Flu in pregnancy: what to do to safeguard the health of mother and baby?
The flu in pregnancy occurs because the immune system of pregnant women is less efficient and therefore the body is more exposed to infections such as the flu. The placenta protects the fetus inside the belly and therefore in most cases it does not runs no risk; but it is not the same if the placenta is damaged. Before continuing, we leave you a video below to find out all the things not to do during pregnancy.
Influenza in Pregnancy: What You Need to Know
A pregnant woman's immune system is more vulnerable, so the risk of a simple flu turning into pneumonia is high. To ensure that the pregnancy proceeds well, prevention must be taken: it is the most effective weapon to avoid possible complications even during childbirth and during breastfeeding.
If despite all the precautions and the flu vaccine, you get the flu during pregnancy, it will be good to contact your doctor to assess the situation and start a suitable treatment to eradicate the disease.
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Symptoms of the flu in pregnancy
The symptoms that will manifest during the flu in pregnancy will always be the same, so it is useless to be assaulted by panic and worries.
- Pain in the bones and joints
- Headache
- Cold
- Cough and phlegm
In some cases, nausea and vomiting may also occur, but the main symptom remains fever, which can reach or exceed 38 ° C.
Regarding fever, it is always good to remember that pregnant women have a body temperature of half a degree higher than normal, so the fever measurement may also be slightly higher. This is due to the dilating action of progesterone on blood vessels, a hormone whose synthesis normally increases during this period.
If a few days after the onset of the fever it does not go down, a bacterial infection may have arisen. In these cases it will be the gynecologist or the attending physician to evaluate the need to prescribe an antibiotic, chosen from those allowed during gestation.
Furthermore, it is good to pay attention to very high fever peaks because, by setting in motion the natural defenses of the organism, they can cause uterine contractions to appear and therefore induce premature birth.
How to prevent the flu in pregnancy?
If the flu during pregnancy becomes more complicated and becomes pneumonia, a pregnant woman needs hospitalization. It is not always necessary to go to the emergency room: even in this case we advise you to go to the hospital. contact your doctor immediately.
For this reason, if you are pregnant, it will be a good thing to get the flu shot.
The flu vaccine can be a real salvation to prevent flu: some flu vaccines do not contain live viruses and therefore cannot cause the disease or have important side effects, are highly recommended as well as safe in pregnancy.
If the mother gets the vaccine, the newborn also benefits from it, in fact the number of cases of flu among newborns and the risk of abortion are reduced, even allergies and respiratory diseases do not worsen.
After vaccination, the only conditions that can be encountered are fatigue and muscle pain due to the reaction of the immune system. In addition, a few lines of fever or a small bruise may appear in the area of the sting. All manifestations that disappear within a few hours or at most a couple of days.
The vaccine starts to work effectively about two weeks after it is injected, so late September or early October are the best times to get vaccinated. If pregnancy has already begun, it is recommended that you get the vaccine at the end of the first trimester.
Influenza in pregnancy: attention to nutrition and hygiene
Nutrition is in second place after the vaccine to protect the body of the future mother from the attack of viruses and seasonal infections. It is always important to follow a balanced diet, but it is even more so in pregnancy: an appropriate diet is in fact in able to reduce the negative effects of fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which are frequently responsible for dehydration.
Follow these tips:
- increase the daily dose of water
Try to drink as much as possible even with the help of fruit juices, smoothies and anything else that can provide, in addition to liquids, nutrients as well because in these cases the appetite can be reduced.
- keep the right nutritional intake
5 or 6 meals a day including snacks in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, avoid long periods of fasting that are never healthy even and especially for a pregnant woman.
- fruit and vegetables in first place
To fill up on vitamins and minerals, always consume portions of fruit and vegetables daily. In order not to make mistakes, contact a nutritionist who will be able to guide you in the best way.
But there is also something else you can do to keep viruses away: meticulously take care of personal hygiene. The flu is transmitted through the respiratory tract, so to avoid getting sick some hygienic precautions are useful such as washing your hands often. especially before eating or taking them to your mouth, and avoid crowded places; also, try to stay away from people who are clearly showing symptoms of the flu.
Prevention is better than cure: useful tips!
If you are pregnant and fear of catching the seasonal flu, you should know that it usually lasts from 5 to 7 days and is recovered safely when you return home. Only in rare cases or if complications such as pneumonia occur, hospitalization may be necessary. In any case, your doctor will tell you what to do. Here are some useful tips to immediately feel better if our body is fighting against the flu virus.
- rest as much as possible
- hold your head up with the help of two pillows to improve breathing
- do summumigi to dissolve and eliminate mucus
- moisturize the nasal mucosa with aerosol and physiological solution, or spray with sea water
- relieve nasal congestion with warm compresses to be applied locally
- chewing sugar-based lozenges or candies or drinking a cup of warm milk with honey to relieve sore throat and cough
- introduce in the diet freshly squeezed orange juice rich in vitamin C.
What drugs to use for flu in pregnancy
Given that your doctor will be the only one able to decide which drugs will be suitable to eradicate the flu in pregnancy, to lower fever and to find relief from muscle aches, the drug of first choice is paracetamol. To treat all other symptoms, gargling with anti-inflammatory mouthwash, or a sore throat soothing spray with mild analgesic action may be helpful.
We advise you not to take any of these drugs in the "do it yourself" mode, but to have them prescribed and recommended by your doctor.
