Text: Evgenia Bagma

It is very important to protect the baby and his mother from diseases - for example, from ARVI and influenza, which are dangerous not only in themselves, but also have severe symptoms. The question arises: how to treat a cold during pregnancy if the expectant mother simply cannot take most of the medications?

Help with colds during pregnancy

How to treat a cold during pregnancy? First of all - immediately, no matter what month the woman is in. After all, not only the virus can harm a child, but also the symptoms of the disease themselves - fever, aching joints, loss of appetite, runny nose, etc. The placenta protects the unborn baby from the mother’s illnesses, but only if it is properly formed. This is why a cold in the first months of pregnancy is more dangerous for the baby than in the later stages.

The use of medications will have to be kept to a minimum. How to treat colds during pregnancy without medications? Bed rest, folk remedies, home treatments and those medications that are not prohibited during pregnancy and recommended by your doctor.

To lower a pregnant woman's temperature, you can drink tea with raspberries or linden. You need to reduce the heat only after 38 degrees. If you cannot cope with the fever using home remedies, you can take paracetamol, reducing the standard dosage by half.

Symptoms of the disease, such as a sore throat, cough or runny nose, can also cause discomfort. Since medications for these symptoms are also prohibited in most cases and can harm the baby, it is better for pregnant women to treat colds with other means. Gargle with herbal decoctions (chamomile, eucalyptus, sage), do inhalations, clear your nose with saline solution or Pinosol. These remedies are usually sufficient to relieve symptoms.

How to treat a cold during pregnancy without causing harm

It is very important to treat a cold without harming the mother and her unborn child. Therefore, only the attending physician can weigh all the risks and say exactly how to treat a cold during pregnancy. Before consulting a doctor, you should follow some rules.

• Pregnant women should not take aspirin - it causes fetal malformations.


• A pregnant woman should not wrap herself up or overheat, especially if she has a high body temperature.


• You should not steam your feet or take a hot bath - this is dangerous for the unborn child and can cause a deterioration in the patient’s condition, including miscarriage.


• You should not take antibiotics without a doctor's recommendation - especially since antibiotics are powerless against viral infections, such as colds and flu.

Do not self-medicate, because only the attending physician can tell how pregnant women should treat a cold in each specific case. After recovery, you will need to do an ultrasound to make sure that the pregnancy is progressing well and the infection has not caused any harm to the baby.

Every woman knows that it is not recommended to take medications during pregnancy. But what if? Unfortunately, this situation is common. This is due to the fact that the pregnant woman’s body is weakened and cannot fully fight viral attacks from the outside. A cold can harm an unborn child, so treatment should begin at the first signs and this should be done as correctly as possible.

Cold symptoms during pregnancy

The main symptoms of a cold during pregnancy are:

It is advisable to prevent the disease at the first signs and not delay it for a long time.

The causes of colds include:

• hypothermia
• airborne contact with an already sick person
• viruses and bacteria that were dormant in the body of a pregnant woman and with weakened immunity acquired an active stage

If you notice the first symptoms of a cold, you should initially take the following actions:

• The first thing you need to do is cancel all your activities and lie in bed for several days, that is, apply bed rest, which will help you gain strength and prevent the disease from developing further.
• Don't forget to drink a lot. It is better if it is simple clean water; also, if you have a cold, it is good to take tea with lemon, lingonberry cranberry juice, milk with honey.

During pregnancy, women have a tendency to, so you need to be careful with drinking too much.

• When you have a cold, you need to watch your diet so as not to overload the digestive tract; food should be as digestible as possible. This will help the body fight viruses without being distracted by food processing.

Why are colds dangerous during pregnancy?

The danger of a cold during pregnancy primarily lies in the fact that it can cause complications not only in the expectant mother, but also in the child. Particularly dangerous in this case include viral infections (), in particular the flu, which can bring many negative consequences.

According to statistics, 75% of women catch a cold during pregnancy, and in most cases the child is born completely healthy, so there is no need to panic, you just need to be treated on time and correctly.

The most important risks of a cold in a pregnant woman include:

1. Manifestation of the disease in the form. Most often, such manifestations are not considered scary; most likely, the child will simply develop immunity to this virus.
2. Flu is scary because it can cause many side diseases.

• polyhydramnios
• risk of miscarriage
• premature birth
• blood loss during childbirth
• difficult postpartum period
• premature rupture of amniotic fluid

Treatment of colds during pregnancy

As everyone knows, chemical-based drugs are completely prohibited during pregnancy, although it is best to treat herbal medicine with extreme caution. Let's start with how to protect yourself from ARVI during pregnancy, because the best treatment is:

• First of all, you should avoid public places and large crowds of people
• secondly, do not neglect wearing gauze bandages
• After going out, it is advisable to carry out nasal rinsing and gargling procedures
• before going to public places, you can treat the nasal area with Oxolinic ointment
• Throughout pregnancy you need to take vitamins prescribed by your doctor.

There are several rules that it is advisable to follow when dealing with colds during pregnancy:

1. Self-medication is completely contraindicated. All treatment must be prescribed by a specialist.
2. At the first sign of a cold, you should call a doctor at home.
3. Therapy should begin as soon as the first signs of a cold appear.
4. Maintain bed rest for the first few days.
5. Regularly carry out wet cleaning and ventilate the room.
6. Drink a lot.
7. Stick to a diet.

