How to treat a cold during pregnancy

Female immunity during pregnancy weakens and becomes more susceptible to infections and viruses. Some mothers just have to stand in the draft or freeze a little to catch a cold. You can not deal with the temperature and runny nose with the usual antibiotics, because the drugs are dangerous to the health of the developing fetus. Then how to act and what to accept?

The first symptoms: what to do

Women do not perceive a cold as something dangerous, trying to move it on their feet. Others agree to lie in bed for several days, but try to be treated on their own. The right decision is to consult a doctor and make sure that the usual cold has caused the temperature, and not SARS or another flu strain.

The doctor will select safe medications and advise safe herbs. Plants are a natural alternative to pills, but even homeopathic treatment sometimes ends in a miscarriage or premature birth.

Young mothers can obey the "colleagues" sitting on the forums, or drink the miraculous infusion, which was still treated by their grandmother, but the consequences of such therapy are very unpleasant. Only medical workers know for sure which means and in which trimester are safe for the health of the pregnant and developing fetus.

If a cold starts before the weekend and you have to wait until Monday, a woman is recommended to wear woolen socks, make herbal tea and sleep a lot, wrapped in a blanket or plaid. A sick body needs dry heat and rest, then it will be easier for the immune system to fight inflammation.

Precautionary measures
Pregnant salt is contraindicated in large quantities, because it retains fluid in the body, which is why not only the legs, but also the sinuses swell. As a result, congestion, breathing problems and lack of oxygen in the blood, the risk of fetal hypoxia.

Warm drinking will improve the well-being of a woman, but in the second and third trimester you should not abuse tea, milk with honey or broth, because the more fluid there is in the body, the more intense the kidneys that are already overloaded should work.

Hot baths are forbidden, feet should not be soared. High temperatures accelerate blood circulation and stimulate uterine contraction, so a pregnant woman may experience a miscarriage. For this reason mustard plasters are prohibited, and steam inhalations should be carried out with caution.

Temperature: what to do

One of the first and main symptoms of a cold is a fever. If the thermometer shows less than 38, you will have to do without pills. A woman should wear comfortable pajamas, but it is advisable not to put on a terry bathrobe and not to wrap in two thick blankets. Pregnant should be warm, but not hot, otherwise the temperature will rise further.

You can wipe the body with apple or table vinegar with a concentration of 5% or lower. The component is diluted with room temperature water. For part of vinegar, take 3, and preferably 4 parts of liquid. An alternative is freshly squeezed lemon juice, which activates sweating and helps lower the temperature.

With a soft cloth dampened in the solution, wipe the legs and arms, areas under the chest and stomach. You can ask your husband to treat the heel with vinegar or lemon. On the forehead you need to put a compress, which is turned over as it is heated and changed every 10-15 minutes or more often.

Healing teas
Sweating with a cold is good and beneficial, but so that the body does not suffer from dehydration, you need to drink decoctions and fruit drinks. You can make medicinal tea from dried linden flowers or oregano.Raspberry root quickly copes with a cold, but it should be used with caution during pregnancy.

If there are no herbs in the house, the future mother will be saved by green or black tea. It is advisable to prepare a drink not from sachets, but from natural tea leaves. When the tea is warm, add a couple of tablespoons of honey and a slice of lemon to the cup.

Cranberry or currant fruit drinks, cherry juices and fresh raspberry compotes are useful. In such drinks a lot of ascorbic acid, which strengthens the immune system. You can take pharmacy vitamin C only on the recommendation of a doctor.

Instead of a decoction before bedtime, it is better to drink a glass of boiled milk with a slice of butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. Drink no more than 2 liters of fluid per day. If the lower extremities swell or have kidney problems, you should drink up to 7-8 cups of decoctions, tea, compote and other drinks, including soups and other first dishes.

Medical assistance
A pregnant woman can bring down the temperature with paracetamol, but only in pure form. Other drugs containing this substance, such as Panadol or Efferalgan, are contraindicated. They affect the child and, if abused, lead to renal or liver failure in the mother.

You can’t drink “Nurofen” at temperature, especially during the third trimester. Aspirin and drugs containing this component can cause bleeding and miscarriage, so they are not suitable for pregnant women.

