Pregnancy

Asthma and Pregnancy

Asthma is a chronic condition characterized by labored breathing and wheezing, the sense of chest constriction, and often attacks, gasping or coughing. There are multiple genetic, environmental and developmental factors, which interact to produce asthma, although often it is from an allergic origin.

During pregnancy, the risks of developing uncontrolled asthma are greater than other risks to the pregnant woman or her developing baby as a result of the condition and the lack of medications to control it. Due to the fact that the mother-to-be is breathing for two, asthma has to be controlled.

If you have had asthma episodes in the past, before conception occurred, you know what it means: breathing difficulties. However, did you know that once pregnant it can affect your baby by compromising the oxygen supply? Controlling your asthma increases your chances of having no complications during pregnancy, labor and birth, just like most non-asthmatic women.

Your obstetrician or health care practitioner can help you to keep your asthma under control during the nine months, because uncontrolled can be the triggering factor of serious maternal and fetal complications, such as maternal blood pressure, preeclampsia, premature birth and low birth weight.

Pregnant women, who suffer from asthma before pregnancy, have a decline in their asthma status in about 1/3, another 1/3 improves dramatically their asthma health, and 1/3 of them remain at an unchanged status during the different stages of gestation.

Although most medications are safe during pregnancy, including over-the-counter drugs, it is important to ask your doctor's opinion to make sure there are no side effects or worries to cause you undo stress. Preventive therapy for asthma should include the avoidance of allergy factors, which can trigger the condition. This therapy usually includes the control of your environment.

Dust and pollen are the main factors leading to asthma, but some people, pregnant or not, have exercise-induced asthma, which means that their asthma symptoms, including shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, are triggered by exercise or regular physical activity requiring any additional effort.

This condition is also known as exercise-induced bronchospasm that can be reduced by the intake of medication before exercise, warm-up and cool down as part of the fitness routine and wearing a scarf over the mouth and nose when exercising outdoors in the cold air or the when the temperature is low.

Another well-known factor contributing to asthma is smoking because of the risks a pregnant woman who smokes faces. She should avoid smoking not only to avoid severe asthma episodes, but also to avoid other serious risks to the developing baby, receiving a reduced oxygen supply and adding to the blood large amounts of carbon monoxide gas from cigarette smoke.

An Influenza vaccine given after the first trimester of pregnancy is recommended, if you have identified viral infections causing your asthma, as well as periodic visits to your doctor in order to monitor your asthma status, through lung function tests.