Read also:

Pain-relieving ointments for feet: features of the use of external agents

During pregnancy, the following medications are allowed to be used for colds:

• vitamins
• herbal medicines
• homeopathic medicines
• vasoconstrictor nasal sprays and drops
• some immunostimulants

Prohibited herbal medicines:

• which contain alcohol even in small quantities
• tinctures containing the following immunostimulants: ginseng, leuzea, echinacea, licorice, radiola rosea

The immunostimulants most often taken by specialists are:

• Geneferon
• Derinat
• Grippferon

You can also use crushed horseradish with sugar, which is infused for several hours and taken 1 tablespoon every hour for two days.

Treatment with folk remedies

When treating colds in pregnant women, it is recommended to use soda and saline solutions; they can also be used to rinse the nose. Various herbal infusions and decoctions are also used. The most proven and popular means include:

• Ginger. This remedy is highly effective for decreased appetite, runny nose, high fever, and sore throat. You can use ginger tea, which is prepared as follows: ¼ cup chopped fresh ginger, pour 4 cups of boiling water. This solution is boiled for 10 minutes over very low heat, then left for a short amount of time, after which lemon and honey are added. The drink is ready and can be taken before meals, hot or cold. No more than 3 times a day.
• effective for colds, as it has anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and diuretic properties. Rosehip also perfectly improves immunity. Prepare the drink as follows:
  3 tbsp. chopped rose hips are mixed with a liter of water and boiled over very low heat for about 10 minutes, strain and take instead of regular tea.

Honey and lemon will be the most delicious and safest method of treating colds in pregnant women; you can simply add these two components to tea.

The danger of overheating in pregnant women when treating colds

When treating a cold, you should not take hot baths or warm your feet in hot water. This is fraught with negative consequences, such as miscarriage or premature birth. You should also avoid visiting baths and saunas.

Pregnancy is a wonderful condition for every woman. On the other hand, the period of bearing a baby is a very important time. Now the expectant mother should pay increased attention to her health. The course of pregnancy, and subsequently the health of the unborn child, depends on how well a pregnant woman feels.

Colds during pregnancy (especially of an infectious nature) are not that uncommon. If, nevertheless, a pregnant woman was unable to avoid the disease, she needs to know what needs to be done to recover without harm to herself, and most importantly, to the health of the unborn baby.

Causes of colds in pregnant women

The causes of colds in expectant mothers can be:

• hypothermia;
• viruses and bacteria.

Hypothermia as a cause of colds in pregnant women

Colds during pregnancy caused by hypothermia most often occur in winter or early spring. But you can catch a cold in the summer if you are in a drafty room. Car and room air conditioners are a fairly common cause of colds in women during pregnancy.

Wet clothes or wet feet are likely to cause a cold in a pregnant woman. During this important period, you need to take special care to monitor your clothing, make sure your outerwear is seasonal, and prevent your body from getting hypothermic.

Viruses and bacteria are the main cause of colds in pregnant women

The most difficult course of colds in pregnant women is caused by diseases such as acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, which are caused by viruses and bacteria. The epidemiological peak of viral and bacterial infections occurs in autumn, when the weather outside is characterized by dampness, temperature changes, strong winds and early snow.

In the medical sense, such diseases cannot be called colds, but young mothers often confuse them. In all cases, the symptoms of the disease are similar, but the treatment will be different depending on the cause. Not every pregnant woman can distinguish bronchitis from sinusitis or pneumonia, and acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections generally proceed the same way. It is very important to know before starting treatment and prescribing medications what causes a cold in a pregnant woman.

Cold symptoms during pregnancy

A cold during pregnancy is no different in symptoms from the symptoms of the disease in all other people.

The first symptoms of the disease in pregnant women:

1. malaise;
2. fatigue;
3. pain (headache, joint);
4. runny nose;
5. sore throat;
6. temperature increase.

Usually, when pregnant women have a cold, there is a slight increase in temperature, or no fever at all. Less commonly, body temperature can rise very significantly - up to 38-39°C.

Later, secondary symptoms may appear:

• cough;
• a sore throat;
• intoxication of the body (drowsiness, lack of appetite, weakness).

Treatment of colds in pregnant women should be started immediately, even when the first symptoms of the disease appear, otherwise severe complications are possible:

1. bronchitis;
2. sinusitis;
3. pharyngitis;
4. pneumonia.

As a rule, the first 2-3 days of illness are the most severe and uncomfortable, then, if proper treatment is started on time, the cold quickly recedes.

How and what to treat colds during pregnancy

Treatment of colds during pregnancy is complicated by the fact that “ordinary” medications are used very limitedly or are strictly prohibited.

When using medicinal products, it is necessary to evaluate the benefits that they will bring to the expectant mother and combine them with the harm to the fetus and the impact on the baby’s health in the future.

What a pregnant woman needs to do at the first symptoms of a cold:

• firstly, it would be best to stay at home for a few days. You need to lie down in bed - this is a prerequisite for successfully curing a cold for pregnant women. Having a cold on your feet is fraught with complications for mother and child.
• secondly, a balanced diet is a very important element for a speedy recovery;
• thirdly, it is necessary to consume sufficiently clean drinking water. It removes toxins and pathogens from the pregnant woman’s body;
• fourthly, treatment of colds must be carried out strictly under the supervision of the attending physician.