Cold Management Methods

If the nose is blocked, it is necessary to rinse it and relieve swelling, so that the future mother can breathe easier. Safe pharmacy products are Aqualor, Humer, or Aquamaris.
The main component of such sprays is sea water. At home, you can prepare an alternative remedy from table salt and soda:

1. A glass of boiled water, cooled to room temperature, will need 5-10 g of dry ingredients.
2. Soda and salt should completely dissolve, the liquid will become a dull white.
3. The solution is drawn into a syringe and injected into each nostril in turn, with its head up.
4. The liquid must be inhaled carefully so that it gets into the sinuses.
5. When the water reaches the throat, you need to quickly tilt your head and blow your nose with the remaining mucus.
6. The procedure is carried out until the glass with the product is empty. After washing, you need to drip your nose or grease with vegetable oil.

Instead of saline, herbal decoctions made from sage, clover flowers and highlander roots are used. Dry plants are mixed in equal proportions, you can add calendula or plantain leaves. Chop the grass and cook over medium heat, insist for 2 hours, and then strain and rinse the nose with a decoction.

Tips: If it is inconvenient to use a syringe, you can buy a small syringe in a pharmacy. It is recommended to add 3-5 drops of iodine to a saline solution or herbal decoction in order to quickly remove inflammation in the sinuses. Rinse your nose 5 times a day, and if it is very stuffy, then more often.

Heat treatment
Pregnant women are allowed steam inhalation. There are two options for carrying out such a procedure: use a nebulizer or breathe over a saucepan with hot broth. A special device treats both a runny nose and a sore throat, but it has a significant minus - a high price. Not all women are helped by heat, so buying can be useless. It is recommended that you first try the grandmother's method with a pan and a towel.

A decoction for inhalation is prepared from:

• eucalyptus leaves;
• chamomile flowers;
• sage;
• yarrow;
• violets;
• pine buds;
• forest mallow.

Take one or more components in equal proportions, fill with water - and on a strong fire until it boils. Rearrange the pot with hot broth on the table and bend over the container, covering your shoulders and head with a rug or a large bath towel. Inhale steam with your nose, trying to keep your mouth closed.So that this method does not harm the pregnant woman, she should sit over the broth for no more than 5 minutes.

A safer way of local action is to warm the sinuses with a boiled egg or bags of salt. In the first case, the product is wrapped in small towels or pieces of cloth so that they do not burn the skin. In the second embodiment, sand or salt is heated in a dry frying pan, and then pour into small bags. If they seem too hot, you can put fabric or gauze under them.

The doctor may offer the pregnant woman warming up with a special lamp, but for this she will have to regularly go to the hospital, which is not always convenient. Although this method should not be abandoned with a prolonged runny nose, which threatens to go into sinusitis. You can treat your nose with salt or eggs 2-3 times a day, but preferably not more often. The result of the procedure should be fixed with natural drops.

Moisturizing for the nose
During a runny nose, the nasal passages dry out, and irritation appears inside, due to which the disease can drag on for a long time. Expectant mothers are recommended after inhalation and washing to lubricate the mucous membranes with petroleum jelly or baby cream.

Peach and sea buckthorn oil, as well as rose hip, have moisturizing properties. But any of them needs to be bred in sunflower or olive, because in concentrated form, such drops irritate the mucosa even more. For 20 parts of the base, take 1 part of the additive and mix thoroughly. In each nostril no more than 2 drops, three times a day.

Instead of oils, freshly squeezed juices are used:

• carrot, sometimes combined with beetroot;
• apple;
• orange or tangerine.

With citrus varieties you need to be careful, because they can cause allergies in a woman or fetus. Juice bought in a store is not suitable for treating a runny nose, because there is nothing natural in such a drink.

Drops are prepared from onions or aloe. Grind the product, squeeze the juice out of it and dilute it with boiled water. In each nostril, 3 drops. The treatment is supplemented with massage: with gentle movements knead the maxillary sinuses, nose bridge and whiskey. It is recommended to rub “Asterisk” or “Doctor Mom” ointment into these zones.

Right atmosphere
In the living room or bedroom where the pregnant woman is resting, you need to put a few bowls with chopped onions or garlic, drenched in water. If you do not like the smell, vegetables should be replaced with tea tree essential oil.

