How to quickly cure the flu during pregnancy. Flu shot: where to do it, side effects, is it worth it to vaccinate an adult

This is less stress for a pregnant woman, in her usual home conditions she will be able to lie down, and drink the necessary medicines, and gargle, and read her favorite book.

It is important that the room in which the pregnant woman lies is ventilated every day and the floor is washed with disinfectants, as well as door handles and furniture. The dishes of a pregnant woman with the flu should be rinsed with boiling water after each meal.

How to eat during pregnancy during the flu?

During the flu, the body of a pregnant woman loses a lot of strength and requires twice as many vitamins to restore them. Therefore, the diet should be saturated with a maximum of vegetables and fruits. It is desirable that milk-carbohydrate foods predominate in the diet of a pregnant woman, but there should be less salt. Sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, milk - this is a very good food during the flu, supporting the body. But what about those who do not like dairy? There are vegetables and fruits - they have all the necessary substances that will support and strengthen the immune system.

During the flu, you need more warm drinks, but not only teas and decoctions from medicinal plants (sage, linden, rose hips, rich in vitamins). It is also important to drink freshly squeezed juices, compotes, fruit drinks, mineral water without gas. These drinks will help remove toxins from the body, which is oversaturated with them due to the active activity of influenza viruses.

How to treat a pregnant woman with a high temperature?

If the future mother has a temperature above 38 degrees, which is accompanied by headaches and muscle pain, you need to give her paracetamol or medicines with it to drink. But, like any antipyretic, it is not necessary to abuse it.

Paracetamol, like any other means that reduce fever, is taken no more than 2 times a day with a break of 4 to 6 hours. As much as possible, you can take an antipyretic up to 4 times a day, that is, 2 tablets during the day and two at night are acceptable.

At temperatures below 38.5, antipyretics should not be taken - high temperature contributes to the rapid death of viruses.

Home rinses for pregnant women

To reduce fever and get rid of viruses as quickly as possible, you need to gargle often - in case of an acute inflammatory process, at least 1 time per hour. To do this, it is good to use a solution of furacillin. It is bought in a pharmacy ready-made or prepared by yourself, diluting 0.5 cups of this solution and the same amount of water. There is another option: 800 ml of warm water and 4 tablets of furacillin, which must be diluted in it. In order for the tablets to dissolve well, they can first be poured with a small amount of boiling water, and then add the rest of the water.

It is very good to gargle with soda and salt (you can take iodized salt or sea salt). Dilute them in a ratio of 1 teaspoon of salt or soda to 1 glass of water. To make the effect of rinsing more significant, the nose is instilled with drops that constrict blood vessels. If a cough is also added to the sore throat, the doctor will prescribe a cough medicine for the pregnant woman. It can be a remedy with marshmallow root, which helps very well with this kind of disease. It is drunk 1 tablespoon four times a day for a week.

Flu rinse options during pregnancy

Chamomile infusion - 1 tablespoon of chamomile, poured with a glass of boiling water, boiled over low heat for 10 minutes and cooled. This infusion must be filtered and gargled with it every hour for 5 days.

An infusion of calendula can be prepared in the same way as chamomile, and gargle with it at the same frequency.

Sage infusion is also very good for the destruction of various pathogens, the preparation method is the same, only it needs to be insisted longer - up to half an hour.

Very good for influenza as a rinse infusion of elderberry. Dried flowers can be purchased at a pharmacy. 4 tablespoons of elderberry flowers should be poured with a glass of boiling water and boiled over low heat for another 10 minutes, then cooled, strained and used as a rinse.

Can pregnant women take antibiotics for the flu?

Influenza is a viral disease. If the causative agents of the disease were viruses, then antibiotics will be useless - they only affect bacteria. Viruses live in the very nucleus of cells, so antibiotics are simply not able to penetrate there.

Even if a doctor prescribes an antibiotic, its effect will be directed not to a viral infection, but to the treatment of bacterial diseases associated with influenza. It can be bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, encephalitis, otitis media. It is with these diseases that it makes sense to take antibiotics for a pregnant woman. But only on doctor's orders!

In order for the disease to be tolerated more easily by both the mother and the child, it is necessary to influence the body with immunomodulators. These drugs will powerfully support the immune system and significantly reduce the duration of the disease. But the issue of taking immunomodulators must be discussed with the doctor, since it is very controversial: what exactly should a pregnant woman take, how much and how.

When is a pregnant woman treated for influenza in a hospital?

• A pregnant woman with influenza is sent to the hospital if the form of her illness is severe or hypersevere.
• If a pregnant flu is complicated by other diseases associated with disorders of the nervous system, respiratory organs or other body systems
• If a pregnant woman does not have the opportunity to be treated normally at home

How to treat influenza in a pregnant woman - only the attending physician should determine. In order for the treatment to proceed correctly, you cannot prescribe medications yourself, because you are responsible not only for your life, but also for the life of the unborn baby.

Every year, the cold season starts in our country as it gets colder outside, especially in the off-season, when the rains are replaced by clear and windy weather. But among all the respiratory diseases united by the term, it stands apart, although it also refers to viral respiratory pathology. This is due to its high contagiousness and tendency to epidemic spread, as well as the formation of a severe course among persons at risk, including pregnant women. For them, it is dangerous with serious and sometimes even fatal complications.

