Pregnancy and Asthma

Among both children and adults, asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses in countries including the United States and much of Europe. Because asthma is considered a chronic illness, treatment regimens for patients must be followed accordingly in order to reduce the affects and ongoing health problems that can result from mismanagement of the condition.

People with asthma do not generally suffer continuously, rather they tend to experience flare ups that are technically called asthma attacks. The symptoms of an asthma attack vary from patient to patient, but are generally characterized by symptoms as simple as coughing and as life-threatening as breathlessness and sever breathing difficulties.

Long-term preventative medications are given to a patient in the hopes that they will minimize the susceptibility to irritants, one of the leading causes of asthma attacks. In addition to these medications, asthma patients must avoid exposure to those irritants that tend to start their flare-ups.

Asthma symptoms may improve or increase in frequency during a pregnancy. Asthma attacks increase in 30% of pregnant asthmatics. If this happens, the woman should speak to her physician immediately to adjust her treatment plan.

Some women will develop the symptoms of asthma for the first time during a pregnancy, as sometimes pregnancy can exacerbate the condition. Other women who were asthmatics as children will see a recurrence of symptoms through their pregnancy.

In either of these cases, simple treatments will probably be effective in relieving asthma in the pregnant woman. In rare cases, pregnancy induced asthma becomes so dangerous that the mother needs to be admitted to a hospital in order to ensure correct treatment of her illness. In such serious situations, it is imperative that the patient see an asthma specialist.

The importance of managing asthma during pregnancy is the same as the importance of treating it when not pregnant.

Most of the commonly prescribed allergy and asthma medicines available today are considered safe during pregnancy. As a result, there are minimal reasons to be hesitant to become pregnant as a result of the necessary mediations.

Asthmatics that become pregnant need to ensure continued monitoring and communication with their physician in order to judge the effectiveness of their asthma medications.

One concern is that pregnant women take only medications that have undergone FDA approval processes, because experimental medications are not tested on pregnant women, obviously due to the amount of risk involved in their testing. Generally, physicians will prescribe only medications that are known to be safe to unborn children.

Overview... Asthma and Pregnancy

Asthmatics that become pregnant need to ensure continued monitoring and communication with their physician in order to judge the effectiveness of their asthma medications.
Some women will develop the symptoms of asthma for the first time during a pregnancy, as sometimes pregnancy can exacerbate the condition. Other women who were asthmatics as children will see a recurrence of symptoms through their pregnancy.
Among both children and adults, asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses in countries including the United States and much of Europe. Because asthma is considered a chronic illness, treatment regimens for patients must be followed accordingly in order to reduce the affects and ongoing health problems that can result from mismanagement of the condition.
Long-term preventative medications are given to a patient in the hopes that they will minimize the susceptibility to irritants, one of the leading causes of asthma attacks. In addition to these medications, asthma patients must avoid exposure to those irritants that tend to start their flare-ups.

Asthma Guide

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