A cold is not a particularly serious illness. Nevertheless, a cold can be extremely persistent and annoying.

Especially breathing problems caused by swollen nasal mucous membranes are a considerable burden for many sufferers, both in their daily professional or private lives and at night. To alleviate the symptoms, many people almost involuntarily turn to nasal spray.

The decongestant and thus soothing effect are usually noticeable after just a few seconds.

However, the situation is different for a cold during pregnancy. If you have a cold during pregnancy, caution is advised. Certainly, the mode of action of nasal spray does not change during pregnancy.

Everything you need to know about nasal spray during pregnancy, you can find out here.

Nasal Spray During Pregnancy – Is It Dangerous?

Before you decide on a nasal spray in pregnancy, you should study the package insert. There are usually instructions for use during pregnancy.

If nothing is noted in the package insert – this is often the case with natural preparations – you can use the nasal spray during pregnancy without hesitation.

However, you should look carefully at the notes on possible contraindications due to allergies to the substances contained in the preparation.

However, it is best not to use chemical nasal drops or nasal spray during pregnancy with a decongestant effect.

Sea Salt Nasal Spray And Other Recommended Nasal Drops

Due to hormonal fluctuations, pregnant women are generally particularly susceptible to cold during pregnancy. This is due to the fact that during this time the body is primarily busy protecting the unborn child.

Possible viruses, germs, and bacteria, therefore, have an easy game and can therefore lead all the more quickly to cold during pregnancy.

Because the use of nasal spray during pregnancy, depending on the preparation used, is not entirely harmless, you should do something in time to prevent it.

Strengthen your immune system and make sure you stay as healthy as possible during pregnancy.

How To Prevent A Cold During Pregnancy

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet with fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
• Avoid stress and rushing.
• Drink plenty of water or unsweetened herbal teas.
• Walks in the fresh air.
• Schedule “islands of calm” into your daily routine.

Why Should You Not Use A Nasal Spray During Pregnancy?

Make sure you look carefully before using nasal drops for a cold during pregnancy and check the composition of the product in question.

A decongestant or vasoconstrictor effect – provided the preparation is consumed regularly and in larger quantities – can have a detrimental effect on the blood vessels of the placenta.

This, in turn, poses a significant risk to the health of the unborn child. On the other hand, it is not unusual for a cold to massively affect the quality of sleep at night.

If the expectant mother cannot rest adequately and thus do something good for her body, this will also be detrimental to the unborn child.

Tips

The reason for a stuffy nose does not always have to be cold during pregnancy. Rather, pregnant women often suffer from increased hormone production. As a consequence, blood circulation is stimulated, so that the nasal mucous membranes can swell more easily.

In such cases, resorting directly to nasal drops or nasal spray during pregnancy could possibly lead to dependence. This is because as soon as the decongestant effect wears off, the mucous membranes in the nose swell even more quickly and intensively than before.

Accordingly, you would have to use the nasal spray again and again to get a clear nose.

Nasal spray in pregnancy should not be “demonized” in principle. But it is advisable to look carefully when choosing a product. The following nasal drops or sprays are useful for a cold in pregnancy:

• Salt water or sea salt nasal spray.
• Dexpanthenol nasal drops.
• Homeopathic nasal drops or sprays.
• Anthroposophic nasal sprays.

The use of nasal drops or sprays with chemical composition, which have a decongestant effect, is often accompanied by quite a few side effects. A well-known nasal spray of this category is xylometazoline.

It is best to use another nasal spray and ideally leave the xylometazoline on the shelf. Unless it is specifically recommended by an experienced physician or alternative practitioner to alleviate cold symptoms.

However, what is noteworthy with regards to xylometazoline is its reliable mode of action. If you have a strong physical constitution, there is nothing to stop you from using it even if you have a cold during pregnancy.

Note: If you decide to use xylometazoline because the decongestant effect makes you feel better overall, you would be well advised to consult your trusted specialist first.

If he gives you the “green light”, you can also use the preparation for a cold during pregnancy.

If you suffer from allergic rhinitis with asthma, the use of nasal sprays containing cortisone and antihistamines or nasal drops with cromoglicic acid is helpful.

Experience has shown that such preparations are very well tolerated by affected pregnant women.

A Good Choice – Sea Salt Spray

A sea salt nasal spray is an isotonic saline solution made from special minerals or sea salts. You can definitely use such a preparation already in the first weeks of pregnancy.

However, only if they do not contain additional substances, such as essential oils.

This is because they could have a negative effect on the unborn child in early pregnancy and should therefore be used, if at all, only from the second trimester of pregnancy.

Sea salt nasal spray is characterized by the fact that the nasal mucous membranes are pleasantly moistened and their defense function is strengthened. Side effects are not expected even with long-term use of sea salt nasal spray.

Other Recommended Nasal Drops Or Sprays:

Dexpanthenol Nasal Spray

Is usually offered in combination with hyaluronic. This substance is also produced by the body itself and can therefore be used without hesitation.

For many years, dexpanthenol has also been used in medicine because of its benefits in keeping dry and irritated mucous membranes healthy.

Homeopathic Nose Drops

Have an extremely gentle and mild effect. Most modern preparations are completely free of side effects and are therefore also very suitable for a cold during pregnancy.

If you like, take additional homeopathic Global to enhance the beneficial effect of the nasal spray during pregnancy.

Anthroposophics

Exist due to their very good tolerability. In case of doubt, you can ask your doctor for advice and find out from him which dosage is particularly recommended with regard to your physical constitution.

Alternatives To Nasal Spray

Using nasal spray during pregnancy is – depending on the product – definitely recommendable. However, if you are not quite sure, you can resort to alternatives.

Recommended to xylometazoline, sea salt nasal spray and Co. is the use of an inhalation spray. These are often rich in menthol, which also has a decongestant effect on the nasal mucosa. Admittedly, it takes a little longer for the full effect to unfold.

But these natural preparations are recommended in any case. Thyme-based nasal drops are also a very good compromise solution to the nasal spray during pregnancy. The gentle decongestant effect does good and is particularly lasting.

In addition, you are well-advised to take a steam or cold bath. The essential oils make a valuable contribution when it comes to soothing your mucous membranes.

Headaches during pregnancy are also reliably alleviated in this way.

Tips

Place a bowl of water in your living room and bedroom. Then the mucous membranes are almost continuously moistened. This effect is also beneficial and most pregnant women find it very pleasant.

Sources

https://www.schnupfen.net/in-der-schwangerschaft/nasenspray/
https://www.embryotox.de/arzneimittel/details/xylometazolin/
https://www.ptaheute.de/news/artikel/schnupfen-in-der-schwangerschaft/