are dust allergies worse during pregnancy?

[sotough]

i'm nearly 17 weeks pg and have suddenly developed itchy eyes and sniffly nose. it's not a cold, more like hay fever, but i don't normally get hay fever unless i'm around actual hay. also our cats seem to be making me more itchy/sniffly. we've had the cat three years and i've not had this before. are allergies heightened during pregnancy or something?

not sure but i have rhinitis of pregnancy - stuffy nose and bunged upness caused by it. Midwife says there is nothing I can do. When I take antihistimine for eczema though (approved by doc though not generally recommended in pregnancy) then it gets a bit better.

I have perenial rhinitis and pregnancy one too. I had it last time and it has started this time too and I'm only 12 weeks. It drives me mad.

I usually have to take a steriod nasal spray but I forgot to ask my doctor about it so I'm waiting to find out if I can take it. I'm pretty sure I took it last time but I phoned the chemist and he said he wasn't sure and I needed to speak to the doctor.

I have an allergy to house dust mites,cats and grass(had allergy tests years ago) and mine is much worse now i am pregnant but thats probably due to not being able to take the daily antihistimine i usually take. So am really suffering!

Normally, immune system reaction to foreign substances is lower during pregnancy. It has to be, to allow a "foreign substance" (i.e. baby) to grow inside your body. So I would think allergic reactions would be less, not more, during pregnancy.

Funny because in my last pregnancy i had no allergy symptoms at all, was so relieved but came back after but this one i have not been so luck!

CoteDAzur is close, but not quite!

Your immune system has 2 kind of modes, the first is the reaction that detects a foreign body and destroys it, the second is an allergic (T2) reaction, which works a bit like a vicious circle. When you are pregnant your immune response is skewed towards the allergic response, as this is safe for the baby; as a result your usual allergies may be worse than usual, and you may pick up some extra ones too.

It is best to avoid exposing yourself to allergens, particularly in the 3rd trimester, as the chemicals produced by the immune cells during an allergic response do cross the placenta, and may condition your baby to have allergies too. (On the other hand, in the first trimester, they seem to have the opposite effect, hence summer babies tend to have more hayfever than winter babies).

wow Porcelain, thanks! i'm impressed and take it you are a scientist of some sort.

LOL I used to be, I'm a teacher now, but I used to be part of a research team studying the effects of environmental chemicals during pregnancy on childhood allergy.

Interesting! I had complete relief from allergies in both pregnancies, though. Not sure how that fits in with your explanation.

There's a lot of factors at work, for instance there are different types of allergic response, so you probably shifted to an immune setup that was better for the particular issues you have, or some other side effects countered them (like tear production and the like changing). People are far too complicated like that!

I have spoken to the doctor today who assures me it is still ok to take my nasal spray in pregnancy.

So for anyone who takes antihistimine and can't now, ask about a spray. I take beconase and it is fantastic. Doesn't help with the itcy eyes etc but for the constant bunged up or runny nose, it is a godsend.