What should pregnant women do if they have a cold and cough?

Causes of Cough in Pregnant Women Cough is a protective respiratory reflex action of the human body to clear secretions or foreign bodies in the respiratory tract. It is the main symptom of respiratory diseases. Long-term cough can lead to respiratory tract bleeding, which has a greater impact. Coughing in pregnant women is not only uncomfortable, but they are also worried that the cough will affect the fetus. To treat the symptoms of cough in pregnant women, we must first understand the cause of the cough. 1. Food. Diet is the main cause of coughing. For example, if you are allergic to food, eating fish, shrimp, crab, milk, etc. will cause coughing. 2. Climate change. Climate change, colds, etc. can also easily cause coughs. Coughs can also be induced when the temperature, air pressure or ions in the air change. Coughs often occur in the cold season or when seasons change. 3. Infection. The development and onset of cough are associated with recurrent respiratory infections. 4. Inhalation. For example, inhaling dust mites, pollen, fungi, animal dander, or sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, formic acid, etc. can easily induce coughing. 5. Mental factors. Being overly excited or nervous can easily lead to coughing attacks. It is generally believed that it is caused by cerebral cortex and vagus nerve reflexes or hyperventilation. 6. Exercise. Some people\’s cough occurs after strenuous exercise, which can be called exercise-induced cough. The clinical manifestations include cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and wheezing on auscultation. Diseases causing cough 1. Acute laryngitis When viruses or bacteria pass through the throat, it can easily cause throat infection. Acute laryngitis has symptoms such as dry cough and sore throat, hoarseness, and inability to make sounds. A dog-like coughing sound is made when inhaling air, and laryngeal stridor occurs in severe cases. 2. Pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection or bronchitis can also induce cough. There is usually a dry cough and symptoms such as shortness of breath. 3. Upper respiratory tract infection Upper respiratory tract infection is a cold. It is caused by the virus entering the human body through the nose and throat, causing inflammation of the upper respiratory tract mucosa. 4. Bronchitis is mostly caused by the spread of upper respiratory tract infection. The onset is rapid, and the initial stage is mostly dry cough. Subsequently, discomfort such as coughing and sputum gradually appears. In severe cases, hypoxia occurs due to dyspnea and the lips turn blue-purple. Types of Cough Cough is a symptom of illness, not a disease. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine classify cough differently. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that the reason why people cough is because external evil invades the lungs, or internal damage to the organs affects the lungs. Traditional Chinese medicine mainly divides cough into exogenous cough and internal injury cough. Usually it can also be divided according to the pathogenic factors, lung qi and blood, and the time of cough. Caused by the invasion of pathogenic factors are cold cough, wind-cold cough, dryness cough, dry-heat cough, phlegm-retention cough, cold cough, dampness cough, etc.; according to the viscera, qi and blood, there are lung deficiency cough, lung cough, heart cough, liver cough, Spleen cough, kidney cough, etc.; according to the cough time, it can be divided into chronic cough, midnight cough, night cough, dry cough, etc. Western medicine believes that coughing is a protective respiratory reflex action. The cough reflex can effectively remove secretions in the respiratory tract or foreign matter that enters the airway. However, prolonged coughing not only affects work and life, but can also easily lead to serious respiratory diseases. Western medicine divides cough into three types: acute cough, subacute cough and chronic cough. (1) Acute cough: Cough within 3 weeks is relatively common. (2) Subacute cough: A cough that lasts for more than 3 weeks and within 8 weeks is called subacute cough, and the reasons are complicated. (3) Chronic cough: lasts for more than 8 weeks and can last for years or even decades. What to do if pregnant women have a cold and cough 1. Eat a balanced diet and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet provides you with the right amounts of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. 2. If you have a sore throat or cough, drink some hot honey lemon water to make you feel better. 3. Gargling with salt water can help treat throat infections. 4. Get more rest. Sleep helps the body heal itself. 5. Drink more water. When you have a cold, drinking something hot can make you feel particularly comfortable. You can drink some hot orange juice as it is rich in vitamin C. 6. If your sinuses are blocked, you can put two drops of tea tree essential oil or marjoram essential oil on a tissue and smell it every once in a while. 7. Taking some cold and heat-clearing granules can relieve cough or cold symptoms. 8. If a pregnant woman has a cold and a cough that does not get better for a long time, she should see a doctor. Because this may mean that your infection is getting worse, such as pneumonia, and needs treatment. During pregnancy, if you are worried about your physical health, you should go to the hospital at any time. At the same time, don\’t forget to tell the doctor that you are pregnant.