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Allergies during pregnancy: the impact on pregnancy, what can you do
When carrying a child, a woman should be especially attentive to her health, because any physical trouble affects the future baby. Unfortunately, pregnancy allergies are not uncommon. It is important to respond appropriately to symptoms and to choose an appropriate treatment.
Impact of allergy on pregnancy
An atypical reaction of a pregnant woman’s body, which is not one of the “official allergy sufferers”, that is, is not registered with an immunologist-allergist, is explained by the special state of the body.
Allergies during pregnancy require qualified treatment
The following factors are the cause of hypersensitivity:
- hormonal changes;
- increased activity of immune cells.
The effect of allergy on pregnancy is insignificant: it is not transmitted to the fetus. Thanks to the placenta, neither antigens, or allergenic substances, nor antibodies produced to suppress antigens, harm the unborn baby, since they do not get inside the ovum.
An allergic reaction in pregnant women is often skin, in the form of a rash and itching. It occurs on food, cosmetics or chemicals. Sometimes hay fever develops – an allergy to pollen. In extremely rare cases, the body reacts violently to medications or vitamin complexes prescribed to a woman for health reasons.
What can you do with allergies during pregnancy?
Despite the absence of direct danger to the fetus, allergies are undesirable conditions. If a woman takes medications for allergies, then they also affect the baby, because the blood supply system of the mother and the fetus is common. Therefore, it is important to understand what is possible from allergies during pregnancy, and what needs to be abandoned.
The main method of therapy in case of allergies is getting rid of the symptom and eliminating the allergen. Antihistamine tablets are prescribed only by an immunologist and only from the 2nd trimester. At this time, the placenta is already formed, and the harm from drugs is minimal.
It is impossible to take pharmacy antihistamines on your own, as they can harm the unborn baby, for example, cause hypoxia. You should not experiment with external agents, as some contain hormones.
What a woman can do herself:
- switch to a hypoallergenic diet, excluding potentially dangerous products: chocolate, nuts, fish, honey, citrus fruits, red berries, etc.;
- make sure that dust does not accumulate in the room, carry out wet cleaning daily;
- in consultation with the doctor, take vitamins with a natural antihistamine effect: niacin, vitamin B12, zinc, vitamin C;
- quit smoking.
It is important to remember that the insidiousness of an allergy is its ability to recur. The attack can be repeated in a day and even return after 4-5 days. Therefore, if any atypical reaction occurs, the expectant mother should consult a doctor.
The mother’s allergy does not affect the baby, but the woman should be aware of the potential dangers of antihistamines. An allergist should appoint them.