Sinusitis is a purulent inflammation that covers both paranasal sinuses or one of them. This disease is also called rhinosinusitis. It is dangerous with complications that can occur if you do not start treating it on time. Sinusitis during pregnancy is especially dangerous, since in this situation not all methods of treating this disease are suitable for a woman.
During pregnancy, the body's defenses are weakened, so it is not surprising that sinusitis during the period of bearing a child is extremely difficult to treat. And the means used in this case will be minimal, since they can have a negative impact on the development of the fetus.
So, what causes sinusitis during pregnancy?
Causes of sinusitis
In the early stages of pregnancy, a woman may feel like she has a runny nose, but this symptom does not mean that she is developing rhinosinusitis. Givenwell-being is due to the fact that specific processes that are not associated with the disease take place in the woman's body, but it is very dangerous to catch a cold during this period. This can lead to inflammation of the sinuses and the development of the above disease.
The nasal mucosa changes during pregnancy, in particular, the mucus that is on its surface changes its structure, becoming more concentrated and thick. This is due to hormonal changes in the female body. In turn, it contributes to the fact that harmful viruses and bacteria that enter the body through the nose linger in it, causing the risk of various diseases. Some of them begin to actively multiply in the sinuses and cause an inflammatory process.
Microorganisms that can cause sinusitis during pregnancy:
- viruses;
- hemophilic bacillus;
- mycoplasma;
- staph;
- streptococcus;
- chlamydia;
- fungi.
It often happens that sinusitis in pregnant women is provoked not by these microorganisms, but by untreated acute respiratory diseases, the consequence of which is this ailment.
Symptoms of sinusitis during pregnancy
The main alarming symptom that is characteristic of sinusitis during pregnancy is a constant feeling that the nose is blocked and breathing is difficult, as well as a severe headache. With the development of this disease, the symptoms become even morepronounced, and the main manifestations of sinusitis are:
- constant stuffy nose;
- pain in the sinuses, as well as over the bridge of the nose;
- discharge from the nose of a large amount of yellow-green mucus;
- headache, usually aggravated by lowering the head;
- night cough;
- nasopharyngeal odor (in rare cases);
- increase in temperature to subfebrile levels.
Consequences of sinusitis
The consequences of sinusitis during pregnancy in some cases can be very serious. Past infection affects the functioning of many body systems, and advanced sinusitis can lead to deep kidney damage, myocarditis, sepsis, brain abscess, rapid meningitis, etc.
Due to the fact that during this disease the process of oxygen supply to the body of a pregnant woman is disturbed, she may experience a variety of hypoxic disorders that affect the development of the unborn child. Nasal congestion poses a threat to the heart muscle, blood pressure and lungs.
The progression of this disease is a direct road to surgical intervention, since it is only by surgery that it is possible to suppress a strong inflammatory process, freeing the sinuses from purulent contents. The operation can negatively affect the psychological state of the mother, which in turn affects the unborn child, plus everything -medications that will later be used to treat such a patient may cause some developmental disturbances.
Diagnosis
The main difficulty in diagnosing sinusitis during pregnancy is that its symptoms are too similar to those that cause a common cold. Symptoms of rhinosinusitis may be too mild, so a pregnant woman may not be aware of the presence of this disease.
To determine sinusitis, as a rule, radiography of the frontal and nasal sinuses is used. However, it is not always possible to use this diagnostic method during pregnancy, as well as computed tomography. Thus, the following methods are used to diagnose the disease during pregnancy:
- Ultrasound examination of the nasal and frontal sinuses.
- Transmission of the maxillary sinuses - diaphanoscopy.
- Research using a thermal imager.
- Puncture of the contents of the sinuses.
The puncture in this case is of great therapeutic importance, since it is not only a diagnostic measure, but also a therapeutic manipulation.