In the midst of epidemics, immunity agents that are more effective should be used. For example, ordinary horseradish is one of the effective remedies in the fight against colds during pregnancy. Among traditional methods of treatment, the following recipe is very popular: ground horseradish root is mixed with the same amount of honey; refined sugar is not recommended for use in this case. The resulting mixture is put in a warm place for a day, after which 1 tablespoon is taken every hour.

Inhalations with sage or chamomile will help cope with cough. They help alleviate inflammation in the nasopharynx and relieve a runny nose. In order to carry out inhalation, you need to prepare a decoction of unpeeled potatoes, add a tablespoon of eucalyptus leaves or chamomile to it. You need to breathe over the pan with the prepared broth, covered with a towel.

Pregnancy is not the time to self-medicate. Only a specialist will be able to see in time the signs that threaten the mother and the unborn baby in the pregnant woman’s condition.

Treatment of runny nose during pregnancy

If a pregnant woman has a runny nose and a stuffy nose, this can negatively affect the condition of the fetus, since the oxygen the baby receives is insufficient for normal growth and development. For this reason, a runny nose in an expectant mother should be treated immediately.

Even if a pregnant woman previously used drops to treat a runny nose, in the current special situation it is necessary to consult with the attending physician about the possibility of using them. Moreover, drops can be used only if the pregnant woman is well tolerant of the composition of the drops, since pregnancy worsens the woman’s body’s reaction to medications.

To rinse the nose, it is best to use a weak saline solution: dilute half a teaspoon of salt with a glass of water. You can buy nasal drops at the pharmacy based on sea water, for example, Aquamaris. It is possible to instill aloe juice into the nose, a few drops at a time.

Another good remedy for a runny nose is Zvezdochka balm; you can simply inhale its smell, or lubricate the inside of your nose with it. The herbal ointment “Doctor Mom” has the same effect. You should ensure that an allergic reaction does not occur; if it occurs, stop using the balm or ointment.

Hot hand baths are very helpful to ease breathing. It is necessary to immerse your hands (up to the elbow) in a bath of hot water. A tangible result will not be long in coming; after just a few minutes, breathing will become much easier.

It is strictly forbidden to warm your feet, as this can cause a miscarriage. When treating a runny nose in pregnant women, menthol oil is also used; it is applied to the forehead, temporal region and bridge of the nose. You can also place a drop of oil into your sinuses.

How to treat a sore throat

A sore throat during pregnancy can be cured by periodic gargling or inhalation. Inhalations should be carried out with the addition of mint or eucalyptus oils. When rinsing you can use:

1. Gargle with saline solution (dilute 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water). Use warm, not hot water.
2. Rinse with a solution of water and baking soda (dissolve 1 teaspoon in a glass of warm water, you can add a couple of drops of iodine) - this solution can relieve inflammation and get rid of viruses.
3. Rinse with herbal infusions: sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, eucalyptus.

There is no need to get carried away with taking herbal decoctions internally; very often herbs and their decoctions cause severe allergic reactions during pregnancy. In any case, it is better to consult your doctor before using them.

Gargling should be done about 4 times a day.

A safe drug for pregnant women is Hexoral aerosol . It has an antiseptic effect and fights inflammation in the throat. Directions for use and dosage: spray into the throat for 2 seconds (corresponding to a single dose) 2 times a day. Contraindications include individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

Ingalipt is considered an effective remedy, the components of which are: eucalyptus oil, glycerol, peppermint oil, sulfanilamide, etc. This is an aerosol with an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Contraindication is intolerance to essential oils.

• aloe;
• anise;
• barberry;
• elecampane;
• sweet clover;
• oregano;
• St. John's wort;
• strawberry leaves;
• viburnum berries;
• Melissa;
• liquorice root;
• celandine;
• sagebrush;
• lovage

How and with what to reduce a high temperature?

Most often, a cold during pregnancy is accompanied by a body temperature of approximately 38°C degrees. An increase in body temperature above 38°C is uncommon. If your body temperature does not exceed 38°C, it is better not to use medications. At higher temperatures, an antipyretic drug such as paracetamol can be used.

There are also several folk methods that help reduce fever during pregnancy:

1. lime tea;
2. raspberry leaf tea;
3. decoction of dried apples (pour half a glass of dried apples with a liter of boiling water);
4. a drink made from mashed cranberries with honey (2 tablespoons of cranberries, mash, rub through a sieve, add 1 teaspoon of honey and pour 2 tablespoons of water at 60°C. Stir everything, cool slightly and drink in small sips);
5. beetroot or carrot (you can add 1/4 of the cabbage juice).

Colds during pregnancy should not be treated with aspirin! A side effect of using this drug is miscarriage!

The same applies to antibiotics. Their use during pregnancy is extremely undesirable, since as a result of treatment of pregnant women with antibiotics, malformations of the child may develop.

How to treat cough during pregnancy

No cough tablets can be used during pregnancy, and this is usually written in the instructions for the drug. Drinking plenty of fluids is very helpful in preventing coughs:

• warm (even hot) green tea with lemon and honey;
• natural linden tea;
• cranberry or rosehip juice;
• warm dried fruit compote.

The following recipes will help prevent coughing:

1. You need to periodically gargle with this solution: in a glass of water (warm), dilute a teaspoon of honey and the juice of half a lemon (about two tablespoons)
2. Warm a glass of milk and add a teaspoon of honey. You can add a little butter to a glass of milk. This infusion should be drunk before bed; it will relieve a sore throat and prevent coughing.

