Cough during pregnancy: causes, consequences, treatment and prevention

What are the causes of cough during pregnancy?

Pregnancy has no effect on the occurrence of cough. Cough is a symptom of illness. There are many reasons for this. The most common:

• colds - acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections;
• pneumonia, bronchitis, flu;
• less often - allergic reactions.

The cough can be of different types - dry or wet, paroxysmal or constant, strong or weak. It can get worse at night or be a constant worry. The nature of the cough can also indicate illness.

A dry cough combined with a high temperature indicates the development of influenza; a wet cough with a characteristic gurgling inside indicates bronchitis. Coughing attacks can serve as a signal of the development of an allergic reaction. Any type of cough is equally dangerous for pregnant women. It indicates inflammatory processes occurring in the lungs and bronchi. At high temperatures, a dry cough may occur due to drying out of the delicate mucous membrane of the throat.

In any case, you should not self-medicate or take medications without a prescription from a gynecologist managing your pregnancy.

The nature of cough and accompanying symptoms in various diseases

The cough can be dry or wet, depending on whether the patient produces sputum. The nature of sputum differs in different diseases.

The nature of the cough also differs depending on the origin.

A cold cough is accompanied by a runny nose, pain or discomfort in the throat, headache, fever, and chest pain. A cough that develops at night can cause sleep disturbances, which further worsens overall health.

Cough due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis with high acidity, etc.) is accompanied by heartburn, sour belching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bloating.

An allergic cough develops upon contact with the causative allergen (immediate reaction) or some time after this (delayed reaction). This cough is often accompanied by nasal discharge, watery eyes, itching in the throat and/or nose, and skin rashes. Body temperature remains within normal limits.

Pregnant women should take medications only as prescribed by a doctor.

What are the dangers of coughing during pregnancy?

Cough during pregnancy is an unfavorable phenomenon for mother and baby. Because when coughing, chronic inflammation develops in the respiratory organs, and there is also a strong tension in the respiratory system and an increase in pressure in the chest. With strong coughing tremors, which a sick woman cannot stop, the following happens:

• the tone of the uterine muscles increases, and this threatens termination of pregnancy;
• with bronchitis, the fetus may suffer due to oxygen starvation in the tissues;
• The infection that caused the cough can spread throughout the body and cause complications.

Even a mild dry cough should be taken seriously, as it may indicate the onset of a serious illness - bronchitis or inflammation of the pleura. And if the disease develops, you will have to take antibiotics - this is great harm for the fetus.

It is easier to stop a dry cough than to deal with the consequences later when the bronchi are involved in the inflammatory process. And if a cough is combined with an increase in temperature, then this definitely requires immediate seeking qualified help.

Dry cough during pregnancy

The dry type of cough is characterized by the absence of sputum. It is often paroxysmal, obsessive, and painful. With a prolonged course of the disease, coughing causes pain in the throat and behind the sternum, spasms and fatigue of the abdominal muscles and respiratory muscles. A strong dry cough interferes with normal breathing, can increase the tone of the uterus and intra-abdominal pressure, cause urinary incontinence with weakness of the pelvic floor muscles, and provoke severe fatigue.

Drug treatment of cough in pregnant women

Pregnancy should ideally proceed without the need to take any medications. Because they often have side effects. But if there is a threat of complications, adequate measures are taken, since the harm from infection will be higher than from antibiotics.

When treating cough in pregnant women, drugs are used that cause the least harm to the mother and her baby. Among them:

• in the 2nd trimester, Fluimucil may be prescribed, as well as antibiotics Amoxiclav, Augmentin;
• for coughs without sputum, it is allowed to take Gedelix, Bronchicum, Falimint;
• for frequent coughs in special cases, the doctor may prescribe Bromhexine, Libexin, Stoptussin;
• with cough shocks wet with sputum, Gerbion syrup with primrose helps (but the safety of this medicine for the fetus has not been confirmed);
• Prospan, Doctor Theiss, Pulsatilla cope with the removal of sputum from the bronchi;
• for a wet cough, they can also prescribe Linkas, Bronchipret;
• Travisil suckable tablets help to thin and remove mucus from the bronchi, and although their effect on pregnancy has not been studied, the composition suggests that there should be no side effects.

