How Dangerous Can Ectopic Pregnancy Get?
Written by Pregnancy Tips on October 10th, 2008When an embryo starts to develop outside the uterus then ectopic pregnancy occurs. Some places where it can occur are cervix, ovary, and abdomen, but the common place for an ectopic pregnancy is in the fallopian tubes, it is also know as tubal pregnancy. Uterus is the best place for an embryo to develop as it is considered as a nurturing tissue. Fallopian tubes have tiny hairs on the inside, which wave in slow motion as to push the egg towards the womb. When the movement of the fertilized egg through the fallopian tubes is blocked to the uterus or sometimes when the tiny hairs in the fallopian tubes get damaged then ectopic pregnancy occurs.
Some of the symptoms of ectopic pregnancy can be frequent urination, vomiting, breast tenderness, nausea or even some missed periods. There can be extreme pain in the pelvic region or abdomen. There can be vaginal bleeding, pain in the lower back and low blood pressure. Ectopic pregnancies can also be caused due to birth defects of fallopian tubes or a ruptured appendix. Usage of contraceptive pills, which has estrogen and progesterone, may also slow down the movement of fertilized egg through the fallopian tubes, ultimately resulting in ectopic pregnancy. In rare cases the morning after pill is also shown as a cause.
Few risk factors of ectopic pregnancy are test tube baby, history of ectopic pregnancy, tubal surgery especially women who have been operated on their tubes and termination of pregnancy. Pelvic inflammatory disease is also one of the main risk factors as it increases the risk by many folds.
When it is confirmed that a woman is pregnant or if the urine test is positive a HCG test is conducted. This blood test is known as Human chorionic gonadotropin. It is done to know the level of hormones produced by the placenta. After observation if the HCG levels are low then it is a good sign as to diagnose the ectopic pregnancy. Few tests are done and then the doctor conducts a pelvic exam to find the areas causing pain and whether there are any masses in the abdomen. Vaginal ultrasound is the option used to determine whether there is a fetus, which is in the process of developing. Even after the ultrasound there are chances of ectopic pregnancies coming positive, as it may not detect the pregnancy sometimes.
There are some options for the treatment of ectopic pregnancy. The doctor monitors the location and size through some tests and suggests the best option. When there is an early ectopic pregnancy it can be dealt with a dose of methotrexate, which is administered through injection. Methotrexate dissolves the egg, which is fertilized and makes the body compatible to reabsorb it. This is a simple treatment where there is no risk of scarring the pelvic organs. When a pregnancy develops more or when it has crossed the initial stage, surgical method is used to terminate it as it may risk the mother’s life. There are some surgical methods used to terminate such pregnancies. If at all an ectopic pregnancy ruptures, laparotomy is done to stop the blood loss. The abnormal pregnancy is then terminated and the damaged tissues are repaired. In few cases, the fallopian tube is removed. There are surgeries like mini-laparotomy and laparoscopy, which are used when ectopic pregnancies are not ruptured.
Some preventive measures can be taken to avoid ectopic pregnancy like early diagnosis and treatment of STDs and intercourse with multiple partners should be avoided to cut down the risk.
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