There is talk of weight, breasts, hair, belly… But what about the nose? Are there changes in this part of the body during pregnancy? As in almost the whole organism, so it is. And today we are going to talk about some "nose" problems during pregnancy.
From the sharpest smell to nosebleeds, let's see changes in the nose and sense of smell. There are certain nasal symptoms that are likely to appear at this stage, and although they may be bothersome, fortunately they are not serious.
The pregnant woman may have the sensation of loss of smell, but the most frequent is the opposite. During pregnancy there is a increased sensitivity of smell, which is usually associated with certain problems of aversion and nausea. There are probably certain things that you can't even smell during pregnancy, even smells that were once pleasing to you.
Rhinitis of pregnancy It is the isolated nasal congestion that appears for at least six weeks during pregnancy, without infection. It is caused by the dilation of blood vessels during pregnancy. It can happen in any trimester, although it is more frequent in the second, and affects about 20% of pregnant women. It resolves two weeks after delivery.
Rhinitis can affect nighttime rest and produce snoring (which is one of the embarrassing discomforts during pregnancy). They are very annoying and prevent a good rest, although there are factors that increase the risk of snoring in pregnancy (excessive weight gain, hypertension ...).
Rhinitis also favors epistaxis or nosebleeds, which can appear in 20% of pregnant women (a much higher percentage than in non-pregnant women) and is due to the greater vascularization of the nasal mucosa due to hormonal change. Also due to the greater frequency of vascular lesions that appear in that period in the nostrils. It is a common nuisance and what happens after delivery.
Also in pregnancy they can appear more frequently granulomas and nasal hemangiomas that cause severe bleeding. These are vascular lesions of the nasal cavity that can also be located in other areas (palate, gums or tongue). It does not affect bone structures and usually disappears after delivery without requiring treatment (cauterization, microembolization or surgical resection if they continue to cause frequent bleeding).
The changes in the skin can also make the nose shine more, sweat more or have more hair. It's a mystery how it will affect us, we may suffer some of these "nose" problems during pregnancy, although luckily we will leave them behind when the baby is born.
