Known as one of the most delicate periods in a woman’s life, pregnancy can bring various uncertainties and minor issues that may arise to disrupt this special moment. Problems such as allergy during pregnancy can appear at any time. For mothers who already have children and are more experienced, these small things may not bother them as much, or they are even more easily avoided, but for first-time mothers, everything that involves this phase is new. Are allergies during pregnancy harmful to the baby? Can they be harmful to the pregnant woman? Is it safe to take allergy medications during pregnancy? Many of these questions often arise, but for us to answer them, we need to analyze how and why each type of allergy occurs during pregnancy.
What is an Allergy?
Allergies are, by definition, reactions of the immune system to some type of substance, ranging from animal hair, dust, and pollen to various types of medications, foods, or even cleaning products1. There are various reasons why a person has allergies. The first is heredity, which causes us to inherit them from our ancestors, but you also need to take into account the lifestyle in big cities, which makes us live among pollutants and encourages the appearance of various types of allergies. As we have said before, pregnancy is a period in which several changes occur in a woman’s body. That’s why it is possible for some types of allergies to develop during pregnancy, even if they have never occurred before. This usually happens because a woman’s body is more sensitive during this period of hormonal changes, making the body more vulnerable and causing allergy during pregnancy.
Types of Allergy During Pregnancy
There are basically three types of allergies that occur because of pregnancy:
Each of them can manifest in different ways in pregnant women’s bodies and require different specific types of care. Let’s talk about each one in greater detail so that we can better understand what they’re about.
Food Allergy
This may happen mainly with food additives present in processed and industrialized foods, and also with foods that have higher allergic potential, such as cow’s milk, peanuts, soy, eggs, seafood, and even citrus fruits. The effects are generally digestive difficulties, which can cause significant discomfort. It can also lead to skin responses such as rashes or localized itching.
Respiratory Allergy
The most common cases of respiratory allergy during pregnancy are rhinitis and asthma, which can worsen if the woman already has this type of issue before becoming pregnant. Itchy nose, runny nose, constant sneezing, and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms pregnant women feel. Rhinitis can worsen and end up leading to asthma, but in some cases, although rarer, the condition may even disappear after childbirth.
Skin Allergy
A very common allergy during pregnancy is skin allergy, which can manifest in several different ways, from mild itching to urticaria, polymorphic eruptions, and rashes. The causes of this type of allergy may come from foods, but the body is also more sensitive to insect bites, for example, which can cause more serious effects in pregnant women.
How to Treat Allergy During Pregnancy
Treating an allergy during pregnancy is not the same as treating a regular allergy, because great care must be taken to ensure that medications do not interfere in any way with the woman’s pregnancy, as many antihistamines are contraindicated in these cases precisely because they may cause consequences such as fetal malformation or even miscarriage in more severe cases. The best recommendation is to seek a specialist doctor who will provide the appropriate treatment for each specific case of allergy during pregnancy. This way, you ensure you will be treated without affecting your baby. Even so, there are ways to avoid developing these allergies, which also prevents you from having to visit a doctor to treat them. The best way is to maintain a healthy diet, avoiding processed or overly heavy foods. If a woman already has respiratory allergy cases before becoming pregnant, it is also important that her doctor is aware of this before the condition might worsen.
Does Allergy During Pregnancy Affect the Baby?
We have already mentioned that some types of treatment can affect the development of the fetus, but can the allergy itself also have consequences? The answer is yes. Although the consequences are not disastrous, it is proven that mothers who have untreated allergies during pregnancy are more likely to have children who develop some type of allergy. This happens because the immune system of the fetus is not yet complete and mature enough to fight allergies, so they end up developing them as well. There are several types of allergies and some of them can be harmful during pregnancy. But even so, there are always simple and effective treatments so you can have a healthy pregnancy even with some type of allergy manifesting. The most important thing is to know that you need treatment and get it as soon as possible when you identify any type of allergy during pregnancy that could affect you or the baby. These are simple things, but ones we often overlook due to lack of attention. Therefore, no matter what type of allergy you may have, it is always good to seek treatment so that there are no consequences in your pregnancy. See also: 9 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy Photo: mijoko
