Tag: Prevention

Allergies During Pregnancy — Prevention and Cure

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Pregnancy is one of life’s many phases when your body undergoes different changes. These changes occur mainly due to hormones which influence to a great extent your immune system and your susceptibility to allergies.

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Causes of allergies in pregnant women

Allergies are the most problems that occur during pregnancy due to various reasons. Fungus, dust, pollen etc. are some of the environmental allergens that lead to sniffling, sneezing, and watery eyes. Most pregnant women suffer from food allergies and have rashes or itching on skin. The allergic reactions may also occur due to medicines, chemicals, animal dander or insect bites. Some of the allergies go away quickly while some persist for long. This depends solely if you have taken these allergies seriously or not.

If you have asthma before conceiving, then you must take proper care so that it doesn’t worsen during pregnancy. You can take certain measures to prevent occurrence of allergies during this period.

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Follow these preventive measures:

  • Quit smoking during pregnancy. Moreover, stay away from people who smoke. It will not only help in preventing allergies but also help in the healthy development of your baby.
  • Avoid food causing allergies: When you get pregnant, make a note of those foods that you have already been allergic to. Some of the common food allergens are peanut, soy, wheat, sesame, egg, milk, fish, shellfish etc.  Such allergens have a tendency to trigger the immune system.  Once you have identified them and avoid them, then take expert opinion for confirming how your nutritional requirements are to be met.  Maintain a food diary before meeting the nutritionist.

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  • Stop alcohol intake: In order to avoid allergies during pregnancy, you should avoid taking alcohol which is dangerous to your baby, as well.
  • Stay indoors: If you are allergic to pollen, try to stay inside your house where there is filtered air conditioning. And if you go out, you can wear sunglasses and remove your shoes outside the door. Don’t forget to wash your face and hands immediately after coming from outside.
  • Stay away from dust: Use vacuum cleaners and wet mops to clean your house in order to avoid dust allergies during pregnancy. Keeping clean will help you avoid dust allergies.
  • Keep your pets away: During pregnancy, you may have allergic infections due to animal dander. If you have a pet at home, make sure to have a separate room in your house in which your pet doesn’t enter.
  • Avoid chemicals: During your pregnancy, stay away from household chemicals like paint thinner as it may worsen your allergies.

Treatment for allergies during pregnancy

If you are suffering from allergies before pregnancy and having regular medications, then you should consult your doctor if they can be continued or not after you get pregnant. While you should always consult your doctor before taking any type of medications, here are a few medications to treat allergies:

  • Antihistamines: Generally, over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamines are considered to be safe during pregnancy. They help in treating seasonal allergies and perennial allergies. But they have side effects like drowsiness etc.
  • Allergy shots: If you are having allergy shots before pregnancy, then only allergy shots are considered to be safe. But many allergists feel that it not a good idea to start allergy shots during pregnancy as they may cause reactions to the already changing immune system due to pregnancy.

 

Images Courtesy:

http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/more-about-allergy/pregnancy/

www.consumerhealthdigest.com

www.babymed.com

Back pain during pregnancy — How to overcome it

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Back pain is one of the common problems that occur during pregnancy. Most pregnant women suffer from back pain mainly due to weight gain. But this doesn’t mean you have to suffer throughout the pregnancy. Besides consulting your doctor, there are several ways (read further below) you can overcome back pain during pregnancy.

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Factors causing back pain during pregnancy:

  • Weight gain: Gaining weight during pregnancy is quite a normal phenomenon. But some women tend to gain more weight than required. The extra weight  puts a load on your spine resulting in lower backache and other complications. Moreover, the weight of the developing baby and the uterus puts pressure on the nerves and blood vessels of the pelvis and back.
  • Hormonal changes: This is another factor causing back pain in pregnant women. Due to the hormone called Relaxin, the ligaments in the pelvic area tend to relax and the joints loosen. It also loosens the ligaments supporting the spine that causes instability causing back pain.
  • Changes in posture: As you gain weight during pregnancy, the centre of gravity also changes. So, in order to be comfortable, you change your sitting postures, the way you walk etc. These changes in posture give rise to back pain.
  • Muscle separation: As time passes, the uterus starts expanding more and more. In the process, the two parallel stretches of muscle between the rib cage and pubic bone get separated along the centre seam. This process worsens backache if you are already suffering from it.
  • Emotional stress: During pregnancy, emotional stress causes tension in the back muscles which may result in back pain.

Back pain during pregnancy can lead to following:

  • Difficulty in getting up from a sitting posture
  • You may find it difficult to change positions on the bed
  • Uneasiness while walking for a longer period of time
  • Dressing and undressing may become a problem
  • Difficulty while taking a bath
  • Doing work with back pain becomes very painful

How to ease back pain during pregnancy?

