The symptoms of the ectopic pregnancy are similar to the ones of a normal pregnancy and may include: missed periods, breast tenderness, nausea, vomiting, or frequent urination. The first signs that signals the fact that something is wrong are pain or vaginal bleeding, pelvis or abdomen pain. The pain may be sharp and stabbing and may concentrate on one side of the pelvis and come and go or vary in intensity.
There are other symptoms that may signal the presence of the ectopic pregnancy, namely:
- vaginal spotting;
- dizziness or fainting;
- low blood pressure;
- lower back pain.
The ectopic pregnancy is caused by the fact that the fertilized egg was enable to get quick enough down to the fallopian tube into the uterus, an infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube may block the way of the fertilized egg to the uterus. The pelvic inflammatory disease witch is usually caused by gonorrhea or Chlamydia, is the most common affection responsible for the blockage of the fallopian tube. Other affections that may cause the blockage of the fallopian tube are: endometriosis, scar tissue from previous abdominal or fallopian surgeries, birth defects (rarely) and abnormal growths can alter the shape of the tube and disrupt the egg's progress.
The ectopic pregnancy is usually detected with the ultrasound test, the quantitative hCG test and even with a simple pregnancy test.
The treatment for the ectopic pregnancy is variable depending on the fallowing factors: medical stability of the woman, the size and the location of the pregnancy. In the case of ectopic pregnancy discovered in very early stage the treatment may be an injection of methotrexate, which stops the growth of the embryo. In the case of ectopic pregnancy discovered in advanced stage the treatment will be the surgery in order to remove the abnormal pregnancy. The surgery may be done with a large incision across the pelvic area in cases of emergency or extensive internal injury. An alternative to this traditional surgical procedure is the laparoscopy (the health care provider makes a small incision in the lower abdomen and a minuscule video camera and instruments are inserted through these incision and the images of the video camera are shown on a screen in the operating room so that the doctor to see what is inside and remove the ectopic pregnancy), a less invasive surgical procedure.
After the treatment whatever it will be the health care provider will advise you to make several hCG hormone level tests until it will return to zero.
The majority cases of ectopic pregnancies equals to a miscarriage, because there are rare cases of ectopic pregnancies that may be taken to the due term without putting in danger the life and the health of the mother and the baby.
The risk of having another ectopic pregnancy is of approximately 50%. The women who have had an ectopic pregnancy should monitor her second pregnancy to prevent the further evaluation of another ectopic pregnancy.