Mothers who are sick during pregnancy are often concerned about the potential impact on unborn babies. Acute bronchitis or a chest cold is a very common condition that usually occurs after a cold in the head. Most women who develop bronchitis during pregnancy recover within a few weeks without complications. However, if you are pregnant and have bronchitis, it is important to work closely with your health care provider to ensure that you and your baby have healthy results.
If you have bronchitis symptoms, please consult your doctor. (Photo: ferlistockphoto / iStock / Getty Images) Typical Symptoms
More than 90% of patients with bronchitis have a lung airway virus infection called the bronchus. The same virus lds that cause head cooperation is often the culprit of acute bronchitis. Many people develop bronchitis after a cold, because the virus spreads from the nose and throat to the upper respiratory tract of the lungs. The most prominent symptoms of bronchitis are coughing and a damp cough. However, bronchitis may cause more symptoms than unpregnant adults during this period due to changes in the respiratory and immune systems during pregnancy. In addition to cough, possible symptoms include: - Sore throat - Low fever - Fatigue - Breathing noisy - Chest tightness - Mild shortness of breath - Mild headache and body aches
Common course [
Virus Bronchitis is usually a mild disease that gradually disappears in about 2 to 3 weeks in an unpregnant adult. Physical and immunological changes, primarily driven by high levels of hormones, can lead to longer duration of disease in pregnant women. You may feel longer in the weather, and your cough may last longer than bronchitis for a few weeks.
As long as you improve with the care of a health care provider, you can reasonably ensure that your recovery is in progress. Since most bronchitis is due to a viral infection, antibiotics don't help - unless your doctor diagnoses a bacterial infection. Bronchitis during pregnancy is symptomatic and means using interventions designed to make you more comfortable when your body heals. Before taking any over-the-counter medications, please consult your health care provider, herbs or supplements to make sure they are safe for you and your baby.
Prevention
As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment. Although everything you do does not guarantee that you will not get bronchitis during pregnancy, there are steps you can take to help you improve your weight. Try your best to stay away from people who have a cold or cough. Washing your hands often with soap and water can reduce the risk of a cold in your head or chest. If you can't wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand lotion to reduce the amount of bacteria on your hands. It is also important to get a flu shot every year. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all pregnant women receive a flu shot every year and that the vaccine is safe for pregnant women and their babies.
Warnings and Precautions
Most women with bronchitis during pregnancy recover without any complications in their mother or infant. However, pregnant women with bronchitis have an increased risk of severe bronchitis or pneumonia compared to other adults. Although these complications are not common, if you have bronchitis, be sure to monitor them carefully by a medical professional.
If you have a cough during pregnancy to determine the next step, please contact your healthcare provider right away. If your fever is above 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, seek medical attention immediately and experience chest pain or difficulty breathing. If you have experience, please contact your doctor immediately or go to a nearest hospital because severe respiratory infections increase the risk of preterm birth and childbirth.
Review and revision: Tina M. St. John, M.D.