What is flu: definition

The first manifestations of the flu

From the moment the virus enters the body, until the first symptoms appear, no more than 12-20 hours pass, and flu begins acutely, with a sharp rise in temperature and chills, malaise and intoxication syndrome- weakness with weakness, pain in the eyes and nausea. Specific headaches of influenza origin are typical - they are localized in the frontal and temporal zones, they can radiate to the superciliary arches and eye sockets, pain is typically increased when moving the eyes and head, against the background of a fever, it can make you feel sick, dizzy.

Local symptoms are not very pronounced - maybe with slight discharge, or sore throat, and they appear later, after the third day of illness. On average, flu fever can stay high for up to five days, then drop sharply, leading to heavy sweating and redness of the face and body. In the future, for a few more days, a low, subfebrile fever up to 37.5 -37.7C can be noted.

Some patients can tolerate the flu with moderate fever against the background of redness of the face and neck, severe sweating with a slow pulse and a decrease in pressure, tongue furring and diarrhea, there may be typical viral changes with a decrease in the total number of leukocytes and their neutrophilic generation.

Features of influenza in pregnant women

During the gestation period, the presence of pronounced general symptoms against the background of weak respiratory symptoms is typical, the incubation period is extremely short, a few hours after contact with the patient, the pregnant woman herself becomes ill. High fever figures are typical, difficult to decrease due to the usual antipyretic drugs and a general severe condition, there may be a two-wave fever with an increase a second time after a couple of days of normal or slightly elevated temperature.

The virus is able to penetrate the placenta, damages its structure, and also enters the bloodstream of the fetus, leading to the development of some influenza-like manifestations.

What are the complications of the flu?

Often, the flu forms manifestations of tracheobronchitis with cough and hard breathing, intermittent wheezing in the chest area, these symptoms last up to two weeks. But the most dangerous for expectant mothers is pneumonia, which is typical for almost 10% of all cases. It can be of viral origin or is formed as a result of the activation of opportunistic microbial flora of secondary origin. It can form influenza and complications from the paranasal sinuses - as well as damage to the heart muscle or middle ear.

Severe flu can occur in about 30% of women, weakness and hearing problems, lethargy with insomnia, convulsions and speech disorders, meningeal signs with stiff neck muscles are noted. With irritation of the meninges, it is possible to form gait disorders and headaches, lesions of the coagulation system with and gingival bleeding, inflammatory processes of the heart muscle.

In addition, placental lesions are typical, which can threaten, which leads to the appearance of the genital tract, immediate hospitalization is important for such a complication. Frequent coughing and malaise can lead to or due to a sharp change in intra-abdominal pressure and uterine tone.

Features of influenza by trimesters of pregnancy

Influenza during pregnancy in the first trimester

The first trimester is a period of active laying of organs with tissues, and influenza during this period can lead to fatal lesions of the fetus with the formation of malformations and death in utero, which leads to termination of pregnancy. In the early stages of pregnancy, pregnancy fading and bleeding are possible, in which the fetus is rejected by the uterus. If he survives, malformations of the nervous system are especially likely after the infection, due to the high tropism of viruses to this fetal tissue.

Flu in late pregnancy

In the second or third trimester, the flu leads to intrauterine infection of the baby, which threatens with premature birth and, in effect. The damaged placenta forms a sharp state of FPI, unable to cope with the function of delivering a sufficient amount of oxygen and all the necessary nutrients to the fetus. Because of this, the baby may suffer from hypoxia, which in some cases can result in his death in the womb. At the end of the second and third trimester, influenza can threaten birth, formation or intrauterine growth retardation and weight gain, and after birth, such children in about 60-70% of cases experienced lags in both physical and mental development. In the future, endocrine disorders delay and skin pathologies, allergic diseases and frequent colds were typical.

Infection with the flu does not apply to indications for termination of pregnancy, if a woman develops an infection in the first trimester, after which the pregnancy is not terminated, a favorable outcome is very likely, but it is important to undergo all necessary examinations with a doctor throughout the entire gestation period.

childbirth with influenza

Usually, childbirth occurs against the background of the flu, although urgent ones are also quite possible.. They are carried out in the conditions of the observational department of the maternity hospital with strict observance of all anti-epidemic measures. Often they can be complicated, negatively affect the condition of the fetus and then the newborn child, reducing its functional reserves and adaptation to new conditions. Such children may suffer from intrauterine pneumonia, they experience distress at birth, and require constant monitoring in the children's department. If against the background of the flu there is a threat of premature birth, doctors do everything to prevent it - such childbirth is dangerous for a child. If it is impossible to stop them, it is preferable to lead them through the natural birth canal.

Influenza is very dangerous for pregnant women, which is why self-medication of this disease is simply unacceptable. The formation of influenza during gestation is unpredictable in its course, which means that complications that develop rapidly and are dangerous to health and life are possible, from which a woman and her baby can die, in this regard, it is important to call a therapist at home, making a diagnosis, determining treatment tactics.

