Consequences of the flu in pregnancy
The flu is a disease caused by a virus that does not usually have serious consequences in young, healthy patients.
How do you catch the flu?
You get the flu by becoming infected with the flu virus through the respiratory tract. If someone with the flu coughs up the virus, it remains in the air and when we breathe it, it enters our lungs. If a sick person coughs by placing his hand in front of his mouth and then touching a utensil, the virus will remain there. If we touch this utensil and then put our hand to our mouth, nose, eyes ... we will get the virus.
What symptoms does it cause?
Symptoms of flu in pregnancy they are the same:
What complications does the flu entail in pregnancy?
The most frequent complication of the flu during pregnancy is, which entails a respiratory difficulty added to that of pregnancy and therefore a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Depending on, very rarely it can produce a more important infection that will lead to triggering premature labor.
How is it treated?
From the outset, influenza in pregnancy only requires symptomatic treatment, that is, to improve the symptoms it produces. Therefore, if there are no other contraindications, you can take paracetamol to improve the pains, but never AspirinŽ, or anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. Seawater sprays can also be applied to help clear the nose. It is very important to hydrate well, drinking plenty of fluids.
In the event of any complication, your doctor would assess the need to add another medication.
Should you get a flu shot during pregnancy?
The current vaccine protects against the common flu in addition to the flu caused by the H1N1 virus (known as influenza A). As flu viruses change, it is important that the vaccine is the one for the current year.
The flu vaccine does not contain all of the virus but just a small fraction of the cover of the same so it is not harmful to the fetus. In order to be vaccinated against the flu, you should go to your regular doctor who will indicate the steps to follow.
- Pregnancy is a risk factor for women with the flu as it has a higher rate of complications.
- The flu vaccine is recommended for pregnant women to minimize the risk of infection.
- For consultations of this type during pregnancy, it is good to have a 24-hour medical service that attends us, something that Health includes in their policies.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)