During pregnancy, lemon with peel and cranberries are very useful. When treating colds for expectant mothers, honey is a storehouse of beneficial properties, especially liquid honey.

If the main time of pregnancy occurred in the autumn-winter period, then sooner or later a woman will think about how to treat a cold during pregnancy. During the cold season, people's immunity decreases, and expectant mothers face a double blow, since the main resources of their body are aimed at the child, its protection and development. How to recognize a cold in yourself? How can it be treated for pregnant women? How to strengthen the body so as not to get sick at all? About all this in our article.

Main symptoms and causes of colds

Manifestations of a cold are detected quite quickly, unsettling a woman in 1-2 days. Headaches immediately appear, which increase over time. Along with this, severe weakness, lethargy and impotence appear. The most famous and characteristic manifestations are rhinitis (runny nose) and cough. Moreover, rhinitis manifests itself earlier, and then the infection spreads to the larynx and down to the bronchi. This causes a cough, the nature of which (dry, wet, with or without phlegm) can vary depending on the woman’s initial health and her immunity, as well as the degree of infection in the body. A woman loses her appetite, which worsens her well-being even more, since she stops getting the vitamins and other microelements she needs from food. The temperature ranges from 37.1°C to 38°C. However, if the temperature rises above this level, the disease is more serious than you might think. This is a reason to consult a doctor as soon as possible, or, in extreme cases, call an ambulance.

Everyone knows the symptoms of a cold - nasal congestion, sore throat, fever

The main cause of the disease is viruses and bacteria, which cause inflammatory reactions in the body. However, factors that reduce immunity and give rise to the development of infection are hypothermia and small confined spaces. If everything is clear with hypothermia, then what does small spaces have to do with it? Let's explain with a simple example. You travel in winter on public transport. There are a large number of people around and some of them are sick, even if only a small one. Someone sneezed, someone coughed. And now you are already in the zone affected by bacteria and viruses.

The fact is that viruses and bacteria, after sneezing or coughing in a closed space (and in winter all windows on public transport are closed), continue to circulate in the air for about another hour or two. Thus, throughout the day, pathogenic microorganisms circulate on buses almost all the time, looking for potential victims. The lower your immunity, the more likely it will be you.

If you experience at least some of the list of symptoms while pregnant, we advise you to contact your doctor. The infection tends to spread, and therefore simple diseases that are not fully cured can eventually develop into more serious or even chronic ones. Remember that your health comes first now, since the health of your baby directly depends on it.

To be afraid or not?

The body of a pregnant woman is most vulnerable during the first trimester, when all the body’s forces and resources are directed towards the fetus. It is at this time that one of the main processes occurs - organogenesis in the fetus, that is, the laying of organs and the organization of their systems. At this time, any disease can directly or indirectly affect the development of the baby, and therefore is potentially dangerous.

Do not confuse a cold with rubella - at the initial stage the diseases are similar

One of the most insidious diseases is rubella, since its first symptoms are very similar to the usual symptoms of a cold. The woman develops a slight runny nose, cough, and the lymph nodes become enlarged. Sometimes skin rashes are added, but often only a dermatologist can correctly characterize them.

Another particularly dangerous disease for an expectant mother is influenza. One of the characteristic manifestations of this disease is high temperature, which disrupts the body's metabolic processes and can affect the development of the fetus. In exceptional cases, the result can even be congenital defects in the child or a miscarriage.

If you notice any symptoms of colds, then you should not engage in self-diagnosis and treatment, since pregnancy is not the time to experiment with your health. Be sure to consult a doctor and take the tests prescribed for you. Only after the doctor makes a diagnosis can we talk about the seriousness of the disease and its danger to the baby.

Some sources claim that in the second trimester, colds are less dangerous or do not pose a threat to the child’s health at all. This is wrong. Complications of many diseases suffered during pregnancy can lead to diagnoses that are no less dangerous and difficult to treat. Polyhydramnios may develop, inflammation of the genital organs and much more may occur, which will complicate the process of bearing a child and childbirth.

However, this is not a reason to panic if you have a runny nose or slight cough. In no case. Just take care of your immunity while planning your pregnancy and continue to support it throughout the nine months. This will minimize the likelihood that the body will not cope with the infection, which means it will guarantee you the absence of a cold for the entire period.

Rhinitis is the first and main manifestation

The first thing an expectant mother will encounter is a runny nose. This is an annoying and extremely unpleasant symptom, indicating that the infection entered the body through the nasal passages. As a cold progresses, rhinitis can first bother you with excessive discharge, and then with unpleasant dryness (sometimes vice versa). To prevent infection from entering the body this way, you should use oxolinic ointment. You can buy it at a pharmacy for a small price or find it in your medicine cabinet. Apply this ointment every day before going to work or just going for a walk. It will become an additional barrier that traps pathogenic microorganisms, and will also moisturize the nasal passages and relieve dryness.

Rhinitis is an unpleasant symptom of a cold, especially during pregnancy.

If you are already sick and need to get rid of an annoying symptom, vasoconstrictor drops are a good solution. Modern pharmaceutical companies provide a large selection, and therefore every woman can choose something for herself.

However, it is worth choosing responsibly or considering other options for treating the symptom, since scientists have long proven that vasoconstrictor drops are addictive. This means that each time you need more and more drops to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. In this case, the effect they produce will decrease proportionally. Eventually you will have to pick up more drops, and then another, and another. Reminds me of a vicious circle, right?

