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ectopic pregnancy

How soon would you know if you have an ectopic pregnancy?

How soon would you know if you have an ectopic pregnancy?

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy usually develop between the 4th and 12th weeks of pregnancy. Some women don’t have any symptoms at first. They may not find out they have an ectopic pregnancy until an early scan shows the problem or they develop more serious symptoms later on.

ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy is a condition in which a fertilized egg attaches somewhere outside the uterine cavity, in one of the fallopian tubes. The prevalence of ectopic pregnancy is about 2% of all pregnancies.

What is the difference between it and a normal pregnancy?

In a normal pregnancy, the ovary releases the egg into the fallopian tube . If the egg meets a sperm, then the fertilized egg will move into the uterus and will continue to grow over the next nine months. But in 1 in 50 pregnancies, the fertilized egg remains in the fallopian tube. This condition is called: an ectopic pregnancy. In rare cases, the fertilized egg attaches to one of the ovaries or other organs in the abdomen. An ectopic pregnancy is an emergency that requires treatment and can put the mother’s life at risk.

Symptoms 

The most common signs of an ectopic pregnancy are:

  1. delayed menstruation
  2. Unusual bleeding in the vagina (Vagina)
  3. Pain in one of the lower parts of the abdomen
  4. Weakness, even fainting (shock) due to blood loss

In a woman of fertile age, these symptoms may raise the suspicion of an ectopic pregnancy, until it is verified and proven that it is due to a different source, and it requires immediate medical treatment. In many cases, the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are not clear and conclusive, as only a part of them appears and with low levels of pain, which makes it difficult to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy.

Causes and risk factors 

The cause of the development of an ectopic pregnancy is mainly due to damage to the tubal, which may have been caused by infections (particularly sexually transmitted) or from previous surgeries.

Complications 

 cannot be predicted. Sometimes, the fetus may grow until the horn is no longer able to contain it, and then it goes out into the peritoneum, which may cause the wall of the horn to rupture, and bleeding within the peritoneum causes abdominal pain. The pregnancy may stop developing, sometimes, and is absorbed until it disappears completely.

When the diagnosis is confirmed in the presence of an ectopic pregnancy, you must prepare for intense monitoring and follow-up, given the risk of exacerbation of some of these cases, which may require surgical intervention. In easy cases, with a continuous decrease in the level of the hormone, monitoring alone can be sufficient. After an ectopic pregnancy (tubal pregnancy), the probability of a healthy pregnancy in the womb is 80% – 88%, while the probability of another ectopic pregnancy is 4.2% – 5%.

Diagnosis 

is diagnosed in the following ways:

1- Ultrasound scan

Ultrasound imaging in the vagina and based on repeated measurements of the level of the pregnancy hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin – hCG) in the blood. With a transvaginal ultrasound, a uterine pregnancy can be diagnosed when the HCG value is greater than 1,500 mIU/ml. In this case, when the possibility of an intrauterine pregnancy is denied, the matter generally raises the suspicion of an ectopic pregnancy in the tubal.

2- Hormonal check

The detection of pregnancy in the tubal and/or fluid (blood) in the peritoneum supports this diagnosis. Also, progesterone levels are lower in ectopic pregnancy, which is an additional indicator that supports the diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy in the tubal.

ectopic pregnancy treatment

 is chosen according to the severity of the condition. If the tubal pregnancy is accompanied by bleeding in the peritoneum, or if the fetus is in the tubal with a heartbeat and the level of (HCG) is more than 3,500 mIU/ml, a surgical procedure is needed by laparoscopy and removal of the pregnancy from the tubal , or its removal (salpingectomy). Methotrexate injections can be effective for women who have a small tubal pregnancy, low HCG levels, and no abdominal bleeding.

Pregnancy recurrence after an ectopic pregnancy

Most women who have an ectopic pregnancy later go on to have a normal pregnancy and delivery, even if one of the tubules is removed entirely. As long as there is only one horn working, pregnancy can be achieved. If the cause of an ectopic pregnancy is a treatable disease, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, receiving treatment improves the chances of having a successful and healthy pregnancy in the future. Women who have had an ectopic pregnancy in the past are advised to consult their physician about the recommended waiting period until they try to conceive again. Some doctors recommend waiting for 3-6 months.

Women who have had an abortion are advised to take some time to heal the body and soul. Above all, it is important for this woman to understand that this is about circumstances beyond her control and that it is not her fault, in any way. Support groups can be used to overcome grief and loss.

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