SNEEZING ALLERGIES AT PREGNANCY WOMAN
Pregnancy at summertime could be very terrific. For pregnant woman who want
to take a walks for some exercise, she should use sweaters for blankets. While
pregnant woman already at outdoor can be have possibility get suffer from season
allergies. At this summertime, allergies are cause by tree pollen (April and
early May), grass pollen in May, June and molds, which are present once the
weather warms consistently above the freezing point and persist through the
hot summer months. Ragweed and other weeds that could be cause the allergies
also present in the late summer and last into October. If pregnancy woman get
this kind of allergies, the good time to go outside is right after the rains,
because the pollen is become wed and washed out of the air for a while.
Some women report the severity of their seasonal allergy symptoms actually
changes during pregnancy. Women in general do suffer from more nasal congestion
due to hormonal influences during pregnancy. According to Finnish study, the
pregnancy woman could be more common about six times to get allergies compound
symptoms, and also sinusitis. In general, one third of pregnancy woman get worsen
allergies, other one third give report that the symptoms stay the same, and
about one third say they get better actually. Anyway, no one can be predict
in which group pregnancy woman might fall.
Which Allergy Medications Are Safe for Pregnancy Woman?
When allergy symptoms spring up during pregnancy, the only thing most women
would rather reach for is another tissue. Many would rather not take allergy
medications. Sneezing, coughing and watery eyes were accepted as yet more symptoms
of pregnancy that would be tolerated for the good of the baby, but do they need
to be?
The reality is most allergy medications are safe for pregnant women. In 1979,
the FDA divided all medications into categories based on their safety for pregnant
women. Many over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications are Category
B, which means studies in animals have failed to link any increased risk of
medical problems to the fetus. Other allergy medications are Category C, wherein
no studies have been done as of yet, or there were studies which showed potential
problems in animal fetuses but not in humans. Category C medication may be considered
safe to use but should be used under the guidance of your doctor.
As always, you need to check with your doctor before taking any medication
because your individual medical history may warrant a different recommendation.
The Dangers of Dust and Allergen
If you experience allergy symptoms, talk to your OB/GYN to determine your options
and your comfort level with medications. But even if you get the go ahead, there
are many women and physicians who feel it is better to be safe than sorry and
not use any medications. Either way, by reducing the allergens in your home,
you can help alleviate or prevent allergy symptoms. Some things you can do include:
- Wrap mattress and pillows with zippered covers, and use pillows filled with
synthetic fibers.
- Replace carpeting with smooth-finish wood or vinyl flooring. If you have
carpeting, use a vacuum and make sure it has a HEPA filter system.
- Dust hard surfaces in the home with an electrostatic cloth, like Swiffer,
to help remove dirt, dust and hair from hard surfaces.
- Wash bedding in hot water, as it kills dust mites.
- Avoid storing books in bedrooms.
- Keep windows closed.
- Remove pets from the home if at all possible.
- If pets must remain at home, keeping them out of the bedroom, washing them
weekly and getting a HEPA filter for the bedroom will help lessen the effects
of animal dander.
The Heredity Factor
If you and your husband have blue eyes, there is a very good chance that your
baby will have light eyes as well. Just like your children can inherit physical
traits, they can also inherit allergies. If neither parent has allergies, the
baby’s chance of being allergic is equal to the incidence of allergies
in the general population: 20 percent. If one parent suffers from allergies,
the child has up to a 40 percent likelihood of having allergies. If both parents
are afflicted, the risk in children rises to 70 to 80 percent.
You must remember that this will not tell you which allergic trait your child
may inherit. For example, you may have an allergic nose, but your child might
have eczema (skin allergy) or asthma but not have nasal allergies. Furthermore,
if you have a penicillin allergy, there is no guarantee that your child will
be allergic to penicillin as well. If you are peanut allergic, it does not mean
your child will definitively be peanut allergic as well.
It is currently believed that you can delay the onset of allergies by breastfeeding
your baby. However once you stop breastfeeding (which you eventually will),
your child’s risk for developing allergies will return to the original
odds. Interestingly, if you avoid certain foods that are highly allergenic (tree
nuts, peanuts, shellfish, eggs, milk) while you are breastfeeding, you may actually
prevent these allergies from showing up in your child.
Testing Our Baby for Allergies
If you believe your child might have allergies, consult your doctor. Many pediatricians
may not be aware that you can evaluate a child for allergies even before their
first birthday. Testing is done most accurately by skin pricks. While blood
tests may be done, they are not considered as accurate.
Animal allergies and dust mite allergy can be diagnosed by 6 months of age,
and food allergies can be detected at any age. A child probably needs three
seasons of pollen exposure to develop pollen-related allergy symptoms, so a
runny nose during the spring in a 1-year-old is probably due to an infection
or an indoor allergy, not due to the pollen.
Some signs that your child may have nasal allergies are a persistent runny
nose, nasal congestion, coughing or wheezing. The other diagnosis that can cause
these symptoms is an infection (such as sinusitis). Food allergies present symptoms
as hives, vomiting or explosive diarrhea after ingesting the suspected food.
About one-third of children with eczema may have a food trigger. If your child
exhibits any of these symptoms, visit your medical provider and discuss the
possibility of allergies.
Today there are many safe and well-tolerated medications for children to treat
allergies. Allergies often have a significant medical impact, but treating them
on an emotional level is important, too. Children with untreated allergies may
find it difficult to visit relatives and friends with animals, be unable to
partake in class trips to the zoo or the circus and be unable to play organized,
outdoor sports at their best level because of discomfort from allergy symptoms.
While some children outgrow their allergies, it is important to address these
problems when they flare. (by Dr. David Lewis Wertheim is an allergist in
private practice in Great Neck, N.Y. - BABY.TopResource.NET Reference)
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