Handling Food Allergies During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is no easy feat, from that moment that you knew that youre pregnant the drastic change in your life will definitely begin immediately. From that time on youll want to make sure that youre eating healthy, that you visit your doctor regularly, you stay away from alcohol and other stuff that may harm your baby, and squeezing in the time to have enough exercise and sunlight to provide the best for your child to be.
Food allergy brings pregnancy to a different level. The word extra will be very relevant like extra careful, extra precautions, extra stocks of things in your pantry, extra time, etc. This is expected behavior because of the second life that you need to take care of.
Immunotherapy And Influenza Vaccine
Allergen immunotherapy is often effective for those patients in whom symptoms persist despite optimal environmental control and proper drug therapy. Allergen immunotherapy can be carefully continued during pregnancy in patients who are benefiting and not experiencing adverse reactions. Due to the greater risk of anaphylaxis with increasing doses of immunotherapy and a delay of several months before it becomes effective, it is generally recommended that this therapy not be started during pregnancy.
Patients receiving immunotherapy during pregnancy should be carefully evaluated. It may be appropriate to lower the dosage in order to further reduce the chance of an allergic reaction to the injections.
Influenza vaccine is recommended for all patients with moderate and severe asthma. There is no evidence of associated risk to the mother or fetus.
What Causes Seasonal Allergies
- cocklebur
- trees
- tumbleweed
Depending on where you live, spring allergies can pop up around February and end in early summer. Fall allergies can take place in late summer and continue until late fall. Pregnancy can make seasonal allergies worse. Also, a condition called rhinitis of pregnancy can cause similar symptoms to seasonal allergies. This usually occurs in the last trimester. But the cause of rhinitis of pregnancy is extra hormones, not allergens.
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Can I Prevent Allergies
While people with allergies cannot prevent the condition, they can try to avoid or reduce exposure to allergens or triggers. Pollen is a common allergen in Australia, and can be hard to avoid, but to minimise your exposure you could try to:
- stay indoors where possible during pollen season, on windy days, or after thunderstorms
- avoid activities that expose you to pollen, such as mowing grass
- shower as soon as you can after youve been exposed to pollen
- switch your car air-conditioning setting to use re-circulated air when pollen levels are high
Can I Take Allergy Medications While Breastfeeding
Yes, you can definitely find certain medicines approved for use during breastfeeding. You need to talk about it with your doctor who will tell you what types of allergy medications you can or cannot take during this special time. Generally, most OTC medications for allergy are safe while nursing. Certain prescription medications are ok too. You just need to keep a few things in mind.
General Rules
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Rating Your Allergy Medications
When examining medications, the CDC has created the following system of examining medicine use in pregnancy:
Class A: Safe to use, no known side effects
Examples for allergies: oral antihistamine such as loratadine or cetirizine
Class B: Possibly safe, no tests on human subjects to show side effects
Examples for allergies: budesonide nasal spray , fluticasone nasal spray or mometasone nasal spray
Class C: Some risks, but potential benefits to the pregnant person may upset the risks
Class D: Positive examples of birth defects, risk may still be low enough
Class X: Unsafe for pregnancy, the risks outweigh the benefits
We recommend staying within class A and B for medication use in pregnancy. If youre curious what is safe for other ailments, heres a handy guide.
What Can I Do To Reduce Allergy Symptoms During Pregnancy Without Taking Medications
Stay away from people who are smoking. Smoke can make allergies worse. Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy isnt good for you or your baby.
If youre allergic to pollen, try to stay inside as much as possible. If you do go outside, try wearing wraparound sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes. When you come back inside, take off your shoes, wash your hands and face, and change clothes so the pollen doesnt stay with you. Then put your clothes in the wash. Shower and wash your hair before you go to sleep to help relieve nighttime symptoms.
If youre allergic to dust, make sure your house is cleaned regularly or hire someone to clean for you. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, a wet mop or a sweeper to avoid stirring up dust. A microfiber cloth is better than a traditional feather duster. Try to keep away from attics, basements and other musty places.
If youre allergic to pets, let your dog- and cat-owning friends know of your allergy before you drop by so they have time to make arrangements. If youre suddenly allergic to your own pet, try to make at least one room in your house pet-free.
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How Pregnancy Can Affect Allergies
If youve already noticed that youre more bothered by allergies, youre not alone. Studies suggest that allergy symptoms increase for 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women. But allergies are also unpredictable. Some women find no change while others say theyre less affected when pregnant, and still others develop allergies for the first time.
Though having allergies can be difficult for you, the allergies themselves dont seem to affect your baby directly. What you take for them, however, could pass to him or her in the womb. The problem is that it’s not entirely clear which drugs do this, making it hard to know whats truly safe, according to research in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Also, few studies have looked at the best ways to treat allergies in pregnant women.
