When a woman is pregnant, it’s essential to control other medical conditions they might be having. If you have asthma, a condition that tightens your airways, making it hard to breathe during pregnancy, you might be at risk of complications like low birth weight and premature delivery.

Planning ahead of time with your doctor helps keep your asthma under control and reduces risks during pregnancy.

What is Asthma?

This condition causes the airways to tighten and narrow, called bronchospasm, which makes breathing hard to breathe. It’s a chronic condition that requires control or treatment throughout your life. You may experience wheezing, breathing, and coughing if you have asthma.

This’s a common condition, so you’re at high risk if you have allergies or a family history of asthma. Although asthma doesn’t go away, it can always be controlled.

Risks of Having Asthma During Pregnancy

It’s important to control any medical conditions you might have during pregnancy for your and your baby’s health. For example, uncontrolled asthma increases the chance of complications for the baby and mother. In addition, if you don’t control pregnancy, it can lead to low birth weight for your baby.

Also, uncontrolled pregnancy causes a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood. That means There’s less oxygen available for your baby. Less oxygen leads to impaired fetal survival and growth. However, with good asthma control from an urgent care near you, you should have a normal pregnancy.

Asthma control means that:

• You’re able to perform normal activities
• You have minimal or no symptoms at all during the day
• Rarely require to use your reliever inhaler
• You’ll sleep all night without asthma symptoms
• You’ll have a normal lung function

It’s safer to treat your asthma with asthma medications from an ER near you than to have an asthma episode.

Preparing Before Pregnancy if I Have Asthma

Our doctor at Express Emergency Room Abilene recommends a preconception appointment before starting to try to get pregnant. The appointment allows you to talk to your doctor about your general health.

During the appointment, you’ll learn how you’ll want to treat your medical condition like asthma when you get pregnant. It’s also a chance to prepare your doctor for the upcoming pregnancy. Also, you shouldn’t stop taking any medications during pregnancy without talking to your provider first.

Should One Stop Treating Asthma When Pregnant?

You should talk to your health provider first before stopping to take any medications. During pregnancy, you should continue treating any medical condition you may be having. Also, you shouldn’t stop taking asthma medicines when pregnant without direction from your doctor.

Is It Safe Using an Inhaler to Control Asthma During Pregnancy?

One of the most asthma concerns is using an inhaler to control it. When pregnant, most inhaled medicines are safe. Inhaled medicines are usually low dosages that are breathed directly into the lungs. Very little medicine from your inhaler is absorbed into the bloodstream if there’s any. It’s essential to take to schedule an appointment with you in an emergency room in Abilene to ensure you’re in appropriate medications during pregnancy.

Oral medications can also be used during pregnancy. Ensure you talk to your provider from a 24-hour ER about how you’ll use oral medicines throughout the pregnancy to determine what’s right for you.

What Should One Do to Control Their Asthma When Pregnant?

When pregnant, you should continue following your asthma plan. However, you shouldn’t stop to treat your asthma and talk to your doctor before taking any medication changes.

Some ways to control your asthma during pregnancy include avoiding irritants and triggers, including:

• Tobacco smoke
• House dust mites
• Pollens
• Pet dander

Can Asthma Get Worse During Pregnancy?

It can be difficult to guess whether your asthma will get worse during pregnancy or not. For some women, it may get worse, and for some, it remains the same. Also, in some women, asthma improves. However, if you have severe asthma, it might become a little worse during pregnancy.

But if you’ve had previous pregnancies and your asthma didn’t get worse, you should expect that your asthma won’t get much worse during your current pregnancy.

If you have severe asthma, you should visit our emergency care in Abilene before getting pregnant. Also, ensure you plan with your doctor about treatment for your asthma when you’re pregnant.