What If Nothing Works
The last line of defense for all allergy sufferers is allergen immunotherapy. This can be in the form of allergy shots or tablets that dissolve under the tongue. Immunotherapy has been shown to be effective in adults and older children, and particularly in preventing allergic asthma.7 While women may not start immunotherapy during pregnancy, you may be able to continue the treatment during pregnancy if your provider tells you it’s okay to do so. If you’ve tried other medications and they didn’t relieve your allergies, see your health care provider. They may refer you to a specialist for allergen immunotherapy.
Taking Hay Fever Medication In Pregnancy
If youre pregnant you should always try and seek advice from your GP or pharmacist before you take any sort of medication. Not all medications can be taken safely during pregnancy, as some may affect the development and growth of the baby.
If you have mild hay fever, or dont experience symptoms, its best to avoid taking medication, as its not necessary. Before taking medication there are some preventative measures that can be taken to avoid your exposure to pollen.
What Helps With Allergies When Pregnant
Step-by-Step Care:
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Recommendations For Pregnant And Lactating Mothers
I suppose you dont need to remind anyone before doing anything, be sure to consult with your doctor.
With allergic rhinitis, pregnant and lactating mothers are allowed:
- antihistamines: claritin, zyrtec, erius, etc.
- nasal steroids: nasonex, desrinitis, etc.
- montelukast .
To make life easier for the nasal mucosa when it is bombarded with steroids, ENTs recommend directing the spray to the side of the nose.
Inhaled glucocorticosteroids budesonide and beclametozone are recommended ifbronchial asthma first appeared during pregnancy.
If a woman becomes pregnant during basic therapy, then the drugs continue to be taken in the prescribed dosages.
In expectant mothers, exacerbations of bronchial asthma are treated with steroids and bronchodilator drugs all the same as in non-pregnant women.
Bronchial asthma attacks during childbirth are extremely rare.
Anti-asthma medications can be used during labor.
Local anesthesia will be better than general anesthesia.
Main Findings From This Study
- Scientific research suggests that using most types of antihistamines during pregnancy is not linked to birth defects.
- Out of 54 studies examined, 9 studies showed potential links between certain antihistamines and certain birth defects. Researchers need to study these potential links further.
- Researchers found many studies on antihistamine medications typically used to treat allergies, asthma, or nausea and vomiting .
- Examples of H1-receptor antagonists include diphenhydramine , dimenhydrinate , loratadine , and cetirizine .
- Talk with your doctor if you are pregnant and you have taken any medicine or are thinking of taking any medicine. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as dietary or herbal products.
- Pregnant women should not stop or start taking any type of medication that they need without first talking with a doctor.
- If you are planning a pregnancy and are using any medications, please talk to your doctor about which medications are necessary and should be continued.
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Herbals And Dietary Supplements
During pregnancy, herbal remedies are used for nausea, respiratory symptoms, urinary tract infections, pain, and other nonspecific issues.40 However, there are few human data on the safety of herbal remedies in pregnancy. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 requires manufacturers to ensure the safety of supplements before marketing. However, there is no registration process with the FDA, which takes action only if a supplement is found to be unsafe after marketing.41 Herbals were not included in the NBDPS until the year 2000. According to a subanalysis of the NBDPS, 10.9% of women use herbals during pregnancy, most commonly peppermint, cranberry extract, herbal teas, ginger, chamomile, Echinacea, ginseng, raspberry leaf, and ephedra products.42
If I Have Allergies During Pregnancy Will The Baby Have Allergies
Allergy symptoms during pregnancy are not believed to have any impact on whether your baby develops allergies. Genetics, however, are a major factor in the development of allergies in children. If a child has a parent or a sibling with allergies, then they are at increased risk of getting allergies, too.
An expectant mothers diet during pregnancy may be a factor in whether a child develops allergic rhinitis, food allergies, asthma or eczema. One study found that expectant moms who ate plenty of food-based vitamin D reduced their childs risk of getting allergic rhinitis. Foods with a lot of vitamin D include dairy products, cereals, fish, eggs and mushrooms. Learn more about the allergic march.
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Allergy Medications To Avoid During Pregnancy
- Pseudoephedrine : While some studies found that pseudoephedrine is safe in pregnancy, there have been reports of an increase in abdominal wall defects in the babies of mothers who used the medication during pregnancy, according to the ACAAI.
- Phenylephrine and phenylpropanolamine: These decongestants are considered less desirable than taking pseudoephedrine, according to the ACAAI.
Allergy Immunotherapy In Pregnancy
It is best not to start immunotherapy if you are planning a pregnancy. In the case when pregnancy occurs during allergy immunotherapy, the therapy can be continued:
- if a maintenance dose is taken,
- the medicine is administered with sublingual drops ,
- and the dosage is well tolerated.
It is not recommended for nursing mothers to start allergy immunotherapy. If the need for breastfeeding coincided with the successful completion of therapy, then you can continue immunotherapy and breastfeed.
