Executive summary about Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms by Isaq Naser
Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms
Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, most commonly in one of the fallopian tubes. Most often, the egg has implanted in the Fallopian tubes, but it can also implant in the cervix, ovaries or abdominal cavity. It may also be called a tubal pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy symptoms are similar to that of normal early pregnancy signs. When you display these types of ectopic pregnancy symptoms your doctor will perform a pregnancy test. Frequently, in ectopic pregnancies the level of HCG is considerably lower than in normal pregnancies. If you are pregnant but have very little HCG in your blood then this is an indication of an ectopic pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy symptoms can include vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and severe abdominal pain. Other ectopic pregnancy symptoms are quite similar to the normal signs of being pregnant. Most ectopic pregnancies occur when a fertilized egg attaches to the inside lining of a fallopian tube (a ‘tubal ectopic’). Rarely, an ectopic pregnancy occurs in other places such as in the ovary or inside the abdomen. The rest of this leaflet deals only with tubal ectopic pregnancy.
The early ectopic pregnancy symptoms are similar to a normal pregnancy: missed menses, nausea, breast tenderness and fatigue. However, in case you notice any of the ectopic pregnancy symptoms discussed above, you must consult your physician immediately.
The pregnancy often dies after a few days. About half of ectopic pregnancies probably end like this. You may have no ectopic pregnancy symptoms, and you may never have known that you were pregnant.
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the embryo implants itself outside the uterus. Under normal pregnancy, when fertilization takes place, the fertilized ovum travels down the fallopian tube and then implants in the uterus, also referred to as the womb. Sometimes, it can so happen that after the fertilization takes place, instead of traveling to the uterus, the embryo implants in the fallopian tube. When this happens, the embryo keeps growing and ultimately leads to the rupture of the tube, which is life threatening to the mother.
There have been cases, although rare, where ectopic pregnancy occurs in the abdomen, cervix, or the ovary. According to available statistics, in the US, one in every 2,000 ectopic pregnancies leads to death.
When it comes to ectopic pregnancy, there are certain risk factors that increase the chances. But any woman can have ectopic pregnancy. It has been seen that ectopic pregnancy in the US is quite prevalent among African Americans. Ectopic pregnancy can also occur in women who have in vitro fertilization, those who used IUDs or those who get pregnant after reversing the previously done sterilization.
As such there is no treatment for ectopic pregnancy. The only way to handle the ectopic pregnancy is to remove the embryo. This is not considered an abortion as the embryo usually does not survive in this ectopic pregnancy and the removal is more to save the life of the mother. It is this removal procedure that renders many women infertile to a certain degree. Usually when the ectopic pregnancy occurs in the fallopian tube, a portion of the tube or the entire tube is removed. This depends on whether the tube has burst or not. If both the tubes are removed, the woman will not be able to have conception. Instead she will have to have assisted conception, and the way forward for the woman will be in vitro fertilization.
