When you have hay fever, it can become unbearable during spring and summer without the use of antihistamines. However, when you become pregnant, it’s natural that you may feel worried about how any type of hay fever medication will affect your baby.
If you feel concerned about how you can keep your hay fever in check during your pregnancy, it is always wise to consult your doctor for advice or seek out natural remedies. Here is what you need to know about hay fever when you are going through a pregnancy.
What is hay fever?
Hay fever affects 1 in 5 adults in the UK, especially during March to September. Usually, it is caused by an allergy to pollen. That’s why you will find that many people will have symptoms of hay fever when it is warm and very windy.
When the pollen count is at its highest, it’s likely that you will experience at least some of these symptoms:
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Feelings of tiredness
- Loss of smell
- Coughing and sneezing
- Blocked or runny nose
- Watery eyes that look red, itchy and sore
- Pain within the forehead and temples
Unfortunately, hay fever will not go away immediately. Instead, it could remain for months until the pollen count lessens over the year. This may make you feel very uncomfortable. However, it could be worse if you have asthma because it can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath or a tightness within the chest.
Pregnancy & hay fever
When you have hay fever whilst you are pregnant, you may find that your hormone changes may make you feel worse. Pregnancy can also weaken your immune system; therefore, you may find it difficult to cope with the symptoms of hay fever, especially if you cannot tell whether or not you are suffering more because of your lack of medication.
Will I be able to take medication for hay fever if I am pregnant?
Whether you are considering a Romford hay fever jab or are just taking antihistamines, you may have to think carefully about the type of medication you use to settle your hay fever, if you do decide to have the hay fever jab we also have clinics in Tilbury and London.
You will not be able to take normal hay fever medication, namely because they could have a negative impact on your pregnancy, but there are alternatives you can consider.
You may want to use steroid nasal sprays, because only a small amount will go into your blood stream. Therefore, not a lot will be passed on to your baby. You can also think about using saline nasal sprays. These can be used to wash the pollen out of your nose.
Some additional ways you can lessen the impact of hay fever include getting a good night’s sleep, leaving pollen-covered clothes out of the bedroom, and wetting your hair before you lie on pillows or blankets to stop pollen from settling on the fabric.
You might also look to remove flowers or plants from the house, leave your shoes at the front door, and brush any pets so that pollen does not stick to them.
