Pregnancy Nose: What It Is and When It Goes Away [Completed Guide]
A pregnancy nose is surely a thing today! Every other Tiktok video and hashtag are putting highlight this issue.
When you are pregnant, you will experience a sea of changes in your body. With hormones going crazy and a lot of fluctuations in your body weight, some temporary and long-term alterations are bound to occur.
Nevertheless, beyond these hashtags and trending videos, I have tried to gather expert opinions to understand the actual problems and how to deal with them.
What Is Pregnancy Nose?
A pregnancy nose refers to having a bigger or swollen nose when a woman is expecting a child. Some also suffer from a stuffy nose or experience nasal drainage frequently or occasionally. These changes in the look and functions have many reasons, and I will discuss them later.
However, pregnancy nose is not the only nasal problem you will face during pregnancy. A severer issue called nasal rhinitis can occur, causing congestion, sneezing, and a continuously running nose. Research says that close to 39% of pregnant women get affected by pregnant rhinitis.
Nosebleeds in pregnancy are also pretty common, caused by sudden increases in blood flow throughout the body.
What Are The Causes Behind Pregnancy Nose?
The main reason behind having a pregnancy nose is the imbalance of hormones, including a sudden boost in the estrogen level. When estrogen and other hormones get spiked, they propel more blood to flow to the mucous membranes.
However, the increase of blood flow in the body is actually a good thing during pregnancy. It supports and ensures the healthy growth of the fetus in the womb.
Is Pregnancy Nose A Serious Concern?
The pregnancy nose itself is not a serious concern for a woman with a child. However, pregnancy nose swelling can indicate a critical health condition called preeclampsia.
When a woman is 20 weeks pregnant or delivers a baby, she can face this problem, causing an increase in blood pressure and malfunctions of the kidneys and liver.
Further, in preeclampsia, the hands and face of the mother swell up, and that mind leads to having a big nose pregnancy as well.
It is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly to avoid this health issue related to premature delivery and having an underweight baby.
Treatments For Pregnancy Nose
“Nose bleeding pregnancy” or having a swollen nose in pregnancy is not uncommon. These should not be major concerns if they do not indicate major health issues like preeclampsia.
However, there is a way in which you can maintain the right estrogen level in your body. A low or high level of this hormone in your body can lead to birth defects and premature deliveries. So, based on your blood report, your doctor may ask you to make certain dietary changes or medications for a healthy pregnancy.
But if you have a stuffy nose during pregnancy that ceases to go even after six weeks, you will most likely suffer from pregnancy rhinitis. In such conditions, the doctor will suggest medications.
Also, some words of wisdom! Don’t even think of using over-the-counter or OTC decongestants. These are associated with high risks during pregnancy.
Tips To Catch Some Relief From Congestion In Pregnancy Nose
If your pregnancy nose symptom involves congestion and swelling, you can follow some tips and get comfort.
You can increase your fluid intake and keep the air inside your house humid to get some relief. You can also take a hot or steam bath to get rid of the stuffiness in your nose. Even you can inhale water vapor as a safe healing method.
Further, avoid inhaling smoke or irritants, and especially if someone in your house smokes, tell them about your discomfort and ask them to at least use a different room.
In addition, moderate exercises are often found effective in combating congestion. So, if your doctor allows, moderate physical activities daily.
Does Pregnancy Nose Go Away?
Yes, the pregnancy nose goes away. Your nose is beautiful, irrespective of its shape and size. Just understand that your nose gets swollen just because your body has some extra blood flow and unpredictable actions of hormones when you are pregnant.
So, if a big nose during the pregnancy is your only concern, rest assured that it will go away once you have delivered the baby.
However, if you are suffering from a stuffy or congested nose for a long during pregnancy or there is swelling in your face and hands, you must consult a physician as those can indicate more serious health problems.
Final Words
With the New York Post and NBC News posting recently about pregnancy noses, it was important to talk about this issue women face in large numbers.
The good news is that it may not be like many other permanent changes your body has post-partum. Doctors opine that it will be gone with time, and there is nothing much to worry about. However, the time for healing will differ from one person to another.
So, don’t feel confused or get anxious even if there are millions of swipes and hashtags on this topic on social media. Unless you are not feeling any physical discomfort or your doctor points out some serious problems, you are absolutely fine to sail through the pregnancy and post-partum days.
Did you also face similar problems with your nose during pregnancy? Share with me and tell me how long it took for your nose to get into its previous shape.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Pregnancy spreads your nose because there is an increased blood flow to the blood vessels in your nose as well as in your entire body.
A pregnant woman faces massive changes in hormone levels, especially estrogen crazily shoots up during those days. With these changes in effect, the blood flow in the entire body is increased.
A pregnancy nose looks plumper than the usual times. There may also be some alternations in the shape.
Yes, your nose will go back to normal after pregnancy. You can see the pregnancy nose before and after changes easily once you have delivered the baby.
However, you may still have a bigger nose during your post-partum days until the estrogen level is down to normalcy.
Also, it is difficult to say how much time your nose will take to get back to its normal shape. It will differ from one person to another.
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