Sore throat and cough during pregnancy and its treatment

We continue to discuss issues related to the treatment of colds in pregnancy and begin discussions on the treatment of sore throat or cough. These symptoms, along with a runny nose, often acre signs of cold in pregnant women. None of them, by themselves, is harmful, but during pregnancy, in combination with each other, they can lead to various complications.

Sore throat

Sore throat, discomfort when swallowing, and dryness of the throat are the results of infection by microbes or viruses. Because of this, there is redness and inflammation of the throat, which can be localized or spread to all areas of the oropharynx. Typically, signs of inflammation are pharyngitis or tonsillitis, sore throat or inflammation of tonsils. It is worth remembering that sore throat during pregnancy is particularly dangerous, as this microbial purulent inflammation of the tonsils has the ability to move to other organs and develop secondary complications due to low immunity. If you have angina you should immediately call the doctor and stay in bed, not taking any medication on your own.

The common cold is accompanied by redness and pain in the throat, burning sensation, discomfort and dryness. There may also be hoarseness, pain when swallowing, and swollen lymph nodes. As a rule, the initial manifestations of colds are caused by viral infections, but the long-term pharyngitis a microbial infection can happen. How to treat sore throat? First of all, you need bed rest and relaxing the vocal cords. With a strong inflammation even the larynx can be inflamed – in this case, voice rest will be the mainstay of treatment. If you strain the inflamed vocal cords, you can lose voice in no time. The basis of the treatment will not be drug therapy, but the use of abundant drinking of warm beverages and gargles. The intake of certain medicinal products is acceptable, but under strict medical supervision.

First, the basic recipe for a sore throat has always been hot milk with butter. It is drunk often, sparing no butter. It gives hydration and softening of the throat, leading to a rapid recovery. You can use herbal tea with honey (linden, chamomile), drink it in small sips, trying to hold it in the mouth. A great way to treat throat is the slow resolution of a spoon of honey in the mouth, so that it has a healing effect. You can apply rinse – the most common and helpful, gargling soda solution with a drop of iodine. It is prepared as follows: add a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water, add a drop of iodine and carefully stir. Rinse the throat every two-three hours.

To rinse your throat you can use sea salt solution, a solution of common salt, decoction of herbs (chamomile, St. John’s wort, sage, and oak bark), “Rotokan”, furacilinum solution or slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. The main feature of rinses is that they must be done frequently, every two or three hours, then they will have a real effect. You can apply pharmaceutical preparations for topical use with severe pain in the throat: spray-solution of myramistin, “Tantum Verde”, and “Strepsils” spray, but strictly on the dosage specified in the instructions. You must use the drug in the acute stage of the disease, and then facilitate the transition folk remedies for aftercare. You can use lozenges for sucking, such as “Faringosept”, “Falimint” and “Strepsils”, but under the supervision of a theurapist. The duration of this treatment should not exceed three to five days.

It is possible to use ultrasonic and steam inhalations. They can significantly ease pain in the throat. Inhalation with mineral water, a decoction of herbs or steam inhalations with essential oils are also helpful. With the development of a sore throat and high fever, or severe sore throat with the presence of ulcers, you need to use of antibiotics due to a high risk of complications of tonsillitis on kidneys and heart.

Cough during pregnancy

Particularly unpleasant and sometimes even dangerous for pregnant women is cough, that may occur as one of the symptoms of cold. Why cough is dangerous during pregnancy and how to treat it right? First, cough during childbearing is unpleasant itself – strong, dry, painful, it could be just exhausting. Furthermore, cough shocks cause a sharp rise of intra-abdominal pressure, which can lead to increased uterine tone and placental abruption, especially if it is located low – there is a threat of abortion. During pregnancy, due to lower immunity, cough can quickly develop complications and lead to bronchitis or even pneumonia, and most of the drugs against cough during pregnancy are contraindicated, which significantly complicates its treatment.

How to treat a cough? First of all, you need to call a doctor and get an adequate, consistent with carrying a child, therapy. The mainstay of treatment of cough, if it is dry, is ultrasonic inhalation of saline or alkaline mineral water, a decoction of herbs that softens the pipes, moisturizes the irritated and inflamed trachea and bronchi, as well as has the effect of diluting phlegm. Do inhalations every 4-6 hours, breathing in the aerosol for at least 15-20 minutes. Usually, after correctly performed inhalations it gets easier to breathe, the phlegm come out better and, therefore, you feel better. Inhalations are prohibited with high fever, severe shortness of breath and moist, productive cough.

What is absolutely forbidden to do when you have cough during pregnancy? First of all, do not use the drugs without the doctor’s recommendations, especially those that suppress the cough reflex – “Codelac”, “Sinekod” – this can lead to complications due to the breeding of pathogens. Herbal cough syrups should also be taken with caution, because many herbal drugs have no less active effect than the synthetic substances, and may adversely affect pregnancy. All medications that you plan to take during pregnancy to treat cough, should be discussed with your doctor. It is worth remembering that with a dry and painful cough the primary goal of treatment is to turn it a wet productive cough, and enable women to quickly and easily cough the phlegm out. For this purpose, use all the tools that make it easier. This can be either rich alkaline water (milk with honey, mineral water with soda, tea), or inhalations with mineral water of alkaline nature, or taking drugs for diluting the mucus, and thoracic herbal infusions.

With wet cough the process of coughing out the phlegm should be stimulated so that it does not stagnate in the chest and did not create a favorable environment for the development of secondary bacterial infection and pneumonia. The mainstay of treatment in this period is drugs to stimulate cough, such is thermopsis. In the treatment of cough eucalyptus, sage and calendula are of great help. They are mixed in equal parts and brewed in boiling water; with this infusion you should rinse the throat. A decoction of raspberry leaf, peppermint, coltsfoot, pine buds and marshmallow root helps well. This composition is poured with boiling water in equal parts, boiled on water bath for about 15 minutes, decocted for about two hours and then taken orally.

Medications that are permissible during pregnancy under medical supervision are “Mukaltin”, “Herbion plantain syrup,” “Dr. Mom”, and “Gedeliks.” Also you can use a homeopathic syrup “Stodal.” Strictly prohibited during pregnancy are drugs such as “ACC”, “Dzhoset”, “Glikodin” and “Tussin plus”, “Travisil” and “Ascoril”, “Bronholitin” and “Terpinkod”, “Ambroxol”(very carefully!). If the cough doesn’t go for a week or becomes worse, you should immediately call a doctor. Cough is especially dangerous in combination with high temperature, general weakness and cold sweat, shortness of breath and cyanosis of the face and extremities. In such a case an immediate ambulance is a must. This cough can be dangerous to the child’s life.
Naturally, during pregnancy the issues of prevention of colds should be in the first place, as any viral or microbial infection for the baby can be dangerous. Therefore, during the season of colds, try not to visit crowded places, where you can pick up a virus, abstain from contact with sick people, and especially young children. Ask your family and friends not to come to you with visits if they feel ill. And finally, eat well, take vitamins and walk a lot in the open air.