To increase the body's resistance to infections, the doctor may also prescribe immunostimulating agents. If the pharmacy does not have the necessary drug, it cannot be replaced with a similar one without the consent of the doctor. A cough during pregnancy that moves into the bronchi, accompanied by a large secretion of mucus, harms the fetus due to insufficient saturation tissues with oxygen, so the gynecologist leading the pregnancy may prescribe stronger drugs - Fluifort, Ambroxol.

How to treat cough during pregnancy

Recommendations for treating cough will depend on the cause of the symptom. If the cause is exposure to chemicals, cigarette smoke, or allergic agents, then the first step should be to reduce or completely stop their effect on the expectant mother’s body. If the disease is infectious, in addition to symptomatic treatment, antibacterial or antiviral drugs may be required.

It should be remembered that not all medications are approved for use during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Your doctor will choose the most effective and safe treatment.

In the first trimester

If you have a cough in early pregnancy, it is better to opt for gargling with a saline solution and drinking plenty of liquid. It is allowed to take Mucaltin and Libexin tablets if indicated. Among the physiotherapeutic procedures, inhalation with Borjomi mineral water or 0.5-2% sodium bicarbonate solution and drainage massage will have a positive effect.

is prohibited due to a lack of clinical studies and a possible negative effect on fetal development.

In the second and third trimester

To relieve dry cough and improve the removal of sputum when wet, it is recommended to take mucolytics and expectorants. All medicines and herbal preparations require caution if there is a tendency to allergic reactions of any severity. Semi-synthetic drugs are allowed in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, provided that their benefit significantly outweighs the possible harm - this is determined by the doctor. Ambroxol preparations can also be prescribed to stimulate fetal lung development.

Cough tablets that affect the respiratory center (Codeine, Solpadeine, etc.) are
strictly prohibited

Treatment of allergic cough

Allergies can also cause cough in pregnant women. Sometimes only during such an interesting period does a woman suddenly experience an allergic reaction to some irritant for the first time.

This type of cough can be distinguished by the following signs:

• more often it is a dry cough, without sputum production, accompanied by a runny nose, tearfulness, and sneezing;
• cough may be accompanied by sudden skin rashes;
• Irritation of the respiratory tract with attacks of suffocation may occur, especially with direct contact with the irritant.

If there is an allergic cough in pregnant women, the doctor must determine what is the irritant - cat hair, chemical, dust, plant, food. When the irritant is eliminated, the symptoms usually go away on their own; no treatment is required. By the way, tobacco smoke can also be a serious irritant. Some women who smoke quit smoking during pregnancy, if only because they begin to suffer from coughing tremors.

However, passive smoking can also cause the same irritation of the respiratory tract. Not to mention the fact that the expectant mother herself and her child in the womb receive their portion of nicotine by inhaling cigarette smoke.

In the treatment of allergic cough, drugs are used that have the least negative impact on mother and baby. Alas, there are no completely safe remedies for allergies.

The doctor may prescribe:

• Suprastin;
• Claritin;
• Becotide;
• Beclomethasone DS;
• Pulmicort;
• Fenistil;
• Diphenhydramine;
• Trexil;
• Terfenadine.

The drugs are not addictive and can be used frequently.

In addition to medications, gynecologists often prescribe general restoratives - vitamin B5, as well as ascorbic acid.

How to cope with allergies during pregnancy?

19.01.2021

Allergies are so common today that they are sometimes not considered a disease. Allergies manifest themselves not only as irritation, but also as much more serious complications, and are inherited. It is important to protect the baby as much as possible while still in the womb.

Types of allergies

The most common type of allergy is allergic rhinitis . nasal congestion and constant runny nose . Sometimes an allergic reaction manifests itself as conjunctivitis with lacrimation, photophobia and redness of the cornea . Usually accompanied by rhinitis. An important feature of pregnancy is the presence of hormonal rhinitis. If a runny nose appeared only during pregnancy and does not go away after taking the usual medications, it is most likely a reaction to the fetus. After birth , congestion will go away, and the baby will not face any allergies . Skin reactions are not typical for pregnancy and therefore require attention. Perhaps, wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle, the girl introduced a strong allergen , for example, cow's milk.

