The Connection Between Allergies And Getting Pregnant
Millions of people are affected by allergies of many different kinds. In general, allergies are unusual immune system reactions to things that most people are not affected by. Allergies can cause a range of symptoms from a simple runny nose to severe difficulty in breathing. Some allergies are mild and need no medication but others require anti histamines and steroids to control. For women trying to conceive, the question is how to cope with allergies and should medication be avoided during this time?
Reduce Your Exposure
If you are a known allergy sufferer and wanting to conceive, now is a good time to reduce your exposure to allergens and hopefully avoid the need for medications. The following tips can help;
-Avoid contact with pets
-Wash hands well after touching pets or being outdoors
-Use your air conditioner
-Avoid gardening and similar activities
-Rinse itchy eyes with warm water
Are Allergy Medications Safe?
During pre-conception and pregnancy women need to minimize risks by not taking any non essential medication. The problem with taking medication is that they can cross the placenta and enter the baby's blood stream. However, the level of risk this causes depends both on the type of drug and the trimester of the pregnancy. Medical opinions should always be sought before taking drugs. The problem is that pharmaceutical companies rarely conduct clinical trials or studies of their medicines on pregnant women. As a consequence our information about the safety of these drugs comes mostly from previous experience. Mild steroids in nose sprays for hay fever sufferers are considered to be safe for use during pregnancy. Care should be taken with herbal medicines as sometimes they can be problematic in pregnancy.
Asthma And Getting Pregnant
Women who suffer from pre-existing conditions such as asthma should not just stop taking their medication when they want to get pregnant. Despite concerns over the safety of medications for the unborn fetus, there are also risks involved in not treating potentially dangerous conditions. Most doctors believe that asthma medications enable the 'mother to be' to stay healthy and protect the baby in the long term. Steroid tablets or injections which are much stronger are generally used only in emergency or worsening cases of asthma. If you need these medications, your baby or baby to be would be much worse off without them.
Current research has yet to show any harmful effects from inhaled steroids or bronchodilators when used in normal doses. Thus the general consensus is that keeping asthma well treated pre and post conception has greater long term benefits than fears about the effects of taking medications at this time.
Also check out some great ideas about home decor and decorate your house in an allergy-free way.
or sign up
Post a comment