At the end of the article, I publish several slides from the Congress of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology with comments from an allergist
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Can Pregnancy Make Me More Sensitive To Hay Fever
Yes during pregnancy you may find that you are more sensitive to your allergy triggers and that they are more troublesome. While the exact reasons for this are not clear, it may be due to hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, and because during pregnancy your blood volume increases to support your growing baby.
If you do not have a history of allergy or hay fever and suddenly find you have symptoms, see your doctor to check for other conditions that may need to be treated.
Hay fever should not lead to serious breathing difficulties. If you feel you cant get enough air, your chest feels very tight, you are breathless, or you feel like youre being suffocated, seek medical advice immediately.
If you have unexplained breathing problems, especially if they are severe and come on quickly, call triple zero for an ambulance.
Safe Otc Allergy Meds To Take During Pregnancy
These over-the-counter allergy meds have no known harmful effects during pregnancy when you take them according to the package directions.
Note: Do not take the ‘D’ forms of these medications in your first trimester.
Check with your doctor before taking any medicines during your pregnancy. Be especially cautious in the first trimester, a crucial time for your baby’s development.
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Will Taking Benadryl Cause Birth Defects
The U.S. FDA classifies Benadryl as a Category B medication during pregnancy. Category B medications are ones that are believed to pose no risk to humans during pregnancy, including the fetus. It is important to realize that no medication is ever 100 percent safe. Benadryl isnt a Category A medicine. Category A medicines are the ones that are considered the safest during pregnancy with no known adverse reactions. While its unlikely Benadryl would cause birth defects, always consult a physician first. There are some instances where the use of Benadryl or diphenhydramine in the first trimester has been linked to an increased risk of a baby being born with a cleft lip or palate, although this risk is very low. Along with trying to avoid Benadryl during the first trimester, its also best to use allergy medications as minimally as possible during pregnancy.
Medications For Seasonal Allergies During Pregnancy
- diphenhydramine
- loratadine
There are always risks when taking any medication during pregnancy. Women should talk with their doctors before taking allergy medicines to make sure they arent potentially harmful. While doctors consider many oral over-the-counter medications safe for seasonal allergies, using both oral and nasal spray decongestants isnt as studied or well-known. Use of nasal sprays may be safer than oral decongestants. Thats because nasal sprays arent as likely to be absorbed into the bloodstream. An example is oxymetazoline, an ingredient in brands like Afrin and Neo-Synephrine. Women should exercise caution when using nasal sprays for more than three days. This is because using decongestants for longer can make allergy symptoms worse by causing nasal swelling. Some women also get allergy shots. These are compounds of allergens that are injected as a means to desensitize a person to an allergen. If a woman becomes pregnant while she is in the course of her allergy shots, she can usually keep getting them. Pregnancy isnt a good time to start getting allergy shots. Its possible they can cause strong allergic reactions. Without knowing a womans reaction, its best to delay starting allergy shots until after giving birth.
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Does A Stuffy Nose During Pregnancy Mean I Have Allergies
Pregnant women often develop stuffy noses. Nasal congestion usually starts sometime in the second trimester causing mucus membranes to swell and soften. Your doctor may refer to this as pregnancy rhinitis.
Pregnancy rhinitis can make you as stuffed up as if you had a cold or an allergy. It can result in nosebleeds during pregnancy and/or post nasal drip that may make you cough or even gag at night.
The good news is that pregnancy rhinitis typically goes away soon after pregnancy ends.
How can you tell the difference between allergies and a bad case of pregnancy congestion? If you have allergies, youll most likely experience symptoms such as congestion, coughing, sneezing and itchy eyes. If noticeable itchiness and sneezing arent plaguing you, it could be hormone-related congestion of pregnancy. If youre not sure, talk to your doctor.
How Can I Manage My Hay Fever While Pregnant
It’s important you take special care with your medicines during pregnancy since some may affect your unborn baby.
One way to reduce your need for hay fever medicines, while keeping your baby safe, is to try to avoid any known triggers or allergens. This can be a challenge if you do not know what you are allergic to. Your doctor may refer you to an allergy clinic to help you find out whats causing your allergy symptoms.
There are allergy medicines that are safe for you to take while you are pregnant, including some – but not all – antihistamine tablets and syrups, eye drops and nasal sprays, including corticosteroids and decongestants.
Your pharmacist or doctor can advise you on what medicines you can take while pregnant to help with your hay fever symptoms while minimising the risk to your baby.
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What Is The Best Allergy Medicine For Babies Under 2
Although nasal symptoms, such as a runny nose, may exist in babies under age 2, allergic rhinitis is uncommon in this group since they have not yet had repeated exposure to inhaled allergens. Before you look for an allergy medicine for a 1-year-old or a 2-year-old, call your child’s health care provider. Young children should be evaluated for other causes of allergy-like symptoms before being treated with common allergy medicines.
