subject: Ectopic Pregnancy [print this page] An ectopic pregnancy, sometimes called a tubal pregnancy, happens when a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the lining of the uterus. Most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tube but other places where an ectopic can implant are the abdominal cavity, ovary or cervix. Ectopic pregnancies are sometimes difficult to diagnose. Symptoms are very similar to normal pregnancy symptoms and some women have no symptoms at all. When a pregnancy starts to develop somewhere other than the uterus there is no room for the placenta to attach or the pregnancy to grow and develop properly.
Complications of an ectopic pregnancy
The whole problem with an tubal pregnancy is that this is not a natural occurrence. Hence the zygote cannot be nurtured in the protective womb, as in a normal pregnancy. The zygote, however, continues to grow, till it is left no more space to expand. Ultimately, it will end up rupturing the organ that it chose to implant itself in. This can lead to immense complications in the mother, resulting in severe pain and bleeding, probably even endangering her own life!
What Causes An Ectopic Pregnancy?
Sometimes the ovum fails to implant itself and it becomes fertilized outside of
the reproductive system. More commonly, the fertilized ovum is trapped, in the
fallopian tube and the baby continues to grow inside the tube where it can cause
the tube to burst or otherwise severely damage it. A burst tube is life
threatening and requires urgent medical attention.
Symptoms of ectopic pregnancies
The early signs of an ectopic pregnancy will be the same as that of a normal one, however, there could be also be other symptoms once the pregnancy develops a little more. Some of these symptoms are pain on one side of the abdomen, throbbing that lasts for a long time in the abdomen, fainting fits, pain in the lower abdomen, and vaginal bleeding. A very pointed sign is pain in the shoulder when lying down.
Diagnosing An Ectopic
The diagnoses based on the above description are done using blood tests for HCG and vaginal ultrasound. If the HCG levels are positive, pregnancy is confirmed, but there is no information about the site of the pregnancy. Only a vaginal ultrasound can help the doctor locate the gestational sac. However, the sac cannot be seen clearly in cases of Ectopic. If the HCG levels are more than 2000mIU/ml, the doctor will be able to see the sac and in cases where he cannot, the diagnosis is an Ectopic pregnancy.
by: johnrobinson
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