Inflammation of the lungs is a life-threatening ailment. Pneumonia during pregnancy is doubly dangerous. It can significantly harm the health of the mother and the unborn child, even lead to death. Therefore, when the first symptoms of a pathological condition occur, you need to consult a specialist.
Pathogenesis
Pneumonia develops when an infection enters the body. Viral agents, fungi, bacteria (Klebsiella, pneumococci and others) can become provocateurs of the disease. Infection with pathogens occurs by airborne droplets. The disease is seasonal and develops in cold weather when the immune system cannot resist the infection. In addition, during pregnancy, the body’s defenses are weakened.
Pneumonia rarely develops as an independent disease. It is usually a complication of another respiratory ailment. For example, FLU , rhinitis, bronchitis.
Factors provoking pneumonia:
- the presence of addictions (alcohol and drug addiction, tobacco smoking );
- chronic lung pathology;
- endocrine disorders;
- immunodeficiency;
- heart failure;
- surgery, trauma to the chest, peritoneum;
- prolonged stay in a horizontal position (for example, in patients in a coma).
The above does not cause the disease, but increases the risk of its development. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor your health. If you experience symptoms of pneumonia in pregnant women, you should immediately contact the clinic.
Clinical picture
The clinical picture of a pathological condition manifests itself in different ways, depending on the degree of damage and the pathogenic agent. However, there are common manifestations in adults:
- lungs hurt;
- unproductive cough that becomes wet after a few days;
- runny nose, nasal congestion;
- blanching of the dermis, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle;
- shortness of breath, shortness of breath;
- slight increase in temperature, chills;
- painful sensations in the muscles;
- migraine, fatigue, general weakness.
The symptoms of pneumonia are similar to those that occur with a common cold. Therefore, pregnant patients rarely pay attention to them and turn to the doctor only when the pathology has become severe.
Diagnostic measures
If pneumonia is suspected, the doctor directs the patient to diagnose:
- blood test;
- the study of the gas composition of the blood fluid;
- bacterial culture of sputum;
- oximetry ;
- coagulogram ;
- radiography.
Exposure to X-rays is undesirable during gestation. If, nevertheless, this method of research for pneumonia is necessary, you need to inform the doctor about the pregnancy. He will give a special apron to cover the stomach and protect the unborn baby from the negative effects of X-rays.
Effects
Pneumonia while waiting for the baby is a threat to the mother and baby. However, due to a pathological condition, it is not necessary to have an abortion, because the disease is treatable.
For mother
If pneumonia therapy is started in a timely manner, adverse effects are rare. When treatment is prescribed in the late stages of the development of a pathological condition, intrapulmonary and extrapulmonary complications are possible. The first are:
- abscess, gangrene;
- swelling;
- exudative pleurisy;
- empyema of the pleural membrane;
- respiratory failure;
- broncho-obstructive syndrome.
Extrapulmonary complications of pneumonia:
- sepsis;
- inflammation of the soft membranes of the spinal cord and brain;
- infectious toxic shock;
- DIC syndrome;
- inflammation of the endocardium, myocardium.
In severe cases, pneumonia is fatal.
For a child
Pneumonia is especially dangerous for the embryo in the first trimester (up to 12 weeks), when it is just beginning its formation and development. Often, inflammation of the mother’s lungs leads to miscarriage or pregnancy fading.
If a woman’s pneumonia develops at a later date, when all the organs of the unborn child are already formed, this can provoke premature birth or the birth of an underweight baby. With pneumonia, you will have to give up lactation, because pathogenic microorganisms are able to enter the newborn’s body with breast milk. In addition, with pneumonia, medications are prescribed that adversely affect the health of the child. Without mother’s milk, the baby does not receive the necessary useful elements, more often it gets sick.
Therapies
Severe consequences can be avoided if treatment is started in the early stages of pneumonia. Therefore, a pregnant woman, if symptoms of a cold occur, should contact a medical institution for diagnosis. If the diagnosis is confirmed, pneumonia therapy is carried out in a hospital or out-of-hospital setting.
Is it possible to take antibiotics for pneumonia in pregnant women
Treatment for pneumonia during pregnancy includes antibiotics. Only a doctor can choose medications that affect the fetus to a lesser extent. Features of antibiotic therapy for pneumonia:
- antibacterial drugs are prescribed only after an accurate diagnosis has been made;
- the dosage and duration of treatment are determined by a specialist depending on the severity of the pathological condition, the pathogen, the presence of concomitant diseases;
- when prescribing antibiotics, it is important to observe the interval between doses;
- two days after the start of antibiotic therapy, a clinical assessment of the effectiveness of the drugs is performed (if there is a positive trend, the treatment regimen for pneumonia does not change);
- in advanced cases (for example, with bilateral lesions), the simultaneous administration of several drugs is prescribed;
- in a severe form of a pathological condition, medications are administered intravenously, after four to five days the patient is transferred to tablets.
Pregnant women should not self-medicate. Taking medications should be agreed with your doctor.
Taking medications for pneumonia
In addition to antibacterial drugs, the following are prescribed:
- bronchodilator drugs: make breathing easier, help to remove phlegm, eliminate shortness of breath;
- complexes of vitamins and minerals: restore immunity, enrich the body with useful elements;
- mucolytic and expectorant medicines: liquefy phlegm and promote its excretion;
- antihistamines: relieve swelling, prevent antibiotic allergies;
- immunoglobulin: eliminates the risk of developing intrauterine infection;
- Riboxin , Actovegin : do not give placental insufficiency.
The exact dosage and duration of treatment are also determined by the specialist. It is forbidden to prescribe medication for yourself for pneumonia.
ethnoscience
In addition to conservative treatments, pneumonia can be treated with alternative medicine. There are a huge number of them, the most effective:
- Dissolve 1 tbsp in 300 ml. l. butter. Take orally for better sputum discharge.
- Grind half a glass of raisins in a food processor or meat grinder. Pour a glass of water, put on low heat for ten minutes. Drink 3 times a day after meals.
- Mix 1 cup of crushed aloe leaves, 40 grams of birch buds, 60 grams of bluehead greens. Add 1 kg of natural honey to the medicinal collection. Keep in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Drink three times a day before meals.
Folk recipes cannot replace the main treatment and relieve pneumonia. They are only able to stop the symptoms of pneumonia. Any non-traditional method of therapy is agreed with the doctor.
Forecast
With pneumonia in pregnant women, childbirth takes place naturally. Breastfeeding is possible only after the condition has returned to normal.
If the disease is detected in the early stages, the prognosis in most cases is favorable for both the mother and the child. If pneumonia is severely started, the treatment does not follow all the recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor, there is a risk of death.
Prevention of pneumonia
Preventive measures to prevent the development of pneumonia:
- get vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcus before pregnancy ;
- wash your hands, treat your nose with disinfectants after staying in crowded places;
- dress for the weather so as not to overcool or overheat;
- timely treat concomitant ailments;
- eat rationally, foods should contain a large amount of vitamins and protein;
- walk more often in the fresh air, preferably in a coniferous forest;
- do moderate physical activity daily;
- regularly visit the office of an obstetrician-gynecologist;
- to refuse from bad habits;
- do not lie down for a long time.
Pneumonia is easier to prevent than to cure for a long time. Especially while waiting for a child.