- when women with asthma become pregnant, one-third of the patients improve, one-third worsen, and the last third remain unchanged
- although studies vary widely on the overall effect of pregnancy on asthma, several reviews find the following similar trends:
* Women with severe asthma are more likely to worsen, while those with mild asthma are more likely to improve or remain unchanged
* The change in the course of asthma in an individual woman during pregnancy tends to be similar on successive pregnancies
* Asthma exacerbations are most likely to appear during the weeks 24 to 36 of gestation, with only occasional patients (10% or fewer) becoming symptomatic during labor and delivery
* The changes in asthma noted during pregnancy usually return to pre-pregnancy status within three months of delivery
- pregnancy may affect asthmatic patients in several ways
- hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy may affect both the nose and sinuses, as well as the lungs
- an increase in the hormone estrogen contributes to congestion of the capillaries (tiny blood vessels) in the lining of the nose, which in turn leads to a "stuffy" nose in pregnancy (especially during the third trimester)
- a rise in progesterone causes increased respiratory drive, and a feeling of shortness of breath may be experienced as a result of this hormonal increase
- these events may be confused with or add to allergic or other triggers of asthma
- spirometry and peak flow are measurements of airflow obstruction (a marker of asthma) that help your physician determine if asthma is the cause of shortness of breath during pregnancy
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