In the treatment and prevention of influenza in women during gestation, there are some peculiarities that must be remembered in order to prevent complications of both the flu itself and the negative effects of irrationally used medications.

How to treat the flu during pregnancy

Usually, all therapeutic measures for influenza in pregnant women are carried out at home, but in special situations, it is also possible to place the expectant mother in a hospital. These include:

It is important in any conditions of influenza treatment for the entire period of fever to provide the patient with strict bed rest with full care measures.

note

It is important to constantly ventilate (hourly), wet cleaning the room with the patient several times a day with disinfectants, disinfecting all the woman's dishes, treating all her cups, spoons, mugs with boiling water.

It is important to isolate a pregnant woman from all the people around her in a separate room, or at least create a separate fenced-off place for her.

Food and drink for the flu

Influenza significantly and actively consumes the reserves of the body of a pregnant woman, and therefore it is necessary to replenish nutritional components fully and adequately to the condition and well-being due to full and light nutrition and drinking regimen. It is important not to starve against the background of the flu, eat light, semi-liquid and fortified food according to your appetite as your condition improves.

The diet is based on vegetable and dairy products with fortified components that are easily digestible and stimulate appetite. It is important to limit salt and sugar, dairy and sour-milk products are recommended, and in the absence of pronounced edema, it is important to take plenty of warm drinks in the form of acidified fortified decoctions and drinks. Alkaline mineral waters are shown in a warm form without gas, from berries, compotes without sugar, decoctions of dried fruits. Boxed juices and fresh juices should be discarded, they have too much sugar or irritating components. Be careful with drinks rich in salt or sugar. For sore throat, tickling, milk with honey or butter, borjomi, tea with lemon, lime blossom in the form of tea are shown.

flu medication during pregnancy

Any drugs for influenza, whether specific or symptomatic, should be used only after being prescribed by a doctor and strictly in the dosage that was prescribed. If the drug is prescribed, you should carefully read the instructions before use, especially with regard to side effects and administration during gestation. Particular attention should be paid to the analysis of data, which indicate undesirable effects on the fetus. If you have questions and doubts about the drug, you should ask the doctor questions or ask to change the medicine to a safer one.

It is important to coordinate all your actions regarding the treatment of influenza with your doctor, from antiviral drugs to taking vitamins. It is important to carefully study the packaging of drugs, instructions for them and listen to the advice of a doctor so that not only the flu virus, but also medicines that cross the placenta do not have a negative effect on the fetus.

Antiviral agents for the treatment of influenza during pregnancy

In the treatment of influenza, it is necessary to take both specific doses strictly prescribed by the doctor, and the use of symptomatic therapy. It is recommended to take antiviral drugs from the first day of illness, as they actively affect viruses, suppressing their activity, and not allowing serious dangerous complications to form. To date, specific antiviral drugs are a mandatory part of the treatment of influenza in pregnant women, but not all of the widely advertised and "antiviral" agents are applicable. So, today, based on WHO recommendations, during pregnancy, Zanamivir or Oseltamivir, sold in pharmacies under various trade names, is acceptable for use in influenza (in our country it is Tamiflu).

When signs of influenza appear, the doctor recommends taking the drug according to a special scheme for 5 days. The drug Zanamivir in the form of an inhaled form of Relenza is also applicable for influenza in pregnant women in order to treat and prevent dangerous and complicated forms.

note

It is important to understand that these drugs are classified as group C drugs, that is, there is no data on the safety of their use during pregnancy, due to the lack of voluntary and randomized trials. In experiments on animals, no dangerous effects were revealed, therefore, if there are strict indications, they are used on the recommendation of a doctor in the shortest possible course and only under the supervision of a specialist.

The effectiveness of this type of antiviral drugs for influenza is high compared to the risks that may occur to the fetus. Any other drugs during pregnancy such as Arbidol, various ferons and homeopathic supposedly "antiviral" remedies do not affect the influenza virus and do not have proven effectiveness. Antiviral drug, applicable in the treatment of children and adults, is prohibited for pregnant women and has low efficacy against type A viruses today.

Symptomatic treatment of influenza in pregnant women

In addition to antiviral agents during gestation, caution should also be exercised in relation to symptomatic therapy aimed at eliminating all manifestations of influenza infection. Not all medicines used in everyday life against colds and flu are allowed for pregnant women, even if they are drugs against a runny nose, cough or fever.

In the treatment of influenza in pregnant women, doctors use groups of drugs:

Multivitamin preparations, immunomodulators and many other drugs, herbal formulations and fees should also be discussed with a doctor before use, they can have dangerous and teratogenic effects that negatively affect the uterus.

If necessary, use choose only those drugs that do not have side effects and have a prolonged action, requiring a single dose per day. These include third-generation drugs and the shortest course prescribed by a doctor. Usually they are used for severe swelling and nasal congestion, along with a combination of topical drugs in the form of drops or sprays. Only drugs based on:

• Xylometazoline
• Oxymetazoline
• Phenylephrine

Short course, no more than 4-5 days, so as not to cause addiction and withdrawal syndrome.

In the first trimester, due to the possible resorption of drugs and a possible systemic effect, it is recommended to abandon the use of any drugs for the common cold, from the second trimester they can be used relatively safely.

