Bronchial asthma is a chronic disease, often affecting women of reproductive age. The uncontrolled course of the disease results in complications for both mother and fetus. However, such concepts as asthma and pregnancy are quite compatible. Properly chosen treatment and constant medical supervision allow a high probability of bearing a healthy baby with no harm to your body.
It’s very difficult to predict disease course during pregnancy. It is noticed that patient’s state with mild and moderately severe bronchial asthma course does not change or, on the contrary, improves. But women with severe disease course often from an increased number of attacks and their severity during pregnancy. However, there are some exceptions. That’s why women should be under specialists supervision during entire pregnancy period.
It is also noticed that during the first trimester of pregnancy the disease course is more severe, and after 13 weeks the condition improves. In case of exacerbation, women should be hospitalized, where doctors will replace drugs with safe ones for mother and fetus.
What are the risks?
Possible complications for the mother:
- attacks increase;
- virulent respiratory diseases development;
- premature birth;
- threatening miscarriage;
- gestosis development (toxicosis).
Possible complications for the fetus:
Asthma during pregnancy leads to the deficit of oxygen in placental perfusion. Frequent attacks cause fetal hypoxia, which is fraught with serious disorders:
- poor fetal body weight;
- fetal growth retardation;
- various systems developmental disability (excitatory, muscular, cardiovascular);
- birth injury;
- asphyxia.
The described above complications occur only as a result of medical malpractice. If therapy is chosen properly, the child is born healthy with enough body weight. The only complication, occurring quite frequently, is a tendency for allergic diseases. Therefore, a woman should breastfeed a baby for at least 6 months and keep to a hypoallergenic diet.
Bronchial Asthma and Labor
Controlled asthma course allows vaginal labor. Two weeks before labor a pregnant woman is hospitalized for prophylaxis. Vital signs of mother and fetus are monitored more often and labor is carried out in the pregnancy pathology department.
If a pregnant woman has frequent attacks, i. e. uncontrolled disease course, a Caesarian section at 38 weeks is applied. During this period, the fetus is sufficiently formed to be separated. Refusal of a Caesarian section may cause the described above complications.
How to Treat Asthma during Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, you can’t undergo the same treatment course as usual. Some medications are contraindicated for pregnant women and some require dose decline. Asthma treatment during pregnancy is based on attacks prevention and taking safe for child medicaments.
The main therapy aims:
- respiratory function improvement;
- attacks prevention;
- drugs side effects prevention;
- rapid relief of symptoms.
In order to reduce disease exacerbation risk and prevent complications, pregnant women should:
- keep to hypoallergenic diet;
- use clothes and underwear made of natural fabrics, if possible;
- use hypoallergenic shower gels, creams, and cleansers;
- reduce contact with the dust;
- use filters and air dumpers;
- reduce contact with animal fur;
- walk outside away from air pollution locations more often;
- if working with hazardous substances change for safe work.
Asthma treatment during pregnancy is carried out with bronchodilators and expectorants. These medicaments may be found in Canadian Health&Care Mall. Our experts will help you find necessary drugs provide the best service. It is also important to regularly do breathing exercises and reduce the emotional and physical stress.
What Drugs are Contraindicated during Pregnancy?
- Epinephrine. While in the nonpregnant state this drug is often used to rapid relief of symptoms, pregnant women can’t take them. Epinephrine causes uterine vasospasm, which results in fetal hypoxia;
- Albuterol, fenoterol, terbutaline. These drugs may be taken during pregnancy, but only under medical supervision. During late pregnancy, these drugs cause labor stage lengthening, as their analogs are used in gynecology to prevent immature delivery;
- Theophylline. The drug penetrates placenta, and when taken during the third trimester may cause fetal cardiac acceleration;
- Triamcinolone. Negatively affects fetal muscular system development. Among glucocorticosteroid betamethasone and dexamethasone are also contraindicated;
- Brompheniramine, ketotifen and other second-generation antihistamines.
Traditional Remedies for Bronchial Asthma
Traditional remedies for asthma treatment should be used in addition to medication therapy. However, do not use anything without consulting your doctor, and if you have idiosyncrasy for some of the constituents.
- Clean and wash a half-liter jar of oats. Boil 2 liters of milk and half-liter of water, add oats and boil it for 2 hours. The result is a 2-liter brew. Before drinking it’s necessary to add 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of butter to 150 ml of the brew. Drink hot on an empty stomach.
- Add 2 cups of oats to 2 liters of boiling water and simmer for an hour. Then add half a liter of goat’s milk and boil for 30 minutes more. Then add honey and drink 0,5 cups 30 minutes before a meal.
- 20 g of propolis and 100 g of beeswax put into a bain marie. After the mixture is warmed up, cover your head with a towel and inhale the vapors through your mouth for 15 minutes. This procedure can be carried out twice a day.
- Mix 10 g of propolis and 200 g of oil. Warm the mixture for 30 minutes on a bain marie, then strain. Take 1 tsp 2 times a day.
- Extract ginger root juice and add salt. Take about 30 g duringĀ an attack. To prevent attacks it is recommended to drink 1 tbsp of honey before sleep. The medicine can be taken with water or tea.
Asthma is a serious disease. However, with an adequate treatment, it is not dangerous even during pregnancy. The main thing is a regular medical supervision and prescribed drugs intake.