What Is An Ectopic Pregnancy?s |
The term ‘ectopic’ means, ‘out of place’. What happens in an ectopic pregnancy is that the fertilized egg gets implanted outside, and not inside, the uterus. Most of the time, such pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes and this is the reason why such occurrences are also called ‘tubal pregnancies’. The zygote also might implant itself in the ovary, cervix or the abdomen. In such case, these are called ovarian, cervical or abdominal pregnancies.
The problem with an ectopic pregnancy is that there is not much space for the zygote to grow and it cannot be nurtured there either. Eventually, the organ that contains the growing egg can burst, leading to severe bleeding in the mother, sometimes even endangering her life. Usually, the ectopic pregnancy cannot survive for long, as this proves fatal for the fetus too.
An ectopic pregnancy could occur due to the inability of the egg to traverse down the fallopian tube into the uterus. Infection caused by the pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the most common cause of such pregnancies. Endometriosis or the existence of abdominal or fallopian scar tissue can also cause this abnormality.
Symptoms
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are the same as a normal one, but additionally, the expectant woman suffers severe pain in the pelvis, lower back or abdomen, sometimes even in the neck or shoulder.
Tests
The blood or urine tests taken during early pregnancy can help detect ectopic pregnancy to a fairly accurate extent. If the pregnancy test is positive, but the HCG hormone does not show a sufficient rise, this abnormality is immediately suspected. The HCG hormone is produced by the placenta.
Ultrasound tests may also help in detecting some cases of ectopic pregnancy, but not all. Culdocentesis is one test that checks for signs of internal bleeding which may be caused by a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.
Treatment
Treatment for the ectopic pregnancy is different for different cases. If the pregnancy is still early, the egg is dissolved and let to get reabsorbed by the body. Otherwise the fetus is removed surgically.
Some 30% of women suffering one ectopic pregnancy may have poorer chances of normal conception again. It all really depends upon how much damage has been done by the ectopic pregnancy, in what location of the mother’s body and to what extent.
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