During pregnancy existing allergic reactions appear more often, which is important to consider. One of the most severe allergic manifestations is bronchial asthma . Also dangerous are Quincke's edema as an adverse reaction, urticaria , and the most serious case - anaphylactic shock . The consequences of such reactions are usually severe, so immediate help is necessary. According to statistics, in a third of pregnant women the condition improves, because the hormonal levels return to normal.

The appearance of an allergic reaction in pregnant women

An allergy is a manifestation of increased sensitivity to an allergen by the immune system . Allergens can be very different: dust, odors (more precisely, substances that emit this smell), pollen, animal hair, cosmetic components. During pregnancy the immune system works for two, protecting the body of both mother and child. Hard work creates disruptions, so it’s difficult to predict what the reaction will be to seemingly ordinary things like dust or the usual face . It is especially important to carefully select new products. Popular creams for stretch marks to improve breast are usually produced separately from mass-produced products, so you need to choose them carefully. You definitely shouldn’t buy a large bottle of new lotion right away. The same applies to products.

The first trimester of pregnancy is usually the most difficult, both in terms of the formation of the fetus and the well-being of the mother, and for the health of the child. Complete protection in the form of the placenta has not yet been formed, and allergens also reach the fetus through the bloodstream. The main defense against allergies is disease prevention. We do not introduce new foods into the diet; we continue to adhere to the usual diet if it was prescribed by a doctor .

Getting rid of allergies during pregnancy

Mild manifestations of allergic reactions can be cured on your own without resorting to serious medications. Ointments, solutions and other local remedies will help. Skin reactions are most often harmless, but they irritate not only the skin, but also the eyes . Therefore, they need to be treated so as not to spoil your mood. Herbal ointments with hypoallergenic components relieve skin irritation; in addition, zinc dries it out. If the allergy manifests itself as a runny nose , then children's dosages of vasoconstrictors help with mild discomfort. The variety of drops and sprays is limited only by the geographic choice of the pharmacy. But you should not experiment with popular antihistamine tablets, this is fraught with: premature birth , increased uterine , toxic poisoning of the fetus, and slowed fetal development. And these are just some of the consequences.

It's important to eat right. Most often, allergies are caused by chicken, citrus fruits, and chocolate. Decoctions of the following herbs help well with allergies : celandine, chamomile, calendula, string, elderberry, nettle. If you are prone to allergies , a food diary can help. The reaction to an allergen can be individual, it may not appear at all, or it may appear in an unusual way. Perhaps during pregnancy a woman will want to record events, then she can combine business with pleasure: write down how you and the world around you are changing, and keep track of what could cause allergies .

Published in Pregnancy and pregnancy management Premium Clinic

Folk remedies

In some cases, you can help yourself without medication. In general, doctors always first try to offer some traditional methods of combating cough during pregnancy.

For example, such simple and accessible measures:

• If you have a dry cough, you need to humidify the air;
• drink plenty of fluids, it helps remove microbial waste products from the body;
• drink milk with honey, but do not get too carried away with honey, as it can cause allergies;
• do inhalation with a decoction of potatoes, or a soda solution (a teaspoon of soda per glass of hot water), or add essential oils and herbal extracts to the inhalation solution;
• gargle with solutions of soda, salt, chamomile decoction;
• When coughing tremors, it is useful to drink a sip of warm water, this prevents their continuation and reduces the intensity.

Very often, a cough during pregnancy occurs after a runny nose. This means that adequate treatment of inflammation of the nasopharynx will help prevent coughing. You can use the well-known Doctor Mom solution, which is completely safe for pregnant women. It is applied to the wings of the nose several times a day. Rinsing the nose with a special solution or warm water with sea salt (a teaspoon per glass of water) also helps.

What can pregnant women do for a cough in the third trimester and what can’t they do?

In most cases, treatment of cough in a pregnant woman is carried out at home, and only in those situations that the doctor may consider as threatening the health of the mother or child, hospitalization and treatment in a hospital are required. Therapeutic tactics depend on the cause of the cough.

Drug therapy for cough in the third trimester of pregnancy is prescribed only by the attending physician (the first and second trimesters are also no exception).

