Introduction
The pregnancy occurs when a sperm fertilizes an egg forming a zygote. In normal conditions, the zygote gets implanted in the uterus’s lining. Here it grows under proper environment and protection. Sometimes, this fertilized egg instead of attaching to the lining of the uterus gets implanted outside the major uterus’s cavity known as ectopic pregnancy. Now, the egg is implanted in an area that could not bear its growth. Usually, this type of implantation occurs in the fallopian tubes (oviducts). However, it can also occur in the cervix (bottom part of the uterus) or ovary.
Any part other than the main cavity of the uterus is not capable of carrying the baby. Thus, the pregnancy cannot move forward normally. Moreover, if it is left untreated then it might pose a serious problem to the mother. Thus, such type of pregnancy is not advised to be carried out till birth.
Symptoms of Ectopic Pregnancy
Initially, there might not be any specific symptoms for ectopic pregnancies. However, the mother might experience some other symptoms along with normal pregnancy symptoms. Some of these are as follows:
- Abdominal pain
- Lower back pain or pelvis pain.
- Bleeding from vagina
- Nauseous or dizziness
- Weakness.
During severe cases, sometimes the oviduct bursts and causes extreme pain along with bleeding. In such cases, the mother might experience low blood pressure, fainting or rectal pressure. Moreover, the mother with ectopic pregnancy might experience
Causes of Ectopic Pregnancy
In normal cases, the egg after fertilization travel to the uterus for implantation. However, in ectopic pregnancy, this migration of the egg to its main position gets either slowed down or blocked due to certain reasons. Some of the causes of it are as follows:
- Defects in the oviducts
- After the result of a ruptured appendix
- Conceiving while having any IUD (Intrauterine Device)
- Medical history of ectopic pregnancies or any other infections in the reproductive organs.
- Mother’s age (more than 35).
- Any typical surgery in the past.
- Genetic defects.
- Hormonal imbalances.
- Due to certain STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)
When to see a doctor during Ectopic Pregnancy?
If any pregnant woman is having any such symptoms as mentioned above, then you must consult obstetricians. If the woman has severe abdominal cramps, shoulder pain, or little to considerable bleeding from the vagina, then she must consult her doctor immediately.
Risk factors in Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy might pose serious issues if left untreated. Some of the risk factors of ectopic pregnancy include the following:
- Any medical history of abdominal surgery.
- Any medical history of surgery of oviducts or pelvis.
- STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) infections.
- Endometriosis.
- Mother’s age (more than 35)
- Inflammatory diseases of the pelvis.
- Smoking.
- History of IVF.
Preventive Measures for Ectopic Pregnancy
There are not any special methods for the prevention of Ectopic pregnancies. However, you can avoid it by following a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, the woman should also take proper medical consultation if they had a previous experience with such pregnancy or any infections.
They might also quit smoking and use contraceptive methods for avoiding STDs. They must also try to maintain a healthy weight and regularly consult their obstetricians.
Remedies / Treatment for Ectopic Pregnancy
If the complications are not yet severe, then the doctors might suggest some drugs such as methotrexate to prevent the bursting of the tube. It also stops the growth of the cells of the ectopic mass. This drug gives results like that of a miscarriage. The woman might experience bleeding and cramping after the treatment. However, after the treatment, the patient might not be able to conceive for a few months.
In some extreme cases, the doctors might suggest surgery to remove the embryo. This process is the laparotomy performed by inserting a camera through an incision.
Conclusion
Ectopic pregnancy is a disease that occurs when the egg after fertilization gets implanted in other reproductive parts (such as oviducts) rather than the main cavity of the uterus. This can cause serious issues for the mother if left untreated. The mother might experience severe abdominal pain, pelvis pain or bleeding during an ectopic pregnancy. It can be cured under the guidance of specialist doctors by either giving medications or performing surgery (laparotomy).
Some major types of ectopic pregnancy are as follows: • Lower abdominal pain • Shoulder pain • Bleeding from vagina • Discomfort during bowels.
Some of the diagnostic methods for ectopic pregnancies are urine tests, ultrasounds or blood tests.
The chances of ectopic pregnancy increase after having one. Yet, with proper medications and guidance from the doctors, there are high chances of having successful future deliveries.
If a mother had a removal of one of its oviducts, then still there are chances of conceiving. The egg can travel from the other tube to the uterus.
This type of pregnancy is usually diagnosed after 4-6 weeks of the pregnancy.