Treatment in pregnant women
The use of many medications during pregnancy is excluded. Treatment with antibacterial drugs is possible only in cases where the risk of developing negative consequences of sinusitis is higher than the risk of disorders that may occur in the fetus. Such therapy is usuallygives fast and positive results. However, it is possible to avoid antibiotics if you see a doctor in a timely manner.
Rinse the nasal passages
The classic way to get rid of sinusitis is to carry out hygiene procedures in the nose of a pregnant patient. By washing the nasal passages and sinuses with special solutions, their contents are removed, along with bacteria that cause inflammation in these areas.
This procedure can be carried out independently at home, using special devices for washing the nose, for example, the Dolphin apparatus, which is a small container in the form of a sealed bottle with an air inlet tube. The patient tilts her head and the liquid from this device, by pressing it, pours first into one nostril, then into the second. In this case, water flows out of the opposite nostril, washing out congestive mucus from the nasal passages.
As a nasal wash, you can use a regular saline solution, or you can use a solution of sodium chloride or iodized s alt. In pharmacies, you can also purchase special powders for the preparation of such solutions, which also contain s alt, in particular sea s alt.
Medicines for pregnant women
Medicines, as already mentioned, should be used only in extreme cases and strictly as directed by a doctor.
These medicines can be special antibacterial medicines of sparing action,which can be prescribed during pregnancy without any fear, since they are not capable of causing a teratogenic effect. Among these drugs, antibiotics for sinusitis during pregnancy should be noted:
- Azithromycin;
- Spiramycin;
- Augmentin;
- 3rd generation cephalosporin antibiotics.
To prevent the negative effects that antibiotic therapy causes, pregnant women can use medications:
- "Bifiform";
- Hilak Forte;
- Linex and others.
Treatment of sinusitis during pregnancy at home should be carried out under the supervision of a physician.
Topical drugs
For topical use, a huge number of drugs are provided in the form of drops, sprays and ointments. They are necessary, but not all of them can be used during pregnancy. In order to reduce swelling in the area of inflammation of the sinuses, as well as to normalize breathing and restore the mucous membrane, the following medications can be used:
- "Nazivin";
- "Dlyanos";
- Otrivin;
- Otilin.
These drugs have a vasoconstrictive effect and help eliminate nasal congestion. These drugs are not recommended to be used more than twice a day, and the indicated dosages should also be observed.
In cases where a pregnant woman can do withoutuse of medicines, these drugs are not prescribed.
Another way to treat sinusitis during pregnancy?
Homeopathic remedies
A good alternative to the use of antibiotics are homeopathic medicines for the treatment of sinusitis. Among the most effective ones:
- Asinis;
- "Euphorbium compositum";
- Cinnabsin.
The duration of the use of these drugs is determined by the doctor and depends on the degree of the disease and its form. Homeopathic medicines act mainly on the very cause of the disease - weakened immunity, therefore medicines of this nature are usually used as additional methods of treatment, in combination with the main ones.
Sinus puncture
This procedure is designed to remove purulent contents from the nasal sinus by performing a puncture. After a puncture, a special needle is inserted inside, through which a liquid for washing enters the nasal sinus.
After the procedure, relief is immediately felt - breathing becomes free, headaches and a feeling of pressure in the forehead and in the nasal sinuses stop.
Treatment of sinusitis during pregnancy with folk remedies
Traditional medicines that can prevent and cure a disease such as sinusitis include:
- Rinse the nose with infusion of chamomile or calendula flowers.
- Infusion of herb cuff ordinary.
- Pepper herb infusionsmint and burdock.
- Decoction of horse sorrel herb.
- Infusion of grape leaves.
All of the above remedies are used to wash the sinuses using similar methods at home. Do not neglect traditional medicine, because sometimes, apart from them, nothing else can be used during pregnancy, and the effect of their use is no less positive than that of many drugs of chemical origin.
Reviews about sinusitis during pregnancy
Reviews of women are contradictory. Someone claims that it turned out to quickly cope with the disease, someone sinusitis has developed into a chronic form. In some cases, alternative treatment helps very well, sometimes the result is rather weak.
