over a basin of boiling water. As a solution for inhalation, you can make a decoction of herbs (chamomile, sage, calendula) or add a slice of Zvezdochka balm to the mass. It has many peppermint essential oils to help you start breathing through your nose.

Folk remedies against sinusitis

During pregnancy, many women begin to look for safe ways to treat a particular disease. And not in vain! Many recipes are not only truly effective, but also completely harmless to the female body and fetus. Here are useful and effective tips to help you get rid of sinusitis at home.

1. Marigold and chamomile. A strong broth should be prepared from these herbs. Take one tablespoon of each plant, pour half a glass of boiling water. Cover the container and let it brew for a couple of hours. After this, the broth should be filtered and dripped into each nostril, 2-3 drops several times a day. If you dilute the broth with water, then they can be washed. Marigolds have an anti-inflammatory effect, and chamomile relieves swelling and soothes the mucous membrane.
2. Kalanchoe. This is a fairly aggressive medicine that must be used correctly. It is difficult to squeeze the juice from Kalanchoe, so the leaves are pre-frozen, and only then they are rubbed in solid form on a grater. Squeezing the flesh, you get a healing juice of a medicinal plant, which should be diluted with three parts of water, and only then instilled into the nose.
3. Honey and black radish. This is a very effective and popular medicine for sinusitis. It will help you get rid of not only green snot, but also from an obsessive cough. Make a deepening in the big radish and pour honey into it. After 3-4 hours, when the fetus gives its juices, the liquid from the recess should be drained into a small cup or bottle, diluted in half with water and 2 drops dripped into each nostril in the morning and evening. The prescription can not be used if there is an allergy to honey. If sinusitis is accompanied by a cough, drink in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bedtime on a tablespoon of the prepared medicine.
4. Grape leaves Few people know, but grape leaves are able to remove purulent mucus. Usually alcohol tinctures are prepared from them, which are more effective in the fight against sinusitis. But during pregnancy, it is better to make a strong decoction from the leaves, which can be buried in the nose or done with it by washing.
5. Horse sorrel and mint. Combine the two ingredients and prepare a strong broth from the collection. The filtered liquid is very effective in rinsing the nose.

These recipes are not only effective and safe - they are easy to prepare. For the purchase of ingredients you need a penny.

Sinusitis is not at all what a woman who wears under the baby’s heart should think about. In order to prevent the development of the disease, it is necessary not to delay its course. Home remedies are good in combination with doctor's prescriptions, but as a self-medication they can be dangerous. Often, patients are treated with folk remedies, drowning out the symptoms of the disease, without affecting the focus of inflammation. As a result, sinusitis develops, reaching a serious scale. Therefore, the main prevention of sinusitis is a timely visit to a doctor. Especially if the patient is in an “interesting” position. Treat your health more carefully if a small life grows and develops in the womb.

Video: how to cure a runny nose and sinusitis quickly and easily