Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy
Although common, this type of pregnancy is still very unknown among the population. Quick detection can prevent medical complications for moms.
Stopping an ectopic pregnancy early can save the lives of many pregnant women. This type of pregnancy is more unknown than it is really believed and many women do not know how to distinguish what is happening to their body. The reality is that an ectopic pregnancy that has not been treated in time can cause internal bleeding that can put the health of the pregnant woman at risk , costing her sterility or her own life.
For this reason, the best way to combat this problem is to end the ignorance spread by society. In this PregDream article you will find the main symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy , very important information to diagnose this type of pregnancy in time.
Index
WHAT IS AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY?
Extrauterine or ectopic pregnancy is one that occurs outside the uterus . In a normal pregnancy, once the egg is fertilized, it descends through the fallopian tubes until it reaches the uterus, where it adheres to the mucosa of the walls and begins to develop. In the case of ectopic pregnancies , the fertilized ovum never reaches the walls of the uterus , staying in the fallopian tubes in 98% of cases.
This is caused by an abnormality in the tubes , an obstruction of the canal , an egg that is larger than the tubes themselves, or a movement that is too slow towards the uterus . All this causes the fertilized egg to adhere to the walls of the tube, which are too weak and cannot support a pregnancy . When the embryo dies over time due to lack of nutrients and is detached, it takes part of the wall of the fallopian tube with it, causing internal bleeding and severe pain.
Although there are rare but existing cases in which both mother and baby have survived said pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy is a common cause of pregnancy loss during the first trimester . In Spain, only 2% of the pregnancies that occur are ectopic and unfortunately the only treatment that exists, at the moment, is the interruption of pregnancy .
SYMPTOMS OF AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY
The first unequivocal symptom that something is changing within a woman’s body is the lack of a menstrual period, the first sign of pregnancy . After this, the first symptoms of ectopic pregnancy usually appear in the same way as those of a normal pregnancy: nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, breast tenderness, weakness …
A pregnant woman may present only these symptoms even though an ectopic pregnancy is developing within her. But normally the appearance of new, much more intense and painful symptoms tends to alert the future mother that something is wrong with her pregnancy. The most frequent warning signs are the following:
- Severe pain in the lower abdomen , initially on the side where the tube that houses the embryo is located. In addition, this pain can increase when urinating, coughing or making sudden movements. There are two causes for this type of pain; the first occurs when the tube is reaching its maximum capacity , so if the embryo continues to grow inside, its walls will not be able to stretch any more. The second occurs when the embryo has detached from the fallopian tube , causing part of the wall to detach with it, causing sharp and constant pain throughout the pelvic area and abdomen.
- Constant nausea and dizziness .
- Fainting and weakness.
- If the tube bursts the pulse of women will become fast and weak at the same time as their skin cold and clammy.
- Pressure in the rectum .
- Pain in the lower back , similar to lumbago. This is caused by the strain on the fallopian tube.
- Slight vaginal bleeding or loss of brown color several days before the pain, something that can be confused with the period if the pregnancy is not known, although only between 40 and 50% of women suffer from this symptom . On the other hand, if the fallopian tube bursts, the pain will be accompanied by heavy bleeding.
RISK FACTORS FOR ECTOPIC PREGNANCY
- Women with endometriosis . It consists of the existence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, mainly in the ovules and the walls of the fallopian tubes. It is the endometrium where the fertilized eggs adhere to begin to develop.
- Having had an ectopic pregnancy before . According to medical studies, women who have undergone an ectopic pregnancy have a 10 to 25% chance of having one again.
- Women with birth defects or abnormalities of the fallopian tubes
- Be over 35 years of age . It has been shown that the highest rate of this type of pregnancy is suffered by women between the ages of 33 and 44.
- Women who have used or are still carrying an IUD (intrauterine device). If a woman becomes pregnant with this contraceptive method while still in the vagina, it is very likely that she will suffer an ectopic pregnancy.
- Infections in the female reproductive system from untreated or improperly treated sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea .
- Reversal of tubal ligations . There are cases in which women decide they want to be mothers after having undergone tubal surgery to tie their fallopian tubes . It has been shown that women who want to become pregnant after this intervention have a higher risk of suffering this type of pregnancy.
- Smoking . Women who smoke are twice as likely to have an ectopic pregnancy as those who do not. This is because nicotine could paralyze the cilia in the lining of the fallopian tube , villi responsible for carrying the fertilized egg to the uterus.
AFTER AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY, CAN I GET PREGNANT AGAIN?
In the vast majority of cases, after having an ectopic pregnancy you can have healthy pregnancies in the future . This will depend on the type of treatment that has been carried out to terminate the ectopic pregnancy and the condition of the fallopian tubes. In the event that one of the tubes had been ligated or one of them had scars, the fertilization process may be more complicated than on other occasions , but this does not prevent the woman from becoming pregnant again.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.