How To Treat Acute Sinusitis In Pregnancy?

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses, or, to be more precise, the mucous membranes that line the sinuses. The sinuses are basically holes, or pockets, in the front part of your head, forehead, under your eyes, and around your nose. Sinusitis can be caused by viruses (influenza viruses, coronaviruses, rhinoviruses, and adenoviruses, to name a few), or bacteria. Streptococcus sp. is the most common cause of bacterial sinusitis, but other bacteria, such as Moraxella, Haemophyllus or Staphylococcus may cause the infection as well.

The symptoms of sinusitis are well known, but some can be confused with certain conditions that occur during pregnancy (such as headache during the first trimester). The most common symptoms of acute sinusitis include:

• Nasal mucus
• Headache
• Facial pain
• Toothache
• Loss of the sense of smell
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Coughing

People with allergies, people who live in polluted environments, and people who smoke are more prone to sinusitis than the general population (although, if you’re pregnant, chances are that you have already quit smoking).

How to treat a sinus infection while pregnant?

Pregnancy is a difficult period for a number of reasons. Firstly, your body is going through a great deal of changes, which affect every part of you, including your immune system. But secondly, you have a baby inside you. And (almost) everything you eat, drink, or are exposed to — the baby gets exposed to those substances as well. In fact, that’s how the fetus receives the nutrients it needs to grow: via the mothers blood.

Now, the placenta serves as some kind of barrier, and certain substances cannot pass to the uterus (including some drugs), but on the other hand, a lot of molecules can pass, some of which can affect the baby in a different way than they affect adult who was taking the medication. Some drugs can even cause birth defects and miscarriage. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to talk to your doctor regarding any type of condition you might experience, and never decide on the treatment on your own. Because, a lot of over the counter drugs can actually affect your baby.

So, which drugs are safe to use during pregnancy? This is the tricky part, as doctors usually recommend you avoid any type of drugs, and opt for home remedies. But, generally speaking, Tylenol is safe during pregnancy, and can help you with sinusitis, as it both helps with mild pain, and is an antipyretic (reduces the fevers that are sometimes seen in cases of acute sinusitis).

Deciding which medicine to use is also affected by the stage of your pregnancy. For instance, corticosteroids shouldn’t be administered during the first trimester, but are safe after that. In the case of corticosteroids, it’s safer to opt for local, spray application, since research shows that the absorption of corticosteroids applied in this way is negligible.

As for antibiotics, there are two remarks: first of all, it is highly recommended to avoid this type of treatment without testing for susceptibility first, as multi drug resistant bacteria are a huge problem. Second, a lot of antibiotics can seriously harm your baby. Chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, sulfonamides and trimethoprim should always be avoided. If antibiotic treatment is necessary, the safest choices include penicillin and cephalosporines.

As mentioned previously, it is often safer to go with home remedies, in the case of acute sinusitis. Some efficient methods, which can help you with your condition include:

• Use saline nasal drops
• Gargling warm salt water. This helps with the throat pain
• Inhale steam. It loosens up the mucus in your sinuses
• Use a humidifier
• Use an extra pillow when you sleep, as it prevents mucus from building up in your sinuses
• Drink a lot of water and citrus juices.
• Take a warm shower. This basically does the same as inhaling steam

Which drugs should I avoid during pregnancy?

As mentioned previously, certain classes of antibiotics shouldn’t be used at all when you are pregnant — and just in case, we should also add that antibiotics should only ever be taken if they were prescribed by a doctor for good reason. Use corticosteroids with caution. While people often take aspirin when they have sinusitis, in pregnancy it should be avoided at all costs. Ibuprofen isn’t safe either. Unsafe drugs include antihistamines and oral decongestants. (Be aware that a doctor might prescribe some of these drugs, in the case of allergy. That is okay, since the dose is adjusted to your condition, and because you’re being monitored by your doctor).