ADVICE FOR WOMEN WITH PREGNANCY RHINITIS FROM AIH’s DOCTOR

30/09/2020

Rhinitis is a common disease in pregnancy. It may be defined as nasal symptoms during pregnancy lasting six or more weeks without other signs of respiratory tract infection and with no known allergic cause.

Let’s find out more about this disease with Dr. Nguyen Ba Phuoc, ENT Department – American International Hospital (AIH)!

Causes of pregnancy rhinitis

Currently, the cause of pregnancy rhinitis is unknown, but cigarette smoke and dust mite allergies have been shown to increase the risk of pregnancy rhinitis. Hormonal changes (Estrogen / Progesterone) during pregnancy used to be considered as the cause of gestational rhinitis, but this cause has not been proved.

Symptoms of pregnancy rhinitis

Pregnant women who suffer from pregnancy rhinitis usually have the following symptoms:

Frequent stuffy nose. About 20-30% of pregnant women get a stuffy nose during pregnancy.
Nasal congestion can lead to mouth breathing at night and reduced quality of sleep.
Patients complain of persistent nasal congestion, accompanied by watery or viscous clear nasal secretions. These symptoms usually disappear completely within two weeks after delivery.

Why does pregnancy rhinitis need to be controlled?

Rhinitis usually does not directly affect pregnancy. However, if the rhinitis is not controlled in the long term, it can:

Indirectly affects fetal nutrition, affecting sleep, causing stress, snoring, leading to hypertension in pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, fetal growth retardation ...
Aggravate asthma accompany or lead to sinusitis during pregnancy.

Good control of rhinitis during pregnancy also helps to limit the need for pregnant women to take antibiotics and take anti-inflammatory drugs (Glucocorticoid).

Treatment for pregnancy rhinitis

Nondrug therapies — Nonpharmacologic interventions may be considered first in pregnant women with rhinitis symptoms:

Saline nasal sprays or nasal irrigation – Nasal irrigation is a nonpharmacologic intervention that is associated with improvement in a variety of rhinitis conditions
Nasal dilator strips – Adhesive strips that mechanically hold the nasal valves open (external nasal dilators)
Elevation of the head of the bed by 30 to 45 degrees
Exercise – Regular physical exercise can help by causing physiologic nasal vasoconstriction

However, if the pregnant woman has a history of allergic rhinitis before pregnancy, a doctor may prescribe a number of sprays and antiallergic drugs that are allowed to use during pregnancy. Pregnant women need to see a doctor when there are any health problems instead of using arbitrary drugs, to ensure the safety of both mother and baby.

We suggest avoiding:

Herbal therapies
Allergen immune therapy
Antihistamine nasal spray
Oral decongestans

If you are suffering from pregnancy rhinitis, please go to reputable medical facilities to be examined and treated promptly, which can help to minimize the impact on the health of you and your baby!

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