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Having problems with your itchy, painful and irritated throat? Pregnancy involves an overwhelming list of physical changes from day one and to some women, sore throat may be one of the early indicators of pregnancy.
What Causes A Sore Throat?
A sore throat refers to the inflammation of the throat, manifested by redness, itchiness and pain. There are several possible causes of a sore throat. Among the most common are the following:
- Viral infection (colds and flu virus)
- Bacterial infection (Streptococcal infection)
- Allergies (from dust, pollen, smoke or polluted air)
- Asthma (triggers inflammation of the air passages, including the throat)
- Mechanical causes (mouth breathing)
- Acid reflux (such as in heartburn)
- Nasal congestion and post-nasal drip
Sore Throat And Pregnancy
Although it is not directly related to getting pregnant, some women often catch a sore throat in their early trimester of pregnancy. The most logical explanation here is that a pregnant woman’s body gets too overwhelmed with all the hormonal and physical changes, making her a lot more susceptible to catch an infection. Furthermore, it is said that pregnant women sometimes suffer from a sudden increase in mucus production causing nasal congestion and post-nasal drip.
Home Remedies For Your Sore Throat
Homemade Gargles
Your kitchen is full of natural ingredients that can be used to make some of the best homemade gargles for soothing your throat.
Saltwater Gargle: Your homemade salt gargle is just as easy as adding a tablespoon of salt into a pint of warm water. It acts as a mild antiseptic gargle that is sure to soothe your red and itchy throat!
Apple Cider Vinegar Gargle: Bacteria and viruses that thrive in your throat would find it hard to survive in an acidic environment. Dissolve one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water. Gargle whenever you feel the pain and itchiness and be amazed of its soothing effects!
Turmeric Gargle: Mix half teaspoon of turmeric and a half teaspoon of salt into one cup of hot water. Turmeric gargle has natural anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.
Tomato And Hot Pepper Gargle: Combine 1/2 cup tomato juice and around 10 drops of hot pepper sauce into 1/2 cup of hot water. Wait until warm and gargle. Lycopene in tomato sauce has anti-oxidant properties while the capsicum found in hot peppers helps combat inflammation and pain.
Homemade Humidifier
Boil water in a pot. Remove from heat then let it cool down a bit. You can place it in a safe, sturdy table; remove the pot cover, then voila! You may now inhale the steam coming from your homemade humidifier. Humidifying the air you breathe will help keep the moisture in your nasal and throat linings thus minimizing the symptoms.
Increase your fluid intake. Adequate amounts of fluid especially water, will facilitate in a faster excretion of your sore throat triggers. Drinking 10 or more glasses of water per day is often advised. Citrus fruit juices like orange juice or a lemon and honey drink may also help alleviate the symptoms.
Get adequate sleep and rest. Did you know that when we’re sleeping, our body performs most of its healing and tissue repair functions? Pregnancy is accompanied by stressful alterations both in your physical and emotional states. Whatever discomfort you may be experiencing right now, allowing adequate rest periods would make your body heal and recover faster.
When Should I Seek Medical Help?
If your sore throat is accompanied by a high fever, tender lymph nodes along the neck, swollen tonsils with white patches, and severe cough, then you might have caught a bacterial infection that needs antibiotic therapy. Consult your doctor immediately so that he or she can prescribe the appropriate antibiotics and other medications that are safe for you and your baby.
It is important to note that pregnant women also need to take extra precaution when taking over-the-counter medications because some of them may unknowingly harm your baby. It is always better to be safe than sorry!
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Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a doctor or licensed medical professional before making any medical decisions.
When my wife was pregnant, the sore throat was not a major problem, however, gastritis was. She, of course, experienced a sore throat, however, it did not give as much problem as gastritis. My wife was operated for gallbladder stones, therefore, she has some digestion problem. When my wife began experienced gas, I thought it was because she did not have a gallbladder. However, our gyno told that gas is a common problem during pregnancy.
I don’t recall suffering from a sore throat when I got pregnant with my babies (or perhaps I just couldn’t recall it anymore, haha) but I did often suffer from colds or flu during the early months.
Gastritis I guess is also common because the growing baby pushes on a woman’s stomach so it causes stomach upsets.
This is a great advise, I think this should be read by those mothers that are suffering from sore throat especially for those who don’t know the reason why they are having a sore throat. This should be spread immediately, I will share this to those pregnant mothers that I know.
Thank you very much for helping us spread this information to women who need it, Dictator20. We truly appreciate the help.
And yes, I guess not many women are aware of the reasons why they suffer from a sore throat during pregnancy so its good to be informed.
No matter how you look at it, or any angle you view it from, pregnancy is not an easy task for women. In fact, it’s the most difficult situation married women face and they do with lots of courage and strength. Sore throat is a common thing to most pregnant women and it’s because of the changes their body is going through as a result of the baby growing in them.
This article did well in pointing out the actual causes of this sore throat incident with possible means of remedying it. This is going to be very useful to all pregnant mothers out there and especially to those it’s their first pregnancy.
Yes, Martinsx, this article is an eye-opener about the real causes of a sore throat in women. Not everyone is aware why they get it.
I also agree that pregnancy is not easy for any woman, nope. Plus think about the years of child-rearing one has to go through after bringing the child out into this world. Just the thought of it makes me “cringe” hahaha. Nope, no more babies for me. I will just wait for my future grandkids.