6 Effective Precautions To Keep Asthma At Bay During Pregnancy

Characterized by shortness of breath and breathing difficulty, asthma is a health condition that is now becoming common in pregnant women.

While dealing with asthma is already quite important, it is even more essential to prevent it from affecting your pregnancy, since it may have an impact on your growing baby too.

Asthma During Pregnancy:

If you suffer from asthma and the condition is present during your pregnancy too, it could pose serious health risks for your fetus.

• This is because asthma tends to cause several complications during pregnancy, and may also reduce the supply of oxygen to your fetus.
• Also, some medications that are usually used to deal with asthma may turn out to be harmful for your baby.

[ Read: Swine Flu During Pregnancy ]

Can Pregnancy Make Asthma Worse?

Depending on the severity of the symptoms, asthma is usually classified into 4 categories ranging from least to most severe.

• In general, being pregnant doesn’t affect your asthma symptoms. Some women also notice an improvement in their overall condition after getting pregnant.
• However, in some cases, asthma symptoms may worsen between the 29^thto the 36^th week of pregnancy.
• It is speculated that this may be due to the fact that many women stop taking their asthma medications during pregnancy.
• Also, certain changes that come along with pregnancy may also be tied to a higher risk of symptoms of asthma during pregnancy getting worse.

Risks Of Uncontrolled Asthma During Pregnancy:

You may be okay with occasional events of breathlessness, but delaying the treatment for asthma could not just have a negative impact on not only you but also your baby. Let uncontrolled, asthma could cause the following complications during pregnancy.

• High blood pressure
• Preeclampsia, which may affect the liver, kidneys, brain and placenta
• Abnormally slow growth of the fetus
• Pre-term birth
• Immediate death following birth
• Low birth weight
• Need of a C-section
• Complications in labor
• Vaginal bleeding
• Morning sickness

[ Read: Causes Of Low Birth Weight ]

Treatment Of Asthma In Pregnancy:

If you have already been suffering from asthma, you may be taking certain medications. However, the medications that you be using may be harmful for your baby. If you haven’t done it already, now’s the time to have a talk with your doctor and check out alternative treatment options that would suit you.

• Your healthcare provider may recommend ultrasound scans to monitor your baby’s progress and check for any possible concerns.
• He or she may also need to monitor your lung function throughout the pregnancy period to make sure your baby gets enough oxygen to grow properly.

6 Precautionary Steps:

As an expecting mother, you should take several steps to handle your asthma condition during pregnancy. You will need to:

1. Stay away from the potential triggers such as dust mites, tobacco and smoke.
2. Handle your GERS (gastro esophageal reflux disease) if you are affected by asthma due to it.
3. Get yourself vaccinated against flu (seek the advice of a medical professional before this one).
4. Exercise in moderation and use medications to deal with exercise-induced asthma.
5. Make sure you recognize the early signs of asthma symptoms such as tightening of the chest, wheezing and shortness of breath and coughing, which could help you take early action against the condition.
6. It is also important to stick to a healthy diet, stay in a clean environment and lead a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy.

[ Read: Breathing Problem During Pregnancy ]

Most women glide through childbirth without experiencing any major asthma symptoms in pregnancy. Breastfeeding is also encouraged for women suffering from asthma, despite the fact that they may be under medications. So do not worry, you can overcome this problem and have a safe delivery!

We hope you found this article informative and useful. Do let us know your experiences in the comments section below.

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