Drugs against must be used with extreme caution, all codeine-based drugs and those that have a central effect are prohibited. It is important that such medicines be selected exclusively by a doctor and strictly according to indications. Usually those drugs are used that affect sputum, leading to its thinning and coughing.

Some of these drugs are prohibited in pregnant women due to their negative impact on the fetus, especially in the first trimester. So, the preparations of acetylcysteine ​​and bromhexine, as well as ambroxol, are extremely carefully applied.

It is acceptable to use solutions with antimicrobial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic components in the form of lozenges, tablets and sprays. They are used strictly according to the instructions, alternating with gargles with solutions of soda and salt, and medicinal herbs.

Decrease in temperature during pregnancy flu

Fever due to influenza has protective effects, but if it exceeds the limit of 38.5 C, it must be reduced due to the risk of complications from the placenta and fetus. However, not all antipyretics are allowed during pregnancy, drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid And strictly prohibited , they negatively affect the embryo and fetus, blood flow in the uterus and placenta. Especially dangerous is the use of acetylsalicylic acid before childbirth, after 36 weeks of pregnancy. Usually, drugs with or are applicable to combat fever. It is necessary to reduce the temperature strictly according to the indications, if the values ​​\u200b\u200bare exceeded 38.5 ° C, they cannot be used systematically.

The use of antibiotics in pregnant women with influenza

Against the background of uncomplicated influenza in pregnant women, they are not used, they do not affect the activity of influenza viruses, and can only harm the treatment. Indications for their use will be the presence of secondary microbial complications - exacerbation of foci of chronic infection (tonsillitis, sinusitis, pyelonephritis) or the formation of secondary microbial pneumonia. Antibiotics are selected strictly individually, taking into account the duration of pregnancy and the condition of the woman, they are usually administered permanently, under the supervision of a doctor and blood tests.

It is also dangerous to use those that affect the immune system of a woman who works during gestation in a special mode. You should not use any drugs on your own, even widespread ones, their reaction to the body of pregnant women has not yet been fully studied.

Prevention of influenza during pregnancy

The most effective prevention of influenza today is one that should be taken care of even before pregnancy. If it was not done before conception, it is important to consult a doctor before the start of the epidemic about the possibility of vaccination with modern safe vaccines that do not contain live virus.

note

Pregnant women are at risk for a severe and unfavorable course of influenza, therefore they are vaccinated free of charge as part of a polyclinic or antenatal clinic before the start of the epidemic, so that immunity can be actively developed in full. The composition of vaccines today is completely safe for the mother and her baby, they do not contain live particles and do not give complications. Vaccination is carried out after 14 weeks of pregnancy.

In addition to vaccination, protection against influenza during the epidemic season also plays a role by observing safety rules - this is a refusal to visit crowded places where there are a lot of sick people, wearing a medical mask, taking multivitamins and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and tempering activities.

Alena Paretskaya, pediatrician, medical commentator

Given the annual epidemics and the wide coverage of the population during them, many women have to endure the flu during pregnancy. This situation causes a reasonable concern for the expectant mother: how to treat the flu during pregnancy so as not to harm the baby? There is also concern about the impact of the infection itself on the fetus. How justified such concern will be discussed in the article.

Is the child often sick?

your child constantly sick?
A week in kindergarten (school), two weeks at home on sick leave?

Many factors are to blame for this. From bad ecology, to weakening of immunity with ANTIVIRAL DRUGS!
Yes, yes, you heard right! By stuffing your child with powerful synthetic drugs, you sometimes do more harm to a small organism.

In order to radically change the situation, it is necessary not to destroy the immune system, but to HELP IT ...

Distinctive features of the flu

Despite the fact that the flu is an acute respiratory viral infection, it has a number of differences from other SARS in pregnant women:

• predominant distribution in the form of epidemics;
• the predominance of manifestations of intoxication over catarrhal phenomena;
• rapid development of the clinical picture of the disease;
• more severe and more likely to develop complications.

After a short incubation period (from several hours to 3 days), they appear with the flu and symptoms quickly increase:

• body aches;
• severe weakness;
• severe pain in the fronto-temporal region;
• pain in the eyeballs (especially when moving);
• photophobia;
• muscle pain.

From the first hours there is a high fever with chills. The temperature can reach 39 0 C and above. The feeling of heat is accompanied by severe sweating.

On day 2, catarrhal symptoms appear:

• nasal congestion;
• lacrimation;
• sore throat;
• dry painful cough;
• retrosternal pain along the trachea.

After a couple of days, mucous discharge from the nose may appear, and the cough will become wet.

What is the danger of influenza during pregnancy

Pregnancy causes a decrease in immunity in every woman. This is provided by nature so that a woman can bear a child, otherwise the cells of the embryo can be perceived by the woman's immune system as a foreign body, and the body would try to reject it.

But a decrease in immunity increases the risk of developing an infectious pathology in a woman during pregnancy, one of which is the flu. Therefore, pregnant women are at risk for influenza. Influenza in pregnant women can adversely affect both the body of the expectant mother and the fetus.

Why is my child's immune system weakened?