That is why, first of all, it is worthwhile to attend not to the treatment of accompanying symptoms, but to the treatment of the main cause of the disease. In the case of colds, viruses are often the cause and antivirals are the cure. Start fighting the infection by choosing antiviral medications with your doctor, and only then start treating symptoms.

Do you want to avoid this vicious circle with drops and is their use really necessary? Choose some folk remedy. Regular rinsing of the nose with a weak saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of warm boiled water) or instillation of aloe juice (1-2 drops into each nasal passage) will be effective.

Do I need to take vitamins?

Vitamins are an integral part of our lives, even if we don’t notice them. We consume a certain amount of vitamins and minerals with food every day. The question is, does your daily diet cover your daily requirement for vitamins? If you have gotten sick, then most likely the answer is “no,” since the body’s immunity is supported by vitamins and other substances, which mostly enter the body from the outside.

Synthetic or natural vitamins – decide this issue with your doctor

It doesn’t matter whether you want to prevent the development of a disease or support the immune system in the fight against an existing cold - vitamins are necessary. Moreover, for pregnant women, the daily norm of each vitamin increases slightly, since the calculation also takes into account the consumption of body substances for the development of the unborn baby.

Try to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, meat, fish and oils in your diet, because all these foods are rich sources of microelements. Each product contains a certain set of vitamins, and therefore the best option is to introduce dishes into your diet that will consist of a small amount of different products. This ensures that your body gets as many different vitamins as possible.

If you live in a region where access to fresh vegetables, fruits and meat is difficult, then just start taking vitamin complexes. They are no worse than the “natural” option. Their dosage has been correctly calculated by scientists, and therefore, with the correct selection (always together with a doctor!) of such a complex, an overdose is almost impossible.

Hyperthermia: danger and methods of elimination

Hyperthermia is, in simple terms, “high temperature,” which is also a characteristic symptom of most colds.

The average temperature of colds ranges from 37.1 °C to 38 °C and means that the body is independently trying to cope with a foreign infection in the body.

High fever can be dangerous during pregnancy

A temperature above this mark indicates that inflammation is spreading throughout the body and the immune system cannot stop this process on its own. Such a temperature can pose a real danger and often signals that you urgently need to see a doctor or call an ambulance, as this condition can threaten your health and the health of your baby. If high temperatures occur:

• Open up and allow free access of cool (not cold!) air to your body. Natural heat exchange with the environment will lower body temperature.
• If you experience chills, cover (do not wrap tightly!) with 1-2 layers of blanket.
• Provide plenty of fluids - water, tea, juice, milk, etc.
• Regularly wipe your body with water at room temperature or slightly cool. You can also use a solution of water and table vinegar (not essence!).
• Perform a simple enema using cold water.

The use of any antipyretics is contraindicated in pregnant women. Exceptions are rare and only as prescribed by a doctor with an individual dose calculation.

Colds: features and treatment options during pregnancy

If we talk about how to treat colds during pregnancy, then it is worth understanding and remembering a few simple principles. Treatment of any disease (including colds) is a whole complex of various measures and methods. But they all pursue two main goals:

1. A destructive effect on a pathogenic bacterium or virus that is the causative agent of the disease.
2. Maintaining weakened immunity and general strength of the body during illness.

As we said above, you should first begin to fight the main cause of the disease, and only then with the accompanying symptoms. The only exception is hyperthermia, since this symptom can pose a direct threat to the health of the expectant mother.

If possible, if you notice the first signs of illness, contact your doctor, since only he can quickly and accurately diagnose, prescribe treatment, and select medications that are acceptable for use by pregnant women. If you cannot see a doctor in the near future, then we offer you several folk remedies to combat colds.

Cold compress

Allows you to alleviate the condition of a pregnant woman during short-term fever. Soak a towel or gauze in cold water, wring it out thoroughly and place it on your forehead. Change the compress every 2-3 minutes as the material heats up. The total time of such a procedure can be from 15 to 40 minutes.

You can also use a special ice pack, but do not forget to place the same towel or gauze folded in two layers under it.

Another option: Place small cold water bottles or towels on areas where the body's major arteries pass - the neck, elbows, stomach, under the knees.

Vinegar rubdowns

The entire body is wiped with a solution of water and vinegar only if the high temperature is accompanied by redness of the limbs of the body and they are hot to the touch.

Do not rub down with vodka! The alcohol it contains quickly evaporates from the surface of the body and is inhaled by the woman, after which it can pass directly to the fetus through the bloodstream.

Drink plenty of fluids

In the fight against colds, drinking plenty of hot drinks is encouraged, since in this way you sweat heavily, that is, remove excess toxins from the body through sweat and use the body's natural thermoregulation.

These can be teas or infusions of various herbs. Hot milk with honey and a small amount of butter (drink gradually, in short sips). You can even drink plain water, it won’t be any worse. The main thing is to drink a lot and regularly.

Chamomile infusions can be effectively used for rinsing the nasal cavity and gargling, as they have a disinfecting and calming effect. In the room where the expectant mother is, you can simply put a hot chamomile decoction, allowing the steam from it to rise and humidify the air in the room. Remember that the air near the patient should always be fresh, slightly cool and humidified.