It is recommended to ventilate the room in the morning and at bedtime, and if it is warm outside, you can leave the window open for the whole day. Regularly moisten the air from the nebulizer, because if it is very dry, the nose is blocked and it becomes difficult to breathe.

Tip: During sleep, put a high pillow or several under the head so that the mucus does not accumulate in the maxillary sinuses, and the pregnant woman can rest normally.

If folk recipes were powerless, pharmacy drops are allowed. But you need to buy a children's dosage, use no more than once a day and abandon the drug after 2 days.

Treat throat

A woman with a stuffy nose begins to breathe through her mouth. The mucous membranes dry out, an infection gets into the throat, and it becomes inflamed. To quickly remove perspiration and swelling, you should dissolve a teaspoon of sea buckthorn oil or honey. Aloe also has an antibacterial effect: you need to cut a small slice and, without chewing, keep it in your mouth.

Rinses for rinsing
First, the throat is washed to remove the mucus. A decoction of calendula or oak bark, eucalyptus leaves or sage will come in handy. Rinses are prepared from birch buds or chamomile, a pinch of soda and a few drops of iodine can be added to them.

Redness is removed with alcohol tincture of propolis: a spoonful of the product in a glass of warm water. Try not to swallow the solution, because alcohol can harm the child.An alternative to propolis is an antiviral collection consisting of 10 g of birch leaves, 20 g of eucalyptus and 30 g of sage. Billet in a glass of boiling water, wait 15 minutes, after straining, use for rinsing.

The solution and discomfort will remove a solution of 20 ml of warm water, 1 teaspoon of salt and the same amount of soda. Add 3 drops of iodine, mix thoroughly. The remedy for inflammation and sore throat is ready.

Therapeutic cocktails
You need a spoonful of dried sage and 200-250 ml of milk. Put the components on low heat, simmer for 10 minutes after boiling. Drink just before bedtime, with or without honey.

A sore throat will remove the mixture, which consists of:

• freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon;
• a teaspoon of rosehip syrup;
• 2 tablespoons beet juice;
• 30-40 ml of kefir.

Stir the components thoroughly, consume in small sips after rinsing. Antiseptic sprays are good for inflammation, but such medications should be prescribed by a doctor.

If the discomfort after treatment with folk remedies has not disappeared, and the tonsils are swollen or covered with a strange coating, it is necessary to go to the hospital. Ordinary inflammation can be a sore throat or even tonsillitis, which can not be joked.

Cough Recipes

If you start a fight with a cold at the first symptoms, it quickly recedes, but sometimes the disease is stronger and a cough appears. Pregnant women are advised to drink tea with lemon throughout the day, and before going to bed, use a cup of warm milk with a slice of butter and a pinch of soda.

If the cause of the cough is a sore throat, inhalation with eucalyptus oil or tea tree is helpful. You can make a decoction of sage with linden blossom and chamomile. It will soothe irritation and destroy viruses, and the essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties.

Dry cough should be controlled with herbal teas from ledum, string, yarrow or lingonberry leaves. Additionally, it is recommended to rub the upper part of the chest with warmed honey. Leave the product for about an hour, and then rinse with warm water.

Important: In the first trimester, essential oils are not recommended, and in the second and third drinks with a lot of honey, because this product belongs to the category of strong allergens.

Tablets and syrups
Dry or severe coughs can be treated with medications made from natural raw materials. Safe for a child:

• Plantain syrup;
• Eucabalus;
• Mukaltin;
• Dr. Tice;
• Althea Root;
• Dr. Mom.

Syrups and cough tablets almost do not affect the child, but nevertheless, the doctor, and not the woman herself, must choose the medications, because some components may contain dangerous components.

What to fear
You can not treat a cold with St. John's wort, coltsfoot, echinacea or ginseng, due to which pressure rises and allergies appear. Licorice root stimulates uterine contractions, so a woman may have a miscarriage. Ginkgo biloba is the culprit in preterm labor due to bleeding, and medicinal comfrey causes mutations in the fetus.

The common cold is an insidious and dangerous disease, especially for women carrying a child. Expectant mothers are recommended peace, plenty of rest and fruit, care and no stress. The initial symptoms of a cold can be stopped by folk methods, but if the temperature does not drop, and the pregnant woman feels worse, you should immediately go to the hospital and follow the recommendations of specialists.

Video: which cold preparations can be used during pregnancy