Many people are familiar with these situations:

• As soon as the season of colds begins - your child is bound to get sick and then the whole family...
• It seems that you are buying expensive drugs, but they only work while you are drinking them, and after a week or two baby gets sick again...
• Are you worried that your child's immune system is weak very often disease takes precedence over health ...
• Afraid of every sneeze or cough...

  It is necessary to strengthen YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNITY!

Getting the flu during pregnancy can have an adverse effect on a woman's health:

• development of heart disease with subsequent heart failure;
• the occurrence of complications from the respiratory system and ENT organs;
• decrease in resistance to bacterial infections (staphylococcal, hemophilic, etc.);
• provoke an exacerbation of chronic pathology;
• cause metabolic disorders.

Possible consequences for the fetus will depend on the gestational age at the time of infection:

1. Influenza in early pregnancy (in the 1st trimester) is of particular danger, since in the first 12 weeks. Pregnancy lays the structure of the organs of the unborn child. Influenza virus through the blood can cause infection of the fetus and intrauterine death. There may also be a threat of miscarriage during this period. What defects in the development of organs the virus will cause, no doctor can say. Most likely CNS damage.
2. Influenza during pregnancy in the second trimester also poses a threat of miscarriage. Other consequences of infection in this period may be:

• fetal hypoxia;
• oligohydramnios;
• early rupture of amniotic fluid;
• defeat of the placenta (impaired circulation).

1. In the third trimester, the flu can lead to:

• to intrauterine infection of the fetus;
• the development of hypoxia (oxygen starvation of the fetus);
• fetal growth retardation
• create a risk of preterm birth.

After the flu, the risk of developing weakness of labor and blood loss in childbirth increases.

At the birth of a child infected with the influenza virus in utero, 60% of the following health problems are noted:

• teeth erupt late
• SARS in the neonatal period with the development of pneumonia;
• skin allergic diseases;
• endocrine changes.

Diagnosis of the consequences of the flu

If the flu struck a woman in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, it is recommended to carry out up to 20 weeks. "triple test", which helps to suspect the presence of already existing malformations in the fetus. The test includes analysis for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), estriol and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

Sometimes they are made repeatedly for greater reliability. The results of the test are not absolute, but only indicative; if changes are detected, other studies and counseling by a geneticist are prescribed.

An additional study includes ultrasound and amniocentesis - taking amniotic fluid for examination, which also allows you to identify pathology in the fetus. This procedure does not cause pain, but there is still a threat of miscarriage (1-2%).

When influenza occurs after 20 weeks. pregnancy during recovery, a woman is prescribed: ultrasound, a study of blood flow in the vessels of the placenta and fetus (dopplerography), cardiotocography (a study of the fetal heart).

Treatment

Treatment of influenza in expectant mothers must be carried out without fail under the supervision of a doctor and when fulfilling his appointments. Self-medication is dangerous! Patients are more often treated at home. Women are hospitalized in case of a severe course of the disease, with the development of complications or for social reasons - in the absence of acceptable conditions for the treatment and care of the patient.

Bed rest is prescribed for the duration of the illness. The room should be ventilated every hour, and at least 2p. wet cleaning should be carried out daily. Nutrition should be complete in composition, fortified. Be sure to include in the diet dairy and vegetable products, a sufficient amount of proteins and carbohydrates, it is desirable to limit salt intake.

If there is no swelling, then you should ensure that you drink plenty of fluids to remove toxins from the body. Pregnant women can drink tea with lemon, herbal teas, juices, compotes, fruit drinks (cranberry, lingonberry are especially useful), mineral water without gas.

Of the medicines, Paracetamol can be used to reduce fever above 38.5 ° C (permissible daily dose - 4 doses), vitamin complexes for pregnant women.

For gargling, Furacilin solution is used: 2 tablets per 200 ml of boiling water or a ready-made solution from a pharmacy, diluted by half with warm water. For rinsing, you can also use a soda solution (1 tsp per 1 glass of water) or infusions of medicinal herbs (chamomile flowers, calendula, elderberry, sage). To prepare them, you need to take 1 tbsp. vegetable raw materials, pour 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. and strain.

As prescribed by the attending physician, you can take an expectorant mixture (from the root of marshmallow, thermopsis). You should not choose medicines on your own. When applying for medical assistance, it is imperative to inform the doctor about the pregnancy, since he must select only drugs that are allowed when carrying a child. Even about herbal preparations, on the advice of traditional medicine, you should check with your doctor that you can take them.

Pregnant women should not use hot foot baths. Black radish juice with honey helps with coughing. As nose drops, you can use the juice of carrots, beets, aloe, if necessary, they can be instilled after 2 hours. The doctor can prescribe antibiotics only with the development of bacterial complications.

Prevention

Prevention of influenza in pregnant women should be taken care of before an epidemic develops. Protection against influenza is vaccination, which is also allowed during pregnancy, but not earlier than 14 weeks. her term. Although there is no full guarantee that the disease will not develop after vaccination, it will be mild and without complications.

