Not everyone knows what a ectopic pregnancy and what causes it, but many women suffer from it throughout their lives. In a normal pregnancy, the ovary releases an egg into the fallopian tube. If the egg meets a sperm, the fertilized egg moves into the uterus to stay in the lining and continues to grow for nine months.
What is an ectopic pregnancy
It happens that in 1 of 50 pregnancies approximately, the fertilized egg does not reach its destination and stays in the fallopian tube. In this case, it is called an ectopic pregnancy. In these cases, which are rather rare, the fertilized ovum attaches to one of the ovaries, although it can also adhere to the cervix. In any case, an ectopic pregnancy can never go to term, what's more, it can endanger your life. Ectopic pregnancies require emergency treatment.
Very often, ectopic pregnancy occurs within the first few weeks of pregnancy, even when you find out you have it, you may not even know you were pregnant. Really, For a woman to find out that she is suffering from an ectopic pregnancy can be a huge shock especially if they were looking to stay healthy.
Most commonly, doctors discover women who are pregnant with a ectopic pregnancy in the 8nd week of gestation. Ectopic pregnancies can be very scary and sad. The baby cannot survive and the pregnancy must be terminated. Although there are extremely rare - and dangerous - cases in which the baby can be born.
But the reality is that for a woman having an ectopic pregnancy means having to lose your baby, and it may take some time to get over it. There is news that is not so negative and that is that if you currently suffer an ectopic pregnancy, in the future it does not mean that you will not be able to be a mother anymore, on the contrary, you can get pregnant normally.
What are the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy
There are some symptoms of ectopic pregnancy that you cannot ignore so that the alarms go off in time and that you can go to your doctor so that he can advise you with the pertinent measures. Some of these symptoms are:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Nausea and vomiting with pain
- Abdominal pain
- Quite sharp abdominal cramps
- Dizziness or weakness
- Pain in the shoulder, neck, or rectum
- If the fallopian tube ruptures, the pain and bleeding can be severe enough to cause you to pass out.
If you are experiencing an ectopic pregnancy or have one or more symptoms that I have just mentioned, it is necessary that you quickly contact your doctor or, in any case, go to the emergency room to reduce the risk of bleeding and be able to preserve your fertility for the future.
What causes an ectopic pregnancy?
An ectopic pregnancy can be caused by a number of reasons including:
- An infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube that may be partial or severe.
- Scar tissue from a previous infection or a surgical procedure can also prevent adequate movement of the egg to reach its destination.
- Previous surgery in the pelvic area
- Abnormal growths or birth defects can also lead to an abnormality that puts you at risk for an ectopic pregnancy.
Who is most at risk for an ectopic pregnancy?
There are some risk factor's that can make it more likely for a woman to have an ectopic pregnancy. Some of these risk factors are:
- Have a maternal age between 35-44 years
- Having had a previous ectopic pregnancy
- Having had previous pelvic or abdominal surgery
- Having pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Induced abortions
- Conceiving after having a tubal ligation or having the IUD in place
- Being a woman smoker
- Have endometriosis
- Undergo drug fertility treatments
Diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy
Once you arrive at the hospital and they do a pregnancy test, a pelvic exam and an ultrasound, you will be able to know how the uterus and fallopian tubes are. If ectopic pregnancy is confirmed, the doctors will decide the best treatment depending on your case and if you want to get pregnant in the future or not.
Treating an ectopic pregnancy
If your doctor suspects that your fallopian tube has ruptured, you will need emergency surgery to stop the bleeding. In some cases, the fallopian tube and ovary may be damaged and the damage will need to be fixed.
If the fallopian tube has not ruptured and the pregnancy has not progressed much, laparoscopic surgery may be all that is needed to remove the embryo. and repair the damage. A laparoscope is a thin, flexible instrument that is inserted through small incisions in the abdomen. During this surgery, a small incision is made in the fallopian tube and the embryo will be removed. It is very important to preserve the integrity of the fallopian tube. In some cases, medication can be used to stop the growth of pregnancy tissue. This treatment option may be appropriate if there is more serious damage and the pregnancy has not progressed much.
After medical treatment for an ectopic pregnancyUsually, a woman who has had an ectopic pregnancy will have to do blood tests to make sure that the entire ectopic pregnancy is over.
What Happens After Ectopic Pregnancy
Most women who have had an ectopic pregnancy have normal pregnancies and deliveries in the future, even if the fallopian tube has been removed. If the ectopic pregnancy was caused by a treatable disease such as a sexually transmitted disease, the possibility of treatment so that you can improve your chances of pregnancy are also successful.. Ideally after going through an ectopic pregnancy is to wait 6 to 8 months before getting pregnant again. but go to your doctor for advice according to your particular case.