When coughing against the background of otorhinolaryngological diseases and viral infections, rinsing the nose with saline solutions and gargling with antiseptic solutions are prescribed.

When you have an allergic cough, first of all you need to avoid contact with the substance, contact with which caused the development of the allergy. Antihistamines may also be required.

When coughing caused by acute respiratory infections, if possible, try to use soft medicines from herbal ingredients - preparations based on ivy, plantain, licorice root, marshmallow, thyme.

In the treatment of cough, preference is given to herbal preparations

In some cases, there is a need to take antibiotics (for example, in severe forms of bronchitis), the doctor will select those that will not harm the health of the mother and baby.

Massage, physical therapy, and breathing exercises can be prescribed as auxiliary methods.

Drinking regime

Drinking plenty of fluids is recommended. Drinking warm liquid helps to liquefy bronchial secretions and speed up their removal, moisturizing the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

Patients can use:

• Tea with lemon;
• tea with honey;
• compotes, juices, fruit drinks and berries;
• mineral water;
• warm milk mixed with alkaline mineral water in a 1:1 ratio.

If a pregnant woman has edema, fluid intake is usually limited; in this case, the drinking regimen is adjusted by the doctor taking into account the existing clinical signs.

Inhalations

Local agents are safer than systemic ones, so they are often prescribed by inhalation to treat cough in pregnant women. This method is also good because it allows you to deliver the medicine directly to the area of ​​inflammation.

Steam inhalations are not recommended for pregnant women, so the procedure is carried out using a nebulizer.

In addition to being safer, they are also significantly more efficient. The advantages of inhalation using a nebulizer include the possibility of using medications that lose their effectiveness when heated, as well as the absence of the risk of the patient receiving burns to the skin and mucous membranes.

Antimicrobial, expectorant, mucolytic, anti-inflammatory drugs, alkaline mineral water, saline solution can be used for inhalation.

Carrying out inhalations requires compliance with a number of rules:

1. You should eat no later than 1 hour before the procedure and no earlier than 1 hour after it.
2. During the procedure, you should inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose.
3. During inhalation you should not talk or engage in any other activities.
4. After inhalation, you should not go outside in the cool season for 1-2 hours.
5. In the first hour after inhalation, you should not talk or sing loudly.
6. The nebulizer must be washed after each procedure (in accordance with the operating instructions)
7. If the patient’s well-being worsens during inhalation, the procedure should be stopped early and consult a doctor.

Folk remedies

In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, cough should also be treated at home with folk remedies under the supervision of a doctor, since some natural ingredients can negatively affect the course of pregnancy.

To strengthen a woman's defenses during pregnancy, it may be recommended to use decoctions and infusions that include rose hips, sea buckthorn, cranberries, and viburnum.

If you are not allergic to bee products, natural remedies with honey can be used, since it has many beneficial properties, including:

• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• softens the mucous membranes of the throat;
• relieves attacks of dry cough;
• improves sputum discharge during wet cough.

Warm milk with honey is one of the safe and useful remedies for easing a cough.

The most popular recipes include:

1. Honey with milk. A teaspoon of honey is dissolved in a cup of warm milk (not higher than 60 °C). For a severe dry cough, you can add a little butter to the milk and honey.
2. Milk with figs. 1-2 pieces of figs are poured into 1.5 glasses of milk and boiled for 20-30 minutes, then allowed to cool and brew for 1-2 hours. Warm milk is drunk several times a day, and the figs extracted from it can be eaten.
3. Lime tea. Brew a few linden inflorescences (about 5 g) with 200 ml of boiling water, let it brew for 5-10 minutes, drink during coughing attacks.
4. Radish juice with honey. Wash the black radish thoroughly with a brush, cut off the top, remove the middle, making a depression with a volume of 2-3 tablespoons. Place a tablespoon of honey in the cavity and leave for 6-8 hours. Take the released red juice, mixed with honey, a dessert spoon 5 times a day. One radish can be used to prepare several servings of medicine.

What is prohibited

During pregnancy, it is forbidden to use warm compresses, mustard plasters, cups and hot foot baths.

The use of most antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs is prohibited. Expectorants are used with caution; centrally acting antitussives are not used.