Prevention of influenza and SARS in pregnant women can be successfully carried out in non-specific ways:

• during the season of high incidence, minimize visits to public places;
• if necessary, stay in crowded places, lubricate the nasal mucosa with oxolinic ointment before leaving the house;
• after returning home, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, moisten the nasal mucosa with saline, gargle with calendula infusion;
• avoid contact with patients, and if family members fall ill, limit contact with them and use a mask (of 4 layers of gauze), which must be changed every 2 hours, washed and ironed with a hot iron; additionally hang gauze bags with chopped garlic in the room;
• eat phytoncides with food - onions and garlic;
• as a tonic, ginger tea is recommended: 1 tsp. its crushed root is poured with boiling water (500 ml), honey and lemon are added to taste.

Influenza during childbearing is dangerous with its complications for both the woman and the fetus. Influenza vaccination (after 14 weeks) may be a possible protection against infection. Non-specific preventive measures are also important. With the development of the disease, it is dangerous to self-medicate in any trimester. On the first day of illness, you need to see a doctor.

It might be interesting:

If a child is constantly sick, his immunity DOES NOT WORK!

The human immune system is designed to resist viruses and bacteria. In babies, it is still not fully formed and does not work to its full potential. And then there's the parents "finish off" the immune system with antiviral agents, accustoming him to a relaxed state. The poor ecology and the wide distribution of different strains of the influenza virus make their contribution. It is necessary to temper and pump the immune system and you need to do this IMMEDIATELY!

Influenza is one of the most dangerous diseases for pregnant women. It is caused by three types of viruses (A, B, C) that enter the body through airborne droplets. Once in the human respiratory system, the influenza virus destroys the surface of the mucous membrane and penetrates into the bloodstream. With the blood stream, the virus can enter any organ and disrupt its functioning. Therefore, there is a risk of developing a malformation of the fetus or even its death. Due to the possible harmful effects of drugs on the fetus, the treatment of influenza in pregnant women takes place with some peculiarities.

Influenza - main symptoms

Influenza appears after a very short incubation period. It lies within a few hours, but sometimes it happens that 1-2 days pass. Symptoms of the disease are similar to many colds:

• acute onset with a temperature of 39 C to 40 C;
• muscle aches;
• nasal congestion;
• pain in the eyes;
• cough;
• red throat.

However, the flu also has several characteristic external signs:

• A sharp pallor of the face, against which the cheeks burn with a blush;
• Lips and nasolabial triangle become bluish;
• The face becomes puffy.

The fever usually lasts for two days, and then begins to subside. Somewhere in the same period, a runny nose appears. The patient suffers from headaches and muscle pain. There may also be nausea and vomiting, sleep is lost at night.

After a drop in temperature, when it seems that the patient is on the mend, another wave of exacerbation is possible. The fever may return for a couple of days.

How to treat flu during pregnancy - features

During pregnancy, the treatment of influenza with drugs should be approached with caution. Even some herbal teas can have an undesirable effect on fetal development.

A pregnant woman who has the flu can be treated at home. She needs bed rest and plenty of fluids containing vitamin C. It is also necessary to ensure frequent ventilation of the room where the patient lies, and wet cleaning.

At high temperatures, only paracetamol is allowed from antipyretics. Take it according to the instructions, you can not exceed the daily dose. It is forbidden for pregnant women to drink medicines containing alcohol. All tinctures of immunostimulants lead to an increase in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate, respectively, the load on the fetal vascular system increases.

The use of vasoconstrictor drugs

It is also necessary to use drops in the nose when a runny nose appears only according to the instructions and no longer than the specified period. It is better to use them as little as possible. Firstly, the blood supply to the fetus may be impaired if vasoconstrictor drops enter the arteries of the placenta through the mother's blood. This can happen if you drip them too often and in large quantities.

Secondly, dependence on the drug may occur with frequent use, and even more will be required from this amount. You also need to consider that pregnant women can stuff their nose for all 9 months. That is, against the background of pregnancy, vasomotor rhinitis occurs, and after childbirth, normal breathing is restored.

Are antibiotics necessary for treatment?

Since the disease is caused by a virus, antibiotic therapy in this case is irrelevant. After 12 weeks, interferons can be used, if necessary. Other antiviral agents are prohibited. If the disease is severe and a bacterial infection joins, then only in this case the doctor can prescribe appropriate antibiotics.

Vitamin therapy for influenza

Treatment of influenza in pregnant women is not complete without taking vitamins. The future mother's need for them is already increased. But it is impossible to increase the doses of vitamins on your own. It is better to consult with your therapist about this. Otherwise, you can cause hypervitaminosis. For example, an increase in vitamin A in the body in the first weeks of pregnancy will lead to malformations. If, on the last date, it is sorted out with vitamins C and D, then this will cause the aging of the placenta.
The most acceptable option would be to use fresh berries, fruits and juices from them. So the body will take all the necessary vitamins without an overabundance.

Cough with flu in pregnant women

In the initial period, when sputum is not yet coughed up, herbs are used that soften and relieve inflammation in the respiratory tract. Suitable herbs such as chamomile, three-leaf watch, sage, linden blossom and plantain. Decoctions of these plants are drunk and inhaled.

