Ectopic Pregnancy
During a normal pregnancy, your ovary should release the egg into the Fallopian tube, and when the egg unites with the sperm, the fertilized egg will be transported into your uterus then attaches itself to the lining. From there, it will continue to grow and develop for the next nine months until childbirth.
However, in up to one of every fifty pregnancies, there are fertilized eggs that stay in the Fallopian tube; this occurrence is called the ectopic pregnancy and regrettably, there are no possible ways to transplant this type of pregnancy into the uterus so the only option left will be to end the pregnancy. Often, ectopic pregnancy happens during the first few weeks of pregnancy; you may not even know that you are pregnant during this period so learning that you are can be a bit of a shock. Your doctor will usually discover this around the eighth week of your pregnancy.
Since ectopic pregnancy is generally dangerous for a woman, it is important for you to learn about and recognize the signs of this, and get treatment as soon as you can.
How Ectopic Pregnancy Happens
After conception, the fertilized egg will head straight for your Fallopian tubes while on its way to the uterus; if by any chance the tube is blocked or damaged, making it fail to lead the eggs to your womb, the egg may end up embedded in the tube then continue developing there instead. Keep in mind that most of the ectopic pregnancies happen in the Fallopian tube which is why it is also usually called the tubal pregnancy.
Although this type of pregnancy does not happen often, an egg can also implant in the cervix, the ovary, in a C-section scar, and even directly in your abdomen. It is also possible to have a single embryo embed in the tube or in some other area; the condition is called the heterotopic pregnancy and it is an extremely rare occurrence which only happens in about one out of four to ten thousand pregnancies.
Ectopic pregnancies that are not detected and treated as soon as possible could have alarming results such as ruptured Fallopian tubes which may eventually cause extreme abdominal bleeding and pain. Furthermore, this can also lead to the permanent damage or loss of your Fallopian tube, and worse, it may even cause death if extreme internal bleeding is not treated as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Ectopic Pregnancy
To give you more information about this, here are some of the symptoms of ectopic pregnancy that you should be aware of:
Light vaginal bleeding
Pain in the shoulder, rectum, or neck
Weakness or dizziness
Nausea and painful vomiting
Pain inside your body
Lower abdominal pain
Sharp abdominal cramps
Remember that when the Fallopian tube breaks, the bleeding and pain could be dangerously severe that it could cause fainting and even death. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned, it is best to contact your healthcare specialist or doctor immediately and go straight to the emergency room to have yourself checked. Reaching the hospital as soon as possible is vital to lessen the risk of severe bleeding or hemorrhaging, as well as to preserve your fertility.
Risk Factors
Ectopic pregnancies can happen to every and any woman, whether they are healthy or young; if they have risk factors present, then an ectopic pregnancy is most likely to occur.
Surgery tubal ligation reversal, tubal ligation for sterilization, or even surgery to simply correct a problem with the tubes can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.
Past Ectopic Pregnancy based on studies, researchers have identified that women who already had an ectopic pregnancy, have five to twenty-five percent chances of having another ectopic pregnancy, depending on how the previous pregnancy was treated and taken care of.
Endometriosis this is a condition where tissues (that should normally line the uterus) grow in other areas such as your ovaries, abdomen, Fallopian tubes, and even the intestines. If the tissue develops on the Fallopian tubes, it will automatically cause scarring and inflammation which increases the risks of having an ectopic pregnancy.
Treating Ectopic Pregnancy
Unfortunately, if a woman ends up having an ectopic pregnancy, the baby cannot be saved and treatment is generally necessary to remove the pregnancy before it further develops and grows. The main treatment selections are as follows:
Expectant Management your condition will be carefully and thoroughly monitored to see if treatment is highly necessary.
Medication proper medication called methotrexate is utilized to prevent the pregnancy from growing further.
Surgery this option is necessary to remove the pregnancy and it is usually together with the affected or damaged Fallopian tube.
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