Impact of Pregnancy and Menopause on Asthma October 28
We recently talked about hormonal changes in women and how this affects asthma. In a woman’s lifetime, there are two events where a woman’s hormones can go haywire –pregnancy and menopause.
For pregnant women, there is no standard impact that asthma can do during pregnancy. Pregnancy can cause one of three very different effects to a woman suffering from asthma — the symptoms may worsen; it may get better; or there may be no changes to their symptoms.
It is important for pregnant women to keep their asthma under control. If this is accomplished, there will be no increase in the risk of complications for both mother and infant. Exactly how should this be done?
It is critical at this time in an asthmatic woman’s life to take maintenance medication. It is therefore important to work closely with your ob-gyn as well as the physician treating you for asthma. Pregnancy is a time when taking medications should be closely monitored, which is why a lot of pregnant women are concerned about having to take medication and the impact this may have on their child. There are times, though, that the risk of not taking medication can have a more adverse effect than that of taking medications. So ask your doctor; they would know.
For women undergoing menopause, this is a time when there are rather dramatic fluctuations in estrogen levels. If these hormone fluctuations are kept to a relative constancy and sudden highs and lows are avoided, then the symptoms for asthma are better managed.
And then, of course, there is the rather surprising possibility that a woman who previously did not suffer from asthma may suddenly develop symptoms while going through menopause, so it is important that one is sensitive of unusual coughing or wheezing. Women whose asthma is triggered by menopause may work with their physician regarding the possibility of temporarily using hormone replacement therapy.
Tags: asthma, asthma hormonal imbalance, asthma in women, menopause asthma, pregnant women asthma, women with asthma