Can Allergy Medications Safely Be Used During Pregnancy
Antihistamines may be useful during pregnancy to treat the nasal and eye symptoms of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, the itching of urticaria or eczema, and as an adjunct to the treatment of serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis . With the exception of life-threatening anaphylaxis, the benefits from their use must be weighed against any risk to the fetus. Because symptoms may be of such severity to affect maternal eating, sleeping or emotional well-being, and because uncontrolled rhinitis may pre-dispose to sinusitis or may worsen asthma, antihistamines may provide definite benefit during pregnancy.
Chlorpheniramine , and diphenhydramine have been used for many years during pregnancy with reassuring animal studies. Generally, chlorpheniramine would be the preferred choice, but a major drawback of these medications is drowsiness and performance impairment in some patients.. Two of the newer less sedating antihistamines loratadine , and cetirizine have reassuring animal and human study data and are currently recommended when indicated for use during pregnancy.
When women with asthma and allergies get pregnant, one-third find their asthma and allergies improved, one-third find they worsen and one-third remain unchanged.
Allergist James Sublett, MD
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Allergy Medications To Avoid
While most antihistamines are safe to take during pregnancy, some other medications often used to treat allergy symptoms may not be. Expectant moms should be mindful of combination allergy formulas that include other ingredients unsafe for pregnant women, like aspirin or other NSAIDs, and some cough suppressants or expectorants.
You should also take care to avoid allergy medications with decongestants like pseudoephedrine , says Dr. Jones, unless your physician or midwife has approved it.
Although decongestants are unlikely to cause problems with the fetus, they can cause an increase in blood pressure in certain individuals, Dr. Jones explains.
There is some research suggesting a slightly higher risk of birth defects associated with pseudoephedrine, although so far, those possible risks have only been identified during the first trimester.
That means Sudafed may be a limited-use option for women in their second and third trimesters who do not have any previous hypertension issues .
Can I Use A Nasal Spray During Pregnancy
Some nasal sprays are safer than others. The good thing about nasal sprays is that the drug focuses primarily on the nose. It does not travel throughout the rest of the body.
Corticosteroid nasal sprays are mostly safe. They are prescribed to pregnant women with moderate to severe allergy symptoms that last longer than a few days. Budesonide is considered the safest. Mometasone and fluticasone are also considered safe.
Pregnant women should avoid antihistamine nasal sprays, as there is not enough research to prove their safety.
Always talk with your doctor about which nasal spray medication is right for you, as well as any medication risks to you and your baby.
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About Antihistamines And This Study
About antihistamines
Antihistamines include both prescription and over-the-counter medications. They typically are used to treat
- Asthma and/or allergies
- Indigestion .
About 10-15% of women report taking antihistamines during pregnancy.
About this study
Researchers reviewed more than 50 published scientific articles that looked at the link between antihistamine use during pregnancy and birth defects. They evaluated the articles based on certain criteria: how researchers selected their study populations, how researchers determined antihistamine use in pregnancy, and how researchers identified babies with birth defects.
Can You Take Allergy Medicine While Pregnant
Brian Levine, MD, MS, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
Seasonal allergies can be tricky to manage in the best of times, but when youre pregnant , staying on top of your allergy symptoms feels like a major effort.
You dont want to take anything that could harm your baby, but you also cant spend any more days walking around in an allergy-induced fog. What is safe to take for your allergies while pregnant and what isnt? Heres a breakdown of your options.
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Do Allergies Get Worse During Pregnancy
It depends on the woman and the severity of allergies during pregnancy. About one-third of moms-to-be find their allergy symptoms tend to worsen during pregnancy. Another one-third find their allergy symptoms stay the same. And another one-third find their allergy symptoms actually improve during pregnancy.
Avoid Certain Allergy Medicine While Pregnant
There are a number of medications that are not safe to take during pregnancy. First among them are oral decongestants.
Oral decongestants are best avoided altogether during the first trimester because of an uncertain risk of several rare birth defects, says Ciara Staunton, a family nurse practitioner and owner of Staunton Primary Care in Cincinnati. However, Sudafed , which is locked up behind the pharmacy counter, can be used in the second and third trimesters in women without hypertension.
But Staunton warns that Sudafed-PE , the over-the-counter option, should never be taken during pregnancy. It is less effective than pseudoephedrine. But more importantly, its safety for pregnant women is questionable.
Ms. Staunton also recommends against using any herbal therapies during pregnancy. In the United States and most other countries, herbal medicines are minimally regulated and not monitored for adverse events.
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What Are Some Alternatives For Treating Allergies While Pregnant
Even though for the most part Benadryl and many over-the-counter allergy medicines are possibly safe during pregnancy, natural alternatives may be something to explore as well. Some women may try to take no medications unless absolutely necessary during pregnancy. Medical professionals might also recommend trying alternatives to medicine first. One non-medication option for allergies is the use of a neti pot. With a neti pot, individuals can clear allergens and irritants from their nasal passage. Its also called sinus irrigation. Other allergy prevention strategies can include avoiding triggers or wearing a mask when certain allergen levels are high, or air quality is low. Some pregnant women may opt to stay indoors on days when there are high levels of pollen for example.