Tasty cough drops are an effective remedy, but many of them are contraindicated for pregnant women. Exceptions are lollipops based on lysozyme. It is an antibacterial agent that is found in saliva in small quantities. For medicinal purposes, it is extracted from the white of chicken eggs. It is lollipops based on this enzyme that will be harmless to the expectant mother at any stage and even during feeding, since it is normally found in all of us in our saliva. A good and proven example of such candies is lysobact.

Prevention

Prevention always goes hand in hand with treatment, since the disease is much easier to prevent than to treat. There are several types of prevention.

Specific: preventing a specific disease by creating immunity through the administration of a vaccine. Most likely, you have come across the annual flu vaccination, which is always given to the population. It is carried out every year because the influenza virus is very variable and mutates into new strains every year, when we have immunity to one of the previous strains. Thus, the vaccine allows you to quickly create immunity that protects against the disease.

Vaccination is possible during pregnancy, but only for a certain period of time

Most vaccinations for expectant mothers are given no earlier than 14 weeks, since before this any pathogenic effect on the fetus can cause a violation of organogenesis or miscarriage.

Nonspecific: some of us carry out this type of prevention every day without even noticing it. Nonspecific disease prevention consists of general hardening of the body and ensuring the best immunity. This kind of prevention can be achieved by:

• A good and balanced diet that will provide the body with a full range of vitamins and minerals.
• Regular walks in the fresh air and minimal physical activity (these two options can be combined or carried out separately), which will significantly speed up your metabolism.
• Complete elimination of bad habits.
• Healthy sleep (at least 7-8 hours daily), which will help the body gradually recover and develop.

Autumn and winter are wonderful seasons, if they are not overshadowed by colds and other diseases that unsettle a pregnant woman. Eat right, walk more and say “no” to all negative emotions! And be healthy!

With the onset of pregnancy, this is how the female body is physiologically structured, the immune system is suppressed, in simple words – the immune system is suppressed. This is necessary so that the mother’s body does not perceive the fertilized egg (zygote, embryo) as a foreign organism. In essence, an embryo is an object consisting of a foreign protein.

With the onset of pregnancy and during its course, the risk of developing a cold in the form of influenza, ARVI or acute respiratory infections increases. Therefore, expectant mothers are not recommended to visit busy places and use public transport.

• Cold on
• Runny nose - as a sign of pregnancy
• How does a cold affect the fetus?
• Cold symptoms in pregnant women
• Flu during pregnancy
• How to treat a cold? What is possible and what is not?
• Medicines to treat colds in pregnant women
• What can you do to lower the temperature?
  • Paracetamol
  • Analgin
• Recommendations for the treatment of colds during pregnancy (ARVI, influenza)

Colds as a sign of pregnancy

A cold during pregnancy may be the very first symptom of an “interesting situation.” Immediately after conception, the concentration of two hormones, estrogen and progesterone, increases sharply. In the early stages of pregnancy, this causes a moderate increase in temperature, its fluctuations from normal to subfebrile (37.5 ° C) - chills.

A woman may not suspect that she is pregnant, but hormonal changes are already making themselves felt. Along with elevated temperature, from the first days of pregnancy the following appear:

• body aches;
• general weakness;
• drowsiness and fatigue;
• lethargy and weakness;
• runny nose (rhinitis).

These “cold” symptoms can also occur against a background of normal temperature, even before a missed period, under the influence of a “hormonal surge.” In the early stages, a cold may turn out to be pregnancy.

In any case, you need to remember that a temperature up to 38° C does not require radical treatment; it cannot be brought down with paracetamol or any other antipyretic drugs.

Runny nose during pregnancy

Something as simple as a runny nose can be a manifestation of various diseases, not necessarily colds. For example:

• ARVI;
• rhinosinusitis;
• allergic rhinitis;
• vasomotor rhinitis;
• rhinitis of pregnant women;
• 3rd trimester – general edema syndrome.

In the third trimester, the body prepares for childbirth. In this case, swelling of the nasal mucosa and congestion are manifestations of edematous syndrome.

“Hormonal rhinitis” or runny nose during pregnancy can accompany a woman for the entire 280 days - until childbirth. And it does not require treatment. Allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis (in pregnant women it has more pronounced manifestations than before conception) against the background of a rise in temperature to 37.2 - 37.5 ° C can be perceived by a woman as symptoms of a cold, but in fact they are not such.

Colds in early pregnancy may not be a symptom of the disease. Therefore, differential diagnosis should be carried out by a doctor and you cannot treat yourself; it is undesirable to take antipyretic drugs. The doctor will focus not only on complaints of a stuffy nose and fever, but also on test results and local manifestations.

Acute respiratory viral infections during pregnancy have similar symptoms, but the infectious damaging agent (virus) can be any of this large group: respiratory syncytial infection, parainfluenza, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, reoviruses, influenza viruses and others.

How does a cold affect the fetus during pregnancy?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer this question, it depends on:

• the woman's health status before pregnancy;
• from the period when the woman fell ill with a cold (the 1st trimester of pregnancy is the most unfavorable, susceptible and most delicate);
• the presence of aggravating somatic diseases.

There is no doubt that the fetus suffers from the mother's colds during pregnancy:

• he experiences oxygen starvation (hypoxia);
• the risk of birth defects cannot be excluded;
• a cold may be complicated by the threat of miscarriage;
• Secondary infections may occur.