Following these points can help you get rid of your back pain to a great extent:

  • Exercise: Exercising is one of the best ways to ease backache in pregnant women. Walking, cycling on stationary cycle and swimming are some of the safe exercises which you can do while pregnant. Exercising for at least 30 minutes five times a week will not only help you strengthen your body muscles but also increase your flexibility. Staying active by doing exercises and light work is the key to reducing back pain during pregnancy.

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  • Posture: Improving your posture helps in getting relief from backache. You should avoid staying in the same posture for a long period of time. While sitting you can use a cushion at the back and rest your feet on a stool. Using maternity pillows while sleeping also help to reduce backache.
  • Acupuncture: Acupuncture helps you to get rid of back pain. But it is very necessary to get it done by experienced professionals.
  • Heat and cold: To get relief from pain, you may apply cold packs or hot water bag according to your convenience. Even a warm bath can be helpful to reduce back pain.

 

Images Courtesy:

http://dmatxi.com/05/how-to-reduce-back-pain-during-pregnancy.html

www.feelingprettyremarkable.com

Prevention of Cervical Cancer (HPV Vaccine)

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What is HPV ?

HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is a common virus that is passed from one person to another through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Most sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never even know it. HPV infection is most common in late teens and early 20s.

There are many strains (types) of HPV that can infect the genital areas of men and women. Most HPV types cause no symptoms and go away on their own. But some types can cause cervical cancer in women and other less common cancers – like cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, and vulva (area around the opening of the vagina) and oropharynx (back of throat including base of tongue and tonsils). Other types of HPV can cause warts in the genital areas of men and women. These genital warts are not life-threatening. However, they can cause emotional stress and the treatment can be very uncomfortable.

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Pic courtesy:  http://www.virology.wisc.edu/virusworld/viruslist.php?virus=hpv

Why are HPV vaccines important ?

The vaccines target the HPV types that most commonly cause cervical cancer. One of the two currently available vaccines also protects against genital warts caused by HPV. Both vaccines are highly effective in preventing specific HPV types.

What is the vaccination schedule ?

The schedule is three doses of intramuscular injections, administered over a period of six months.

Who needs to get vaccinated ?

HPV vaccination is recommended for girls and women (9 to 45 years of age).

Can pregnant women take the vaccine ?

The vaccines are not recommended for pregnant women. Although studies show that HPV vaccines do not cause problems for babies born to women who received HPV vaccination when pregnant, more research is still needed. If the patient becomes pregnant in the middle of the vaccine series, then the doses should be completed after delivery. Vaccination can be given during breastfeeding.

Should girls and women be screened for cervical cancer before getting vaccinated?

Girls and women do not need to get an HPV test or Pap test to find out if they should get the vaccine. However it is important that women continue to be screened for cervical cancer, even after getting all three shots of the HPV vaccine.

How effective is the vaccination ?

It is a prophylactic vaccine. As with any vaccine, a protective immune response may not be elicited in all cases. The vaccines are less effective in preventing HPV-related disease in young women who have already been exposed to one or more HPV types. That is because the vaccines can prevent HPV only before a person is exposed to it. HPV vaccines do not treat existing HPV infections or HPV-associated diseases.

How long does the vaccine protection last ?

Research suggests that the vaccine protection is long-lasting. Current studies (with up to about seven years of follow-up data) indicate that the vaccines are effective long term, with no evidence of decreasing immunity.

Do the vaccines protect against all HPV types ?

The vaccines do not protect against all HPV types. They are ineffective in about 30% of cervical cancers. It is important, therefore, for women to continue regular screening (Pap tests) for cervical cancer.

How safe is the vaccine ?

Both vaccines have been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and approved by Centre for Disease Control (CDC) as safe and effective. Common mild adverse events reported during these studies include pain at the injection site, fever, dizziness and nausea.

In what other ways can women prevent cervical cancer ?

Regular cervical cancer screening and follow-up can prevent most cases of cervical cancer. The Pap test can detect cell changes in the cervix before they turn into cancer. Pap tests can also detect most, but not all, cervical cancers at an early treatable stage. There are HPV tests, which may be used with the Pap test in certain cases, to help determine the next step in cervical cancer screening. Use of condoms and limiting the number of sexual partners may lower the chances of getting HPV.

Regular cervical cancer screening and follow-up can prevent most cases of cervical cancer. The Pap test can detect cell changes in the cervix before they turn into cancer. Pap tests can also detect most, but not all, cervical cancers at an early treatable stage. There are HPV tests, which may be used with the Pap test in certain cases, to help determine the next step in cervical cancer screening. Use of condoms and limiting the number of sexual partners may lower the chances of getting HPV.