What You Should Know About Pregnancy And Asthma

If you suffer from asthma and are planning on having children in the future, you should know how to handle it during your pregnancy.

It may be a comfort to know that asthma usually causes no trouble during pregnancy. If it is handled correctly, you can have a complication-free pregnancy.

At any given time, 8% of all pregnant women are asthma sufferers. Although complications as a result of asthma are very rare, these are some problems that MAY occur:

Preeclampsia is a condition that involves high blood pressure and swelling during pregnancy. The rate of preeclampsia among regular pregnant women is 7%, but for asthmatics it is double.

This is a placental abnormality, where the placenta lies too low inside the uterus, so that it covers the cervix. It can cause serious complications if it occurs late in pregnancy.

Women who suffer from asthma are 36% more likely to have a premature delivery.

Asthmatic mothers are 32% more likely to have smaller babies, and 37% more likely to have a child that suffers form a birth defect.

It is important to remember that, during pregnancy, the mother is breathing for two. This means that problems related to asthma must be minimized. A healthy mother means a healthy baby.

Controlling Asthma

The complications above are rare, but there is a higher risk among sufferers. How high the risk is, depends on how asthma is treated before and during pregnancy. Controlling the asthma effectively will minimize complications.

Any asthma sufferer who is going to be pregnant should keep the following things in mind:

- First, discuss with your doctor the frequency and severity of your asthma attacks. This will help decide how to deal with your asthma during pregnancy.

- Throughout the pregnancy, monitor your lungs and breathing. Make sure everything is normal, and if there are any abnormalities, talk to you doctor. Your doctor can give you some kind of device so that you can monitor your lungs health at home. You should also monitor the baby's breathing during the pregnancy.

- Stay away from asthma triggers. If you have suffered from asthma most of your life, you are probably aware of what specific things give you trouble. Common triggers include pet hair, dust, mold, smoke, pollen and air pollution. To avoid breathing difficulties, keep your house as clean, dust-free and mold-free as possible. In particular, be sure to wash clothes and bedding well.

Medications

While there is some risk of drug side effects, most medical professionals feel that the good outweighs the bad. Drug treatment is important for controlling asthma, and most doctors agree that stopping your asthma drugs would cause more problems.

It is very important to closely monitor asthma symptoms during pregnancy. This will help determine if medications should be changed. Talk to your doctor about which drugs are the best to use.

Inhalers are usually best to use during pregnancy, because they affect the lungs directly, and have little effect on the rest of the body.

During delivery, asthma is a factor in choosing which anesthetic to use. Some anesthetics may not be good for asthmatics because they put stress on the lungs.

Don't take treatment into your own hands. Work closely with your doctor. Before you get into your pregnancy, work out a plan with your doctor, especially for delivery.

Minimizing stress and getting your asthma under control are the most important considerations.