Unacceptable folk methods

Some herbs used in traditional medicine are inadmissible during pregnancy. Since their use can cause early labor and miscarriages due to increased blood pressure.

To avoid:

• Treatments with coltsfoot, ginseng, St. John's wort, ginkgo biloba, sage. Honey also carries the risk of allergic reactions and must be handled with caution. Acceptable in combination with milk;
• The use of Vietnamese cream “Zvezdochka” is not recommended due to the risk of allergic reactions to the components;
• You also need to be careful when warming up. No mustard plasters or cans! Instead of mustard plasters, it is better to use a cabbage leaf, on which you need to spread honey (or honey mixed with fresh cottage cheese) and apply it to your chest at night. You can secure the cabbage leaf with a warm scarf.
• Soaring your feet is also not recommended. You can wear warm wool socks instead.

Of course, you should not take hot baths, visit the sauna, or steam in the bathhouse. All this threatens bleeding and premature birth. Of course, alcohol treatment is not suitable either. During pregnancy and especially illness during such a crucial period, it is worth giving up bad habits altogether.

Is a cold dangerous during pregnancy if you don’t see a doctor?

It is very important for all expectant mothers to avoid the most common mistakes and when treating, be sure to take into account the myths about ARVI, which are passed down from generation to generation and cause harm.

Myth 1. Vitamin C will cure colds.

It is not true. For a long time, ascorbic acid was considered almost a panacea for influenza and other colds. But now scientists have come to the conclusion that this vitamin does not prevent the development of ARVI and does not speed up treatment if the disease is already in full swing.

In some cases, ascorbic acid can reduce the manifestations of clinical signs of the disease. Also, in combination with proper nutrition, it increases endurance in healthy people. However, if a person still has a cold, vitamin C is powerless.

Myth 2. Antibiotics will help get rid of colds.

Antibacterial drugs are the greatest achievement of mankind, having saved millions of lives since their discovery. It would seem that if these medicines can help with very serious diseases, will they really not cope with a cold? No, they won't cope. For the reason that antibacterial drugs, as their name suggests, are designed to fight bacteria. Viruses differ in structure from bacteria, and therefore there is no point in taking antibiotics for ARVI and influenza. Antibacterial drugs are taken only in case of bacterial complications, for example, bacterial pneumonia.

You should not take antibiotics for prophylaxis, trying to prevent the development of complications. This will only weaken your body and harm your unborn child. And, of course, no medications should be taken during pregnancy without your doctor’s permission.

Myth 3. You can only catch a cold once per season.

This is not true. As already mentioned, viruses are constantly mutating. Therefore, you can get sick at the beginning of autumn, recover, then the body will develop immunity to this type of virus, and then get sick more than once in winter and spring. New strains constantly appear that the body is not yet familiar with. In order to protect yourself from infection, it is necessary to use antiviral drugs that fight all types of viruses.

Myth 4. Antibacterial soap will protect against colds.

It is not true. This soap, as its name suggests, can only fight bacteria. As already mentioned, viruses and bacteria have different structures, and therefore the methods of combating them are different. Of course, this does not replace the need to regularly wash your hands, both for pregnant women and for everyone else. Even if soap doesn't kill viruses, it can help wash them away. The effectiveness of this procedure increases significantly if you wash your hands with any soap for at least 30 seconds.

Myth 5. If you have a cold, you need bed rest.

Despite the fact that a cold can lead to the development of a number of complications, a pregnant woman should not give up walking and moderate physical activity without a doctor’s advice. Prolonged bed rest can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia, as well as disruption of the functioning of the cardiovascular system. If you feel well, move. And try to ventilate the room more often.

When to immediately contact an obstetrician-gynecologist

There are types of cough for which folk remedies are powerless. The following symptoms will help you understand that urgent medical attention is needed:

• severe cough causes chest or back pain;
• cough is accompanied by attacks of suffocation, as if there is not enough air;
• streaks of blood appear in the sputum released when coughing;
• the temperature jumps to 38.5 degrees.

All this indicates the presence of a serious development of the disease requiring the use of medications. And when prescribing treatment, the doctor will take into account the degree of risk for the fetus and the pregnant woman herself when using certain drugs for treatment. Sometimes complications of an illness are much more dangerous than possible negative reactions during treatment.