Gradually, the cough becomes wet, sputum leaves and they switch to herbs that have an astringent and expectorant effect. These include: wild rosemary and thermopsis grass, licorice root, lingonberry leaf, snake mountaineer, a string.

You can use cough medicines and herbal medicines.

Throat treatment

With a red throat, rinsing with a solution of soda or furacilin is used. Soda take 10 g (teaspoon) per 200 ml glass of water. A solution of furacilin can be ready-made pharmacy or diluted at the rate of 4 tablets per 4 glasses of water. You can use decoctions of herbs. Here are some recipes:

• A decoction of sage in milk. Brew a tablespoon of grass with milk (1 cup). It is necessary to let it boil for 10 minutes on low heat, drain the liquid, boil it again and immediately remove it. Drink before bed.
• For rinsing, an infusion of sage, eucalyptus and birch leaf (3:2:1) is prepared. Use a tablespoon of the collection with a glass of boiling water. It should be infused for 20 minutes.
• These 2 collections insist longer - at least an hour. The first consists of St. John's wort, raspberry, mountain ash and linden, lingonberry leaves. For the second, they take horsetail, raspberry leaves or stems and immortelle flowers. All components for fees are taken equally.

Rinse infusions should be used warm.

Other safe remedies for pregnant women with flu

Homeopathic remedies are considered absolutely safe for pregnant women. They are used at the first sign of a cold and for preventive purposes.
Honey is a good helper in the treatment of respiratory infections. But it is not recommended for expectant mothers in the second half of the term, as the baby may develop an allergy.

With the onset of a runny nose, a hot bath for the hands and dry heat to the legs and throat will help. In no case should hot herbal baths or local foot baths with mustard be used during pregnancy. In these cases, there is a danger of reflex contraction of the uterus and, accordingly, premature birth.

Cases in which a pregnant woman can be hospitalized

A patient with influenza can be admitted to a hospital in such cases:

• the appearance of complications;
• exacerbation of concomitant diseases;
• the inability to provide the sick with normal care at home.

Flu Prevention

One of the ways to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated. It is held in the middle of autumn. However, developers are making a vaccine against only one, the most likely strain of the virus in a given season. If another type of virus enters the body, then the vaccine will not save. Pregnant women are allowed vaccination only after a period of 14 weeks.

Therefore, in addition to vaccination, it is worthwhile to strengthen the immune system through proper nutrition and regimen, playing sports. And to minimize the risk of infection, you can follow simple rules:

• as little as possible during the cold period to visit places where a lot of people accumulate;
• if it is impossible to fulfill the first paragraph, use a protective mask in public places;
• multivitamins and homeopathic remedies will increase the body's resistance;
• be sure to wash your hands with soap after every trip to the street and visiting public places;
• lubricate in the nose with oxolinic ointment before going outside;
• when you come home from the street, rinse your throat with a decoction of calendula or eucalyptus.

Timely prevention is much better than treating the flu during pregnancy.

Impact of the influenza virus on the fetus

Everything will depend on how pregnant the woman is. If infection occurred before 12 weeks, the virus can disrupt the formation of systems and internal organs of the fetus. Malformations or complete death of the embryo may occur. According to some reports, during this period, the main effect of the virus is on the nervous tissue.

In the second trimester and later, there is still a threat of abortion, but to a lesser extent. During this period, damage to the placenta may occur, which will lead to insufficient blood circulation. Such a violation is not too dangerous, since with timely detection it can be treated. However, the baby can be born with insufficient weight due to oligohydramnios and intrauterine growth retardation.

If the disease proceeded with complications, then the child may have become infected. To find out, a test is carried out for three hormones: estriol, hCG and AFP. The test does not give great reliability, so if it is bad, it can be retaken.

The next step is an amniocentesis. In this study, amniotic fluid is analyzed. This procedure is carried out under the control of ultrasound, but it may not show whether the child has a pathology. But there is a (1-2%) chance of a miscarriage.

Therefore, the decision to examine the mother of the unborn child should be taken very carefully.

Each of us is afraid of getting the flu. The experience of numerous epidemics has shown that this acute infectious disease can be caused by a wide variety of influenza viruses, including poorly understood ones.

And according to the classification, influenza belongs to the group of SARS (acute respiratory viral infections). From time to time, the flu spreads around the world in the form of powerful epidemics, mows down everyone - old and young, including the most vulnerable part of the population - pregnant women.

Why do we get the flu

Sometimes we mistakenly call the flu a common cold that we managed to catch by getting our feet wet. But if we happened to sit next to a person infected with the flu, and he coughed in our presence, the infection may well penetrate the body. That is, we contracted the flu by airborne droplets. After a while we feel weakened, and later - frankly ill. What's happening? The virus rapidly multiplies in the body of a sick person, spreads to all parts of the body, poisoning each one.

The virus can infect the mucous membrane that protects our airways. And this can result in pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis, sinusitis. In addition, the cardiovascular system of a person may also suffer, for example, the development of heart failure is possible.

Influenza during pregnancy is a very dangerous disease.. The most serious complication after suffering the flu is premature birth or, worst of all, the threat of miscarriage. But these are not all the intrigues of the flu that threaten the expectant mother. Staphylococcal, hemophilic and pneumococcal infections are not excluded.