What Is The Best Allergy Medication For Kids
Nasonex and Veramist are approved for use in children over 2 years of age, and Flonase can be used in children over 4 years of age. Antihistamine nasal sprays are another option for children and include Pathanase for children older than 6 years and Astelin and Astepro for children 12 years and older.
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Can You Take Allergy Medicine While Pregnant
Brian Levine, MD, MS, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
Seasonal allergies can be tricky to manage in the best of times, but when youre pregnant , staying on top of your allergy symptoms feels like a major effort.
You dont want to take anything that could harm your baby, but you also cant spend any more days walking around in an allergy-induced fog. What is safe to take for your allergies while pregnant and what isnt? Heres a breakdown of your options.
What Is The Best Allergy Medicine For Kids
The best allergy medicine for kids depends on your child’s age, symptoms, and other health conditions. If your child is diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, treatment can include nasal sprays, such as cromolyn sodium, or oral antihistamines, such as loratadine , fexofenadine or cetirizine for mild or episodic symptoms.3 Zyrtec has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for children older than 6 months of age. Claritin and Allegra have been approved for use in children age 2 and older. Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin are available in a liquid syrup formulation that is specially dosed for children.
For children with severe allergy symptoms that are not relieved by oral medications, a steroidal nasal spray may be considered. Nasacort, Flonase and Nasonex have all been approved by the FDA for children over the age of 2 years. The dose is typically one spray per nostril, once daily. Nosebleeds are a common side effect of these nasal sprays but are usually nothing to worry about. Coating the insides of your child’s nostrils with a saline gel, like Ayr, may help prevent this side effect.
If you are looking for an allergy medicine for a child of toddler age or older who is experiencing itchy eyes, consider topical allergy eye drops, such as olopatadine , for kids 3 years and older, or ketotifen , for children 2 years and older. These are antihistamine medications that can relieve itchy eyes due to allergens for up 12 hours.
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Is Benadryl Safe To Take While Pregnant
When youre pregnant, you may have questions about the safety of certain medications, including medications available over-the-counter. Many over-the-counter medications are considered safe during pregnancy, while others arent. One medicine commonly used is Benadryl. However, is Benadryl safe to take while pregnant? In general, can you take allergy medicine while pregnant? Benadryl is a brand-name allergy medication, and its classified as an antihistamine. The active ingredient in Benadryl is called diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine can help with symptoms of not only allergies but also a cold and hay fever. Some of the symptoms people might use Benadryl for can include itchy, watery eyes and nose, a cough and sneezing. In some cases, the active ingredient in Benadryl is also used to help people who struggle with nausea, vomiting and motion sickness. Benadryl and other similar allergy medicines are available as liquids, tablets or capsules.
Heartburn Or Indigestion During Pregnancy
Heartburn, also known as indigestion or acid reflux, is common during pregnancy for a number of reasons including hormonal changes. To treat heartburn during pregnancy try the following:
- Avoid spicy foods
- Try not to eat late
- Sleep with an extra pillow
⢠TUMS during pregnancy
The safest medicinal option for treating heartburn during pregnancy is calcium carbonate containing preparations such as TUMS.
⢠Antacids during pregnancy
Some antacids are safe for treating heartburn during pregnancy. But products containing sodium bicarbonate should be avoided, as they can affect the blood pH and fluid balance. It is also thought that magnesium antacids can affect the baby.
⢠Gaviscon during pregnancy
Medicines such as Gaviscon that contain alginates are safe to take during pregnancy, and can be especially useful for heartburn caused by the pressure of the baby on the stomach. These medicines form a raft on top of the stomach contents that stops the acid from going back up the food pipe.
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What Is The Best Allergy Medicine For Pet Allergies
Cassava should be administered daily for allergies. Yucca Intensive, a liquid concentrate, is an effective product that is safe for cats and dogs with allergies. It can also be given along with your petâs food or applied directly to itchy skin areas. Shampoos and conditioners relieve allergy symptoms.
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Can Pregnancy Make Me More Sensitive To Hay Fever
Yes during pregnancy you may find that you are more sensitive to your allergy triggers and that they are more troublesome. While the exact reasons for this are not clear, it may be due to hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, and because during pregnancy your blood volume increases to support your growing baby.
If you do not have a history of allergy or hay fever and suddenly find you have symptoms, see your doctor to check for other conditions that may need to be treated.
Hay fever should not lead to serious breathing difficulties. If you feel you cant get enough air, your chest feels very tight, you are breathless, or you feel like youre being suffocated, seek medical advice immediately.
