Coping with animal allergies during pregnancy

Pregnancy can aggravate existing animal allergies or even cause new ones to spring up. Discover the best ways to deal with these issues.
Although pregnancy can be a wonderful joy, it can also bring some unpleasant side effects. Many women find that their animal allergies worsen during pregnancy, and some find themselves suffering from allergies when they never had previously. Pregnancy can aggravate existing animal allergies or even make new ones spring up, but there are ways to deal with these issues.

It's unclear why some pregnant women have increased difficulty with pet allergies, but it's thought to be linked to hormonal changes. Around one-quarter of all pregnant women report suffering from some kind of allergy.

Some symptoms which are thought to be caused by allergies may, in fact, be caused by swelling in the nasal passages triggered by hormones. This swelling can also make any genuine allergies seem worse.

If you're suffering from severe pet allergies during pregnancy, the obvious solution is to simply avoid excessive exposure to pets. However, if you're a pet owner yourself, this won't be possible.

Since pet allergies are caused by both hair and dander, keeping your home as clean and hair-free as possible can help alleviate the symptoms. It's also a good idea to keep one room in the house a pet-free zone, so you that you have a retreat if your allergies are flaring up.

The bedroom is one of the better choices for a pet-free place, as it may improve your quality of sleep at night, too.

When you're pregnant, you should check with your doctor before taking any new medications. However, many over-the-counter allergy medicines are safe for expectant mothers. Most antihistamines that can be bought without a prescription pose no threat to pregnant women.

They do have some side effects, like drowsiness, that may be undesirable. It's best to consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking decongestants during pregnancy, as some ingredients like pseudoephedrine aren't suitable for pregnant women.

Having to deal with a pet allergy during pregnancy can be stressful, but the good news is that any worsening allergies should return to normal shortly after pregnancy. It will soon be over, and you'll be too busy worrying about your new bundle of joy to remember the allergy woes you had while expecting.