Can Pregnancy Give You a Stuffy Nose?

Pregnancy causes many changes in the body, and some of them are unexpected. One unpleasant change that many pregnant people experience is a stuffy nose. 

Pregnancy rhinitis, or gestational rhinitis, is the name for the stuffy nose that occurs during pregnancy — and happens even when you aren’t sick. Keep reading to find out more about rhinitis during pregnancy, who suffers from it, and what to do if it’s a problem for you. 

Who gets pregnancy or gestational rhinitis?

Many people (1 in 5) experience a stuffy nose during pregnancy — even people who don’t normally struggle with allergies or nasal congestion. 

Gestational rhinitis only happens in people who are pregnant. It typically starts during the second trimester of pregnancy and can last all the way through to delivery. After the baby is born, gestational rhinitis usually gets better on its own. I​​f it doesn’t, something else may be going on. A visit to your provider can help clear things up.

It’s not clear why some pregnant people get gestational rhinitis and others don’t. It doesn’t seem to be related to asthma or most other allergic diseases. But researchers have identified a few factors that seem to go along with an increased risk for gestational rhinitis, including:

• Cigarette smoking

• Dust mite allergy

In addition, gestational rhinitis is linked to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during pregnancy. OSA makes it difficult to breathe through the nose during sleep, and it’s strongly linked to body weight. Excess weight gain in pregnancy can worsen the problem of rhinitis during pregnancy.

What causes gestational rhinitis?

The hormones of pregnancy cause changes all over your body — including inside your nose. These hormones cause:

• The lining of your nose to thicken

• The blood vessels in your nose to get larger

These changes cause swelling and a feeling of stuffiness inside your nose. Most of the time, gestational rhinitis doesn’t cause your nose to run — it just gets congested. If you get a runny nose during pregnancy, it’s more likely from allergies or a cold.

Will gestational rhinitis affect my baby?

Usually gestational rhinitis is mild. If it doesn’t impact your life — that is, if you can still sleep well and you don’t need to take medications for it — it shouldn’t affect your baby. That said, there are times when it can have an impact.

Sleep is extremely important during pregnancy, and gestational rhinitis can keep you from getting the sleep you need. That’s because having trouble breathing through your nose at night is one factor in sleep-disordered breathing. Morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, snoring, and gasping for air during sleep are other symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing.

Sleep-disordered breathing can happen at any stage of life, but it’s a particular problem during pregnancy. Research has linked sleep-disordered breathing to a list of pregnancy complications, including:

• Preeclampsia

• Gestational hypertension

• Gestational diabetes

• Cardiovascular disease

• Low birth weight

If your gestational rhinitis is causing problems with your sleep, it’s worth talking to your healthcare provider about finding a solution.

How can I get rid of gestational rhinitis?

The safest approaches to gestational rhinitis don’t involve medications. Many pregnant people find they get relief by:

• Elevating the head of the bed to 30 degrees

• Rinsing the inside of the nose with a saline wash before sleep

• Using nasal strips (such as Breathe-Right) to open the nostrils at night

• Using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for sleep

When medications are necessary, it’s important to think about how they could affect your baby. Even nasal sprays like oxymetazoline (Afrin) contain medicine that could be harmful. Check with your healthcare provider before using any medication during pregnancy.

Medications used for gestational rhinitis include:

• Some over-the-counter antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

• Some prescription antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec)

• Certain nasal steroid sprays, such as budesonide (Rhinocort)

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Kerry R. McGee, MD, FAAP

Kerry McGee, MD, FAAP, has over a decade of experience caring for babies, children, and teenagers as a primary care pediatrician. She has a special interest in adolescent health, particularly in adolescent mental health.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

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