If you have unexplained breathing problems, especially if they are severe and come on quickly, call triple zero for an ambulance.
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Can I Take Allergy Medication While Pregnant
Ah, allergies. Unless you have them, very few people can appreciate how awful they can be. So if you need to take allergy medication during pregnancy you can imagine how uptight some people get about it and wonder why you dont just suffer through it. To these people I say, suck my snot.
Not unlike cold medication, the trick here is to take medication that has been around a long time. Nobody has ever raised their hand and said, use me and my unborn child as guinea pigs to test your fine medication, my good sir. so all the data has to be collected over years and years of medical findings to see if kids are growing seven belly buttons from a medication.
The ones that have been deemed low risk are Diphenhydramine and Loratadine. Some sites say Pseudoephedrine is okay if youre out of your first trimester, but a few other sites say to stay away from it all together. Im not sure if there is merit to this or they are just giving it the thumbs down on account of the first trimester iffyness.
Another interesting tidbit I found is that many women are prescribed antihistamines for morning sickness. Who knew?
There are quite a few non-medical, natural remedies out there as well.
As for nasal sprays, only saline nasal sprays have been given the thumbs up. Everybody gets really pissy about the good stuff like Otrivin because even though they havent be shown to cause birth defects, they havent be shown not to either.
Gesundheit.
What Allergy Medicines Can You Take While Pregnant
What allergy medicines can you take while pregnant
- Are allergy medicines safe to take while Im pregnant or breastfe?
- http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/allergies-key-qampa.html
- Pregnant women should always consult their doctor before using any type of allergy medication. While some allergy drugs are considered safe, others may pose a risk to the fetus. If you are trying to have a baby, you should talk to your doct
- What are acceptable allergy/cold medicines to take while pregnant?
- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080607193222AAIQuhe
- You should really ask your doctor this question for the most accurate information. Dont rely on web sites when it comes to taking medication while pregnant. You will find contradicting advice and some web sites that have wrong information
- Can I take any type of allergy medicine while pregnant??
- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090711073711AAtoh6Y
- For the time being, you can safely take Benadryl, which will help somewhat with the itching and things. But for a more long term solution your doctor will have to decide if they want to put you on Claritin or Zyrtec or something similar. Th
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How To Prevent Allergies During Pregnancy
Wondering what you can do for allergies during pregnancy besides taking medicine? In general, the best defense is a good offense. Try these tips to prevent or alleviate allergy symptoms while you’re expecting:
- Stay away from people who are smoking. Smoke can make allergies worse, and exposure to second-hand smoke during pregnancy isn’t good for you or your baby.
- If youre allergic to pollen: Try to stay inside where theres filtered, air-conditioned air. If you do go outside, try wearing wraparound sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes. When you come back inside, take off your shoes, wash your hands and face, and change clothes so the pollen doesn’t stay with you. Showering and washing your hair before you go to sleep can also help relieve nighttime symptoms.
- If youre allergic to dust: Heres your excuse to get someone else to do the cleaning for you! Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, a wet mop or a sweeper to avoid stirring up dust. A microfiber cloth is better than a traditional feather duster. Also try to stay away from attics, basements and other musty places.
- If youre allergic to pets: Let your dog- and cat-owning friends know of your allergy before you drop by, so they have time to make arrangements .
Food Allergies During Pregnancy
Wondering if peanut butter is safe for the little peanut you’re feeding? Good news: The latest research suggests that eating peanuts while pregnant not only doesn’t trigger peanut and other allergies in baby-to-be, but it may actually prevent them. So as long as you’re not personally allergic to peanuts, there’s no reason to skip them now that you’re expecting. Same goes for dairy and other highly-allergenic foods.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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Drug Safety During Pregnancy
According to the Food and Drug Administration , no medicines are considered completely safe during pregnancy. This is because most medications have not been tested in pregnant women. Pregnant women are, naturally, reluctant to sign up for medication safety studies.
Therefore, the FDA has created pregnancy registries that help inform clinicians about the relative safety of specific medications. These registries contain observational information that healthcare providers have gleaned from observing their patients taking medications during pregnancy.
Your healthcare provider can use this information, along with informative prescription labeling, to help you decide whether a medication is right for you.
It is your healthcare provider’s responsibility to talk to you about the risks and benefits of continuing, stopping, or starting a medication while pregnant. Because every woman is different, these risks and benefits must be gauged on an individual basis.
Every pregnancy is different. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of medications for you.
The newer prescription labeling system replaced the old system of putting drugs into categories labeled A, B, C, D, and X. Newer prescription labels provide more detailed information about the potential risks to expectant mothers, developing fetuses, and breastfeeding babies.
