Extrauterine pregnancy: symptoms, causes and consequences
An ectopic pregnancy, as the word itself implies, occurs outside the uterus, where the egg fertilized during conception normally implants itself. When the egg is fertilized by the spermatozoon, inside the tubes, it descends from these until it nestles in the uterine cavity, where then the fertilized egg (embryo) can develop into a fetus. time to descend into the uterus, for various causes, and implants itself in the fallopian tubes. What are the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy and what consequences does it entail?
Extrauterine pregnancy: the test and treatment recommended by the gynecologist
Our gynecologist explains why it is important to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy in time with tests. Immediate intervention (and timely recognition of symptoms) can help prevent even serious consequences. Find out everything there is to know about ectopic pregnancy.
See also
The causes of an ectopic pregnancy
Extrauterine pregnancy has no specific causes, and in fact it can happen to anyone. However, a greater incidence of this type of pregnancy has been noted in women who have already had one before. In addition to this, the main cause of such a pregnancy, also called an ectopic pregnancy, is in the fallopian tubes. If these are blocked or damaged for some reason, such as from previous infections, the risk of getting pregnant outside the uterus increases. Injuries to the fallopian tubes can also be caused by chlamydia, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases. For this reason It is important to carefully monitor the health of your reproductive system before trying to have a baby.
Other underlying causes of an ectopic pregnancy include:
- endometriosis
- the presence of intrauterine contraceptive devices (such as the IUD)
- abdominal surgery (such as "appendicitis)
- smoke
- old age
- treatments to combat infertility
Extrauterine pregnancy: the symptoms to recognize
The symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are very similar to those of a normal pregnancy and usually appear after the fifth week of conception:
- absence of menstruation
- abdominal or lower abdominal pain
- backache
- breast pain
- nausea
- discomfort while urinating.
As the pregnancy progresses and the fetus begins to develop, blood loss may also appear, often mistaken for menstruation: however, these are watery losses with a very dark color. In these cases, abdominal pain can also increase, especially if the pregnancy is taking place at the level of the tube, which in the long run may be prone to rupture.
If the symptoms worsen and worsen, you must go to the emergency room immediately because a tubal rupture may have occurred, and this seriously puts the woman's health at risk.
The test to understand if we are facing an ectopic pregnancy is the ultrasound, which allows you to view the position of the embryo inside the uterus, as well as the dosage in the blood of a hormone produced by the placenta called HCG (chorionic gonadotropin).
It will be precisely the levels of this hormone to confirm that it is an ectopic pregnancy, if they rise slowly, otherwise if they rise quickly it will be a normal pregnancy.
Early diagnosis is important and can make a difference because it allows you to keep the situation under control and avoid facing serious problems, such as rupture of the tube.
How is it treated? The intervention to terminate the pregnancy
Extrauterine pregnancy is to be treated with the utmost urgency. The woman must undergo an operation, and quickly: the evolution of the ovum causes the explosion of the tube and a very serious hemorrhage. Violent pain does not always occur in conjunction with the bleeding. They can be dull pains, accompanied by slower bleeding. The only therapy is precisely the surgery during which, depending on the severity of the situation, a total or partial ablation of the tube will be inevitable, obviously together with the removal of the ovum. If possible, the operation is performed by laparoscopy , which avoids a too visible scar.
Pharmacological treatment
An ectopic pregnancy cannot in any case be brought to term because no other organ outside the uterus can guarantee the conditions that allow the embryo and fetus to develop. In addition to the surgical treatment that we mentioned in the previous paragraph, c " it is the path of pharmacological treatment, to be followed only under strict medical supervision.
Specifically, it is the Methotrexate the drug capable of blocking the growth of the embryo, which must be taken by the woman and will be reabsorbed by the body over the next 4-6 weeks. This drug can only be used if the pregnancy has not ruptured a fallopian tube, but there are several other factors to consider before proceeding with administration.
Subsequently, the patient will have to periodically check the HCG dosages until it is negative, i.e. no longer having an ongoing pregnancy.
What are the consequences?
An ectopic pregnancy can have a very profound and important psychological impact on the mother. Once she has fully recovered, however, the woman wonders if she will be able to get pregnant again. The desire to become a mother has not faded, which is why before planning a new pregnancy you need to talk to your gynecologist.
Generally the advice is to let at least two or three menstrual cycles pass before trying to get pregnant again.
If one of the fallopian tubes has been damaged, it is good to know that most women will be able to get pregnant again, even if they have only one tube. There are documented cases of many women who have managed to have a normal pregnancy with healthy children.
It is true, however, that the chances of conceiving another ectopic pregnancy are high, for this reason, in the event of a new pregnancy, checks by the gynecologist will be more frequent.
