Pregnancy should be a special time, but allergies can make you miserable.
It is estimated that up to 20% of pregnant women suffer with allergies.
In some cases, women may notice that their allergy symptoms become even more troublesome during pregnancy. This may be due to hormonal changes. Interestingly, some women’s allergies stay the same or even disappear while pregnant.
It is even more important during pregnancy to use appropriate allergen avoidance measures depending on the cause of your allergies, as this is safest approach to management.
If you have fall or spring hay fever problems, make sure you always keep the windows to your house and car closed so that pollen does not come in. If house dust mites cause your allergies, using mite-proof encasings on the mattress and pillows and removing carpet from your bedroom may help. For pregnant women with pet allergy, removing the pet from the house, or at least the bedroom, can improve allergy symptoms.
The most common question asked by pregnant patients with allergies is, “What medications can I safely use during my pregnancy?” Treatment should begin with saline nasal spray and humidifiers to try to relieve nasal symptoms.
Continue reading at U.S. News & World Post.