Cold symptoms during pregnancy

A true cold during pregnancy manifests itself in the same way as in a “pre-pregnant” body. Among the symptoms of ARVI during pregnancy:

• runny nose;
• acute sore throat;
• sneeze;
• headaches and pain in the eyeballs;
• weakness, weakness, dizziness;
• joint and muscle pain, body aches;
• loose stools;
• temperature increase;
• enlarged lymph nodes.

Flu during pregnancy

Flu during pregnancy, unlike rhinovirus, adenovirus infection has more pronounced symptoms of intoxication (high fever, muscle pain, aching joints, severe fatigue). They prevail over catarrhal phenomena. Influenza is characterized by an acute onset against a background of complete well-being. A pregnant woman can clearly answer the question of when she got sick, down to the minute.

Influenza is dangerous due to the development of severe forms of the disease and the addition of a bacterial infection. Therefore, treatment of influenza in pregnant women must occur in a hospital.

How to treat a cold during pregnancy?

The first place in treatment is compliance with the regime: you need to get enough sleep, limit physical activity, be very attentive to yourself and changes in your condition. Because during illness there should not be any factors that require additional effort. All symptoms of intoxication during ARVI are relieved by drinking plenty of fluids. A cold during pregnancy with a temperature of more than 38.5° C requires the use of antipyretics.

In such a condition, when the nose is so blocked that breathing is difficult and the pregnant woman cannot sleep because of this, nasal decognestants (vasoconstrictor drugs) are prescribed. In most cases, they are safe, but if taken occasionally: no more than 3-4 times during the day in a short course. During pregnancy, due to increased blood circulation, more of the drug enters the bloodstream than in a non-pregnant body and systemic manifestations can be observed - increased blood pressure, vasospasms. Vascular spasm of the placenta leads to impaired blood supply to the fetus and hypoxia, increasing the baby’s heart rate.

Cold medicines during pregnancy

Practice shows that during pregnancy, women often prescribe treatment with antiviral drugs. But it has been proven that they “work” only for the flu. For other acute respiratory viral infections, they do not have an evidence base and their use is, at best, useless.

Effect of drugs for ARVI during pregnancy:

• Viferon suppositories for colds are prescribed quite often, but they are ineffective. This is a group of interferons, an analogue of Viferon - Biferon. It can be used as an adjuvant for the treatment of ARVI during pregnancy, but not as the main one.
• , since it is not reliably known how they affect the fetus. There is very little research in this area.
• The use of herbs and dietary supplements is highly discouraged. The generally accepted principle here is that what has not been thoroughly studied should not be applied.
• Vitamins are drugs that help the body fight disease. They are needed. But if antiviral drugs and other medications have already been prescribed, it is better to postpone taking them until the main treatment is completed. Several drugs in the blood plasma can interact and have different effects than expected.
• Previously, it was believed that vitamin C helped to recover and shorten the time of illness. Studies have been conducted that have proven that globally vitamin C does not affect the course of ARVI. For prevention, this biologically active vitamin should not be taken either. For this purpose, a larger dosage is used - 1 gram. At this high concentration, the vitamin crosses the placenta and could theoretically have an effect on the baby. What this impact will be has not been studied.
• Antibiotics - antimicrobial drugs - are not prescribed at the onset of colds (influenza and ARVI), since they do not act on the virus. Treatment with antibiotics at the onset of a viral infection does not prevent the development of subsequent bacterial infections. If a bacterial infection develops while taking antibiotics, you will have to change the tablets to another group of drugs. World organisms develop resistance - they become insensitive to the drug. Therefore, treatment with any antibiotics is prescribed only by a doctor based on the presence of a bacterial infection.

How to reduce high fever during pregnancy?

High temperature during pregnancy is one of the most unfavorable factors affecting the fetus. Experiments on animals have shown that high temperature in the 1st trimester can cause birth defects. The damaging effects of temperature begin when the temperature rises by more than 1.5 degrees and persists for at least 8 hours.

Paracetamol

In order to reduce the temperature during pregnancy, you can take medications that are suitable for your baby and you should not wait for it to decrease on its own.

At the beginning of pregnancy, the temperature may be 37.2 - 37.5 ° C - this is normal and does not require treatment. But if the temperature is 38.5° C, this temperature must be lowered.

The safest and most studied drug from the group of antipyretic drugs is paracetamol. It can be taken for pain of any location (head, throat,). However, like all medications, it has side effects. That is, there may be an adverse effect on the mother and, in high concentrations, on the fetus. Paracetamol is hepatotoxic - it can affect the liver. During pregnancy, for colds, you can use the drug in a dose of up to 2 grams, in extreme cases - up to 4. In the 3rd trimester, paracetamol is recommended to be taken in a dose of no more than 1 gram and in monotherapy (not in combination with other drugs, such as caffeine, vasoconstrictors).

Analgin

Side effects of analgin are very rare, despite this they are very significant: agranulocytosis, the risk of developing nephroblastoma (Williams tumor) and leukemia in a child increases. During pregnancy, metamizole (analgin) should not be taken if you have a cold; its use in the 3rd trimester is especially dangerous. The use of analgin is associated with the development of agranulocytosis in a newborn. Combination preparations of metamizole sodium should also not be taken.

Agranulocytosis is a sharp decrease in the blood of leukocytes and monocytes; the child’s body immediately becomes accessible to bacterial and fungal infections, since there are no cells in the blood that can resist diseases.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of colds in pregnant women in the 3rd trimester

Diclofenac, ketanal, ketarol, ibuprofen - according to indications and with the permission of a doctor, can be used in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. In the third trimester, only paracetamol is allowed for use again.