In addition to the troubles that these infections bring, chronic diseases of a woman can worsen against their background: bronchial asthma, bronchitis, metabolic problems, kidney or heart disease.

During periods of an influenza epidemic, a pregnant woman should be on her guard. The flu immediately declares itself with high fever, chills, aching joints. Even photophobia, nausea and vomiting may occur. All these are signs of poisoning of the body. If you do not immediately call a doctor or an ambulance, the flu will give a dry cough, runny nose and sore throat.

The high temperature continues to hold, it can reach the 40-degree mark. A woman will experience this condition for at least a week. Even if everything went without tragic consequences, a pregnant woman will feel bad for a long time: experience weakness, fatigue and general malaise.

Women in position are characterized at this time by a depressive state, a change in their usual behavior. She becomes irritable, she is disturbed by dizziness and tinnitus, she can hardly endure bright lights and any conversations of others.

In most cases, a pregnant woman gets rid of the flu at home. Of course, with strict adherence to certain rules, and above all, strict bed rest, daily wet cleaning and hourly airing of the room where she is. And such a trifle: the dishes used by the patient are necessarily rinsed with boiling water.

• Nutrition

It should be complete and rational, with a predominance of fruits and vegetables, dairy products. If a woman does not suffer from edema, she is shown to drink plenty of water in the form of compotes, fruit drinks, juices. All this will help to quickly rid the body of toxins.

• Temperature

If the body temperature does not drop below 38 degrees, and the woman complains of headache and muscle pain, the doctor will recommend taking an antipyretic - Paracetamol, but you can take the medicine after 4 to 6 hours, a total of no more than four times a day.

• Throat treatment

The throat will quickly stop hurting when rinsing it with a solution of furacilin in warm water (1: 1). If there are only furacilin tablets in the house, you can make a rinse solution yourself (dissolve 4 tablets in 800 ml of boiling water and cool).

A good throat remedy is baking soda (1 teaspoon) dissolved in a glass of water.

• Runny nose

In the treatment of a cold, you can not do without vasodilating drops. Not all of them are suitable for pregnant women, so you need to choose in consultation with your doctor.

• Cough

Until the cough becomes debilitating, you need to start drinking the expectorant mixture prescribed by the doctor. This remedy usually contains marshmallow root or thermopsis. It should be taken four times daily, one tablespoon.

A pregnant woman should know that she should not prescribe antibacterial agents for herself, especially since they are not useful in the treatment of influenza. In rare cases, with a bacterial complication (pneumonia, sinusitis, encephalitis, otitis), an antibiotic can be prescribed.

In addition, expectant mothers need to remember that it is impossible to take little-known drugs without the advice of a specialist, even if the media present them as the most effective and safe ones that can effectively cure the flu.

Home treatment usually quickly relieves a pregnant woman from the flu. And only a severe form of the disease can cause hospitalization.

How do you feel after the illness?

Of course, getting the flu is not the best prospect for a future mother. And even if the treatment helped, and the woman feels great, the doctor often sends her to research that will determine how the baby suffered the mother's illness.

In the first half of pregnancy, a triple test for hormones is usually performed. He will give an answer to the question: are there any defects in the development of the child? It is also possible to consult a geneticist.

In the second half of pregnancy, a woman goes through a second ultrasound, special equipment examines the cardiac activity of the fetus and blood flow in the placenta.

As you know, in order not to engage in long and unpleasant treatment, any disease must be prevented. Especially when it comes to the flu. As soon as an influenza epidemic begins, a pregnant woman must do everything to avoid danger. This is especially true for women in the first three months of pregnancy.

In winter, you should use public transport as little as possible. During an epidemic, do not leave the house without smearing your nose with oxolin ointment. And most importantly, pay special attention to the intake of special multivitamin complexes that strengthen the body's resistance to viral infections.

If one of the family members falls ill with the flu, the expectant mother should immediately put on a gauze mask and change it as often as possible.

Vaccination of pregnant women is a voluntary matter; they are carried out in clinics when an influenza epidemic begins. There are ladies who have a strong prejudice to such a measure of prevention. In this case, you should talk to your doctor, who will convince you that this vaccine is equally safe for both mother and child. But vaccination is carried out only if the gestational age is less than 14 weeks.

Phytotherapy will help to cope with the flu

Folk recipes well support medical ways to fight the flu. Pregnant women may well trust some of them.

• Gargling with chamomile extract. You can cook it very quickly: brew a tablespoon of dried flowers with a glass of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes over low heat, strain, cool.
• Calendula infusion is prepared in the same way as chamomile. It is also very useful for gargling.
• Sage tea. A tablespoon of dry leaves is brewed with a glass of boiling water, infused for half an hour. Then strain the infusion, and you can use it.
• Elderberry infusion. Boil a few tablespoons of dried flowers for a quarter of an hour over low heat in a glass of water. Strain, cool, and then periodically gargle.

For reference: The word "flu" came to our language from France. And the French borrowed it from the Latin language: "influre" - that is, "invade." Therefore, for a long time, the flu was called influenza everywhere, and later, again in France, it was renamed “grippe”, which means “grab”.