Pollen floating on the surface of water.
When you are pregnant, allergy symptoms are exacerbated by two factors. First, pregnant women tend to have more nasal congestion because of increased blood volume. Secondly, they are limited in the medications they can take. There are a number of safe options for managing allergy symptoms during pregnancy. Always consult with your doctor before taking any medication while pregnant, even over-the-counter medications.
Minimizing Irritation
Minimize your exposure to irritants as much as you can. If you are allergic to pollen, for example, keep your windows closed and use your air conditioner. Change your air conditioner filters regularly, and consider having your ducts professionally cleaned. An air purifier also might help. Minimize your time spent outdoors, especially before 10 a.m., when pollen levels are at their highest. Always bathe before going to bed and wash your hair, as pollen can lodge there when you are outdoors. Keep your indoor environment clean and free from mold and mildew. Consider using a humidifier to prevent irritation from dry nasal passages, and be sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Using saline nasal mist also might help minimize discomfort in the nasal passages.
Dietary Issues
If you have pollen allergies, consider whether oral allergy syndrome may be affecting you. For example, a person allergic to ragweed may experience allergy symptoms after eating a raw banana. If you do have oral allergy syndrome, you may be able to eat offending foods without symptoms if they are cooked. Make sure to maintain a healthy diet with a variety of foods for the health of you and baby. Dr. Cathleen London, a family physician who also uses natural treatments for her patients, recommends liberal use of cooked tomato products in your diet to help minimize allergy symptoms. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene.
Nasal Irrigation
Nasal irrigation is a popular choice for relieving allergy symptoms. Nasal irrigation helps rinse allergens out of the nasal passages and also can be soothing. Because no medication is involved, it is safe to use during pregnancy. You can use a neti pot or purchase products designed especially for nasal irrigation.
Honey
Local honey is a traditional remedy for allergy symptoms. The best honey for this purpose is raw, unpasteurized honey from your local area. The theory is that it will contain small amounts of local allergens, and consuming the honey will allow you to build up an immunity, although there are no scientific studies to confirm this. Many allergy sufferers have found great success with this method. Begin with a very small amount of honey each day, less than 1/4 tsp., to make sure you will not have any adverse reactions. Gradually increase your intake until you are consuming about 1 tsp. daily.
Other Options
Homeopathy is safe to use during pregnancy. For best results, consult with a trained homeopath in your area. Acupressure can help relieve allergy symptoms, although there are some acupressure points that should be avoided during pregnancy. A 2008 study from the United Kingdom found that probiotics, such as lactobacillus casei shirota, minimized symptoms of allergic rhinitis. You may want to try a probiotic supplement to see if it helps with your allergy symptoms.
Tags: allergy symptoms, during pregnancy, nasal passages, allergy syndrome, also might