Risks for the baby when taking NSAIDs in the 3rd trimester:

• Premature closure of the ductus arteriosus, which leads to pulmonary hypertension. It is very difficult to treat.
• The use of NSAIDs can delay the date of birth and initiate post-term pregnancy.
• Increased blood loss during childbirth, as the mother's blood clotting function decreases.
• Formation of diaphragmatic hernias.
• Intrauterine growth retardation.
• Reducing the amount of amniotic fluid.
• When taking NSAIDs immediately before birth - at the end of the term - there is a higher risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in the newborn.
• Cerebrovascular hemorrhages in a child

The drug of choice for reducing fever during a cold during pregnancy is paracetamol. You should not take Analgin and its combinations with other active ingredients. Avoid for treatment in the 3rd trimester of any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory diseases (after). It is not advisable to take any painkillers or antipyretic drugs before and without.

Preventing colds during pregnancy

With the help of preventive measures, you can prevent colds (flu and ARVI). During pregnancy, it is very undesirable to attend public events: theaters, exhibitions, concerts, especially during the period of colds (autumn, winter). Public transport should be avoided. These simple steps are also recommended for use when planning pregnancy, when spouses are trying to get pregnant.

It is necessary to treat yourself with great caution and observe those around you during a flu epidemic in order to notice and isolate yourself in time, or immediately exclude contact with a sick family member.

If someone is sick at home, and it is not possible to send the sick person to relatives, for example, a husband or child, it is necessary to “move” the patient into a separate room, provide separate utensils and regularly ventilate the rooms. If the house has a portable UV lamp for home use, be sure to “quartz” the premises.

If there are children of preschool age, then it is advisable to interrupt the child’s attendance at kindergarten, developmental classes, etc. Children at this age get sick often, they come into contact with peers, exchange microflora and get sick. The baby can get over the disease easily, but for a pregnant mother the infection can be quite serious.

A gauze bandage practically does not help a healthy person from getting sick. But if there is no other choice, it can and should be used, but it must be changed every 2 hours, washed and ironed. If there is a family member in the house who has a cold, everyone, healthy and sick, needs to wear masks.

During an epidemic, it is not advisable to visit a doctor at the antenatal clinic. If you have the opportunity to agree with your doctor for a certain time, do it. This will reduce your risk of contracting the flu while waiting in line. By order, pregnant women are received on certain days, when only healthy pregnant women come to the appointment (as in a children's clinic - healthy child day). This could be any day designated by the administration of the residential complex.

If a pregnant woman accidentally comes into contact with a sick person - on the street, in an elevator, then when she comes home she needs to wash her hands with soap, rinse her nose with saline solution, and gargle. This way you will reduce your risk of getting sick. The virus, getting on the mucous membrane, simply remains on the surface for some time and then penetrates the cells. If you wash your mucous membranes when you get home, your chances of developing colds are reduced. You can gargle with saline solution or chamomile decoction. Do not use soda for rinsing, it dries out the mucous membranes. It can be used when there is plaque on the tonsils and needs to be loosened. It is not advisable to add iodine. It will penetrate in high concentrations into the blood through the mucous membrane, and is dangerous for the fetus.

Before going outside, you can apply Oxaline ointment and Viferon ointment to the mucous membrane; it will not have an antiviral effect, but will become a mechanical barrier to the penetration of the virus. When you return home, you need to rinse your nose again.

To strengthen the immune system, a pregnant woman can take vitamin D in consultation with the doctor. You can compensate for its deficiency with the help of fatty fish and eggs.

What to do if a pregnant woman gets sick with ARVI or influenza?

If cold symptoms appear in the 1st-3rd trimesters of pregnancy, stay home and stay in bed. Be sure to contact a doctor from the antenatal clinic or a paramedic by phone and get a consultation over the phone. Do not take self-medication without your doctor's permission. The maximum you can do on your own is plenty of hot drink in the form of homemade chicken broth, tea with fresh or frozen raspberries or currants (not to be confused with jam, which after cooking has a minimum of nutrients). You can drink warm milk with honey if you are not allergic to bee products.

The liquid that enters the general bloodstream when drinking tea reduces overall intoxication and the effect on the fetus by increasing. Phytomictures - tinctures of chamomile, ginseng, licorice are extremely harmful to the fetus, as they are prepared with alcohol.

Folk remedies for treating colds during pregnancy

Healers recommend using a natural immunomodulator – horseradish – in the acute period. The root is grated on a fine grater, mixed in a 1:1 ratio with sugar, and left for 12 hours in the refrigerator. Take 1 teaspoon per hour.

Chicken broth made from homemade chicken with the addition of dill, pepper, and a lot of onions has a miraculous effect: it reduces cold symptoms and affects cellular immunity. The product gives strength, provides a feeling of comfort and satisfaction, increases the outflow of mucus from the nasopharynx and bronchi, stimulates the restoration of damaged cells, and restores the function of the ciliated epithelium of the nasopharynx. Broth made from concentrates does not have these effects.

An excellent antimicrobial agent. The root is crushed, 2 teaspoons are poured with boiling water and left for 10-20 minutes. You can add a slice to the drink.

Has bactericidal properties. It contains phytoncides that have an antiviral effect and vitamins. You can eat it or inhale its aroma.