Congestion or a stuffy nose starts during pregnancy and usually lasts for at least six weeks. The symptoms are often confused with conditions of other diseases.
Pregnancy rhinitis
Pregnancy rhinitis is also understood as stuffy nose or nasal congestion.👃 The symptoms are neither severe nor linked to infection or allergies. The signs can be similar to the stuffiness you experience when you have a cold.🤒
Is it pregnancy rhinitis or other conditions?
👃Allergic rhinitis
If allergies are the main cause of your nasal congestion, you’ll always experience sneezing👃, itchiness in the eyes👁️, nose or throat. Be aware that preexisting allergies are unpredictable during this sensitive era and may improve better or worse.
👃Cold or flu
If you have a stuffy nose as well as coughing, a sore throat, a mild fever🌡️, and muscle aches, you will probably catch a cold.😷 During pregnancy, your immune system is weaker so you are more susceptible to cold or flu.
👃Sinusitis
Viral and bacterial infections🦠 causing stuffy nose can lead to sinusitis, a sinus infection. It’s more likely you’ll experience more symptoms such as fever, headache, ache in upper jaw, green or yellow mucus, facial pain, or a weird sense of smell.🙂
👃COVID-19
Although COVID-19 can cause pregnancy congestion, it is linked with other recognizable symptoms such as fever🌡️, cough and fatigue😫. If you only experience congestion, it is hard to tell the difference based on just one symptom, so if you’re concerned, you should get tested.🙆♀️
How to manage pregnancy rhinitis?
👃Exercise
Safe and gentle exercise🏃♀️ is one of the best ways to make you breathe more easily. Regular exercise can also keep your pregnancy weight gain in check and prepare you the best health for your future delivery.🙆♀️
👃Stay hydrated
Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.🥛 You should only drink water and healthy fruit juce, and avoid all beverages like soda.
👃Elevate your head when sleeping
Uplift your head a bit when you lie down when sleeping.💤 The position helps you sleep better and breathe more easily.
👃Saline nose drops
Saline nose drops or saline nasal spray is the best remedy to ease nasal congestion.👃 Try to use it three to four times a day until you feel better.🙂
👃Humidifier
Dry air can worsen your nose condition. Use a humidifier or vaporizer in your bedroom when you sleep to add moisture to the air and warm up your nose.😃