August 23rd, 2011 by Hasham

Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms

How to Know you are on Risk

You may experience ectopic pregnancy symptoms even though you don’t know that you are pregnant.

Are you worried because you feel like you’re pregnant, but you feel some strange symptoms, including some pain and bleeding?

An ectopic pregnancy is something weird because you may experience common symptoms of early pregnancy associated with other symptoms of pain, even you may be confused with the typical symptoms of your period. But in fact you are experiencing a serious pregnancy complication called ectopic pregnancy.

* What is an ectopic pregnancy?
* What are the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy?
* What are the causes of and ectopic pregnancy?
* How do I reduce the risk of having an ectopic pregnancy?
* Are there any treatments for an ectopic pregnancy?

What is an ectopic pregnancy?
An ectopic pregnancy is commonly called “Tubal Pregnancy” and it occurs when the fertilized egg does not reach the cavity of the uterus. Most commonly it occurs in a fallopian tube but also may occur elsewhere, including in the abdomen or ovary.

Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms

Tubal Pregnancy Photo © A.D.A.M.

This type of pregnancy complication can be very dangerous because the ectopic pregnancy symptoms can occur even after a rupture and an uncontrolled bleeding. In this case the situation becomes an emergency where your life is in danger. Many women do not even know that they are pregnant when this situation occurs.

WARNING An Ectopic Pregnancy is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical care. As soon as you feel early ectopic symptoms, run immediately to the hospital, and make sure someone accompany you, your husband, partner or a relative.

What are the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy?
Possible symptoms include:

* Unusually early, late, missed or spotty period.
* Low abdominal pain, this can be intensely sharp or dull. This pain may be progressively worse in one side of the lower abdomen.
* Cramping on one side.
* Low back pain.
* Vaginal bleeding.

Other ectopic pregnancy symptoms may include dizziness, nausea and shoulder, arm or chest pain.

What are the causes of and ectopic pregnancy?

There are several reasons why you may have an ectopic pregnancy. Some experts say that one of the most common causes is an inflammation of the fallopian tubes.

The tubes may be blocked after an inflammation. If this happens, there is a possibility that you may have an ectopic pregnancy.

Some statistics indicate that around 50% of women who have had an ectopic pregnancy, have had before an inflammation of the fallopian tubes.

So be careful with any pelvic inflammation and keep into observation any ectopic pregnancy symptom.

There are other causes well known like:

* Surgery of the fallopian tubes.
* A previous ectopic pregnancy.
* Developmental defects in the tubes leading to a narrowing.
* Birth defects in the tubes “Endometriosis”.
* Complications of appendicitis.
* Cicatrisation from a prior pelvic surgery.

If you use the intrauterine device (IUD) as birth control method, and you become pregnant, although it is very unlikely, you may have an ectopic pregnancy. But keep into consideration that the IUD has an effectiveness of 99% to prevent pregnancy.

How do I reduce the risk of having an ectopic pregnancy?
Considering that any inflammation or surgery of the fallopian tubes can cause an ectopic pregnancy, you should reduce the risk of happening that, how?

You should avoid sexual intercourse without protection that can cause sexually transmitted diseases. You do not want to have surgery because of these diseases, right?

But, if inevitably you have to undergo to a surgery in the fallopian tubes, and you want to get pregnant after that, always remember to observe any ectopic pregnancy symptoms immediately after your period is late.

Are there any treatments for an ectopic pregnancy?
There are two ways to treat an ectopic pregnancy: surgical treatment and the medical treatment. However you should keep in mind that the goal of either of these two treatments is to save your life, unfortunately your pregnancy will be terminated.

Medical treatment consists of applying a drug called Methotrexate to stop the growth of cell division and to induce miscarriage. Your doctor will decide to apply this method if your pregnancy is less than 6 weeks and the size is less than 3.5 cm. If there is a risk of rupture, surgery will be needed.