Tips for Managing Your Allergies While Pregnant

If you suffer from allergies and are pregnant, here are a few tips to help you manage your allergies, including what medications are safe to take.

You’ve felt everything in the book while on your nine-month journey, from backaches to morning sickness to fatigue.

However, some expectant mothers may also experience the agony of having itchy eyes, sore throats, and nasal congestion.

If you’re in this boat, you’re probably wondering if you have a cold or are experiencing allergies and how you can treat your symptoms. Here are a few tips for managing your allergies while pregnant.

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What’s Safe and What’s Not Safe?

You should check with your primary care doctor to see what medications you can take while pregnant, even if you take them regularly.

Before taking any antihistamines, you should check with your doctor, but Benadryl and Claritin are commonly safe. Decongestants like DayQuil, Sudafed, and Claritin-D are typically off-limits, especially during your first trimester.

If you use nasal sprays, you can use the ones containing steroids, but you should still check with your doctor. However, you should not use any nasal spray that contains oxymetazoline.

How To Prevent Allergies During Pregnancy

The best way to manage your allergies while pregnant is to steer clear of any triggers.

You should stay away from anyone smoking because second-hand smoke could harm you and your baby.

If you’re allergic to pollen, try to stay indoors and surround yourself with filtered air and diffusers.

Wear sunglasses to prevent pollen from getting into your eyes when you’re outside.

Always take off your shoes before entering the house and hang your jacket in the front of your home to avoid bringing pollen throughout the house.

Be sure to dust regularly and vacuum weekly. This will help get rid of any allergens that you or your family may have brought into the house. 

Sometimes It’s Not Allergies

Sometimes those itchy eyes, congestion, sinus pressure, and other symptoms aren’t symptoms of allergies—they’re signs that your hormones are changing.

You likely already know that your body changes a lot when you’re pregnant, and during your last trimester, you may experience something called pregnancy rhinitis.

Pregnancy rhinitis occurs when the mucous membranes lining the nose are inflamed, causing symptoms that mimic allergies.