When the body is confused. Why does ectopic pregnancy occur?

The signs of ectopic pregnancy, according to reviews from women who have gone through this condition, are difficult to go unnoticed. What should you pay attention to in order to avoid very serious complications? What are the first signs of an ectopic pregnancy before a missed period? Let's discuss it in this article.

How does pregnancy begin?

The female reproductive cell - the egg, after fertilization, descends into the uterine cavity through the fallopian tube and attaches to its mucous membrane for subsequent development into an embryo and then a fetus. This process is called "implantation". Sometimes a malfunction occurs in this mechanism, and in this case the fertilized egg may become fixed in the “wrong” place. Such a place can be the ovary, a woman’s fallopian tube, and sometimes even the abdominal cavity. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. This condition threatens the health and sometimes the life of a woman. It’s a pity, no woman can be insured against ectopic pregnancy. How to recognize it in the first stages, what are the signs of ectopic pregnancy

exist. What symptoms should you pay attention to?

When does a fallopian tube rupture?

Most often, rupture occurs at 8-12 weeks, although damage to the tube by the growing fertilized egg cannot be ruled out even at 4-6 weeks. No doctor is able to give more precise dates. Therefore, a period between 4-12 weeks is considered dangerous.

It should be noted that there are certain factors that can influence the rupture of the fallopian tube, among them:

• Individual structural features of the female body, in particular, the diameter of the fallopian tube;
• The presence or absence of fetal pathology;
• Individual characteristics of embryo growth and development;
• The woman's health status.

What is an ectopic pregnancy? Symptoms and signs of this condition. What's happening?

An ectopic pregnancy is pathological in nature, due to the “irregularity” of the process, or, to be more precise, the “failure” of the fertilized egg to reach the uterus.
For certain reasons, after fertilization, the egg is attached outside the uterine cavity, where its short-term development begins. Depending on the place where the fertilized egg is implanted, ectopic pregnancy is divided into:

• tubal (attached to the fallopian tube);
• ovarian (attached to the ovary);
• abdominal (fixed in the abdominal cavity);
• ectopic pregnancy, which develops in the rudimentary horn of the uterus (rare).

The order in this list of types corresponds to the frequency with which cases of pathologies occur. In addition, in medical practice there is another extremely rare (fortunately) type of ectopic pregnancy, which is called heteroscopic pregnancy. In this situation we are talking about normal and uterine, and at the same time about ectopic pregnancies. In this case, the woman ovulated with two eggs in one month, and two were fertilized at once. However, one of the fertilized eggs attached, as expected, in the uterus, and the second - in the wrong place for it, the ovary, tube or some other.

If an ectopic pregnancy is not detected in time by its signs, its consequences may be

extremely serious - from complete infertility to the death of a woman. Although the embryo usually freezes during an ectopic pregnancy, its further development is still possible. And since the fallopian tube is not at all intended for bearing a fetus and is not capable of stretching along with the growth of the embryo, at some point it ruptures. In such a situation, emergency hospitalization and urgent surgical intervention must be performed.

If the pathology is detected in a timely manner, the fertilized egg can be removed, including non-surgically, while preserving the woman’s ability to become pregnant and carry a baby normally in the future.

Treatment and recovery

The least traumatic method of treating ectopic pregnancy is medication. But it can be resorted to only in the earliest stages of the development of pathology. It is usually used in cases where an ectopic pregnancy is accidentally discovered during a gynecological examination, since women tend to tolerate changes in their condition “to the last.” To get rid of the pathology, a special hormonal drug is introduced into the woman’s body, which stops the development of the embryo and provokes an artificial miscarriage. This method appeared relatively recently. It requires a thorough preliminary examination of the woman before the procedure and highly qualified medical personnel. Under no circumstances should you try to find the name of these drugs on the Internet and resort to the method of medicinal termination of intrauterine pregnancy on your own!

Sometimes doctors combine surgical and medicinal methods, injecting a woman with a drug, after which the incorrectly attached fertilized egg is detached and then removed by squeezing. Further restorative treatment is aimed at eliminating inflammatory processes in the appendages on the opposite side. Usually, a woman’s recovery after surgery occurs quite quickly - especially if it was a laparoscopic intervention (an operation performed through small incisions). The wounds heal completely in 2-3 weeks, but for another 2-3 months the woman should avoid physical activity and try to prevent constipation. Also, after treatment for an ectopic pregnancy, it is customary to take a hCG test several times to make sure that there are no fragments of the ovum membrane left in the woman’s body, which can continue to grow and eventually turn into a tumor.

To summarize, we can say that in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, it is better for a woman to play it safe than to delay her visit to a specialist in the presence of frightening symptoms. It is advisable to see a gynecologist immediately when a delay occurs, so that he can determine its true cause and, if necessary, quickly prescribe treatment. If an ectopic pregnancy was treated in a timely manner, a woman can become pregnant again in the future, paying attention to the prevention of this pathology.

Womenfirst

• Ectopic pregnancy: early diagnosis and treatment Babajanova Gulzhakhon Sattarovna, Khojaeva Dilufar Nuriddinovna, Razikova Komola Khasanovna 2022 / Biology and Integrative Medicine
• Analysis of the reproductive health of patients after ectopic pregnancy Erkenova S.E., Ergalikyzy A., Kaldybekova A.K., Kurbanova M.O., Shadenova E.E., et al. 2022 / Bulletin of the Kazakh National Medical University Murtazin A.I. Obstetrics and gynecology. Standards of medical care. Quality assessment criteria. Formulary. 2022
• Prediction and prevention of recurrent ectopic pregnancy: abstract of thesis. Magomedova Patimat Aripovna; - Moscow, Scar pregnancy - a new type of ectopic pregnancy Maltseva L.I., Fattakhova F.A., Zamaleeva R.S., Kurtasanova E.S., Khruleva G.Kh. 2022 / Practical medicine

RUS2124800-2 from 03/20/2020

Early signs of ectopic pregnancy

Often, an ectopic pregnancy has certain symptoms and signs: delayed menstruation, malaise, test detection, slight swelling of the mammary glands, pain. But, unfortunately, a normal pregnancy has all these symptoms and signs of an ectopic pregnancy

.
The forum dedicated to this condition is proof of this. The pathology of implantation is quite successfully “masked” as a normal, ordinary pregnancy. Therefore, it is often very difficult to determine an ectopic pregnancy
based on the signs and symptoms described above.

Ectopic, like normal, is accompanied by a delay in menstruation and breast swelling. A woman may feel early toxicosis (nausea) and other symptoms that are characteristic of conception. A test purchased at a pharmacy will also show two lines, confirming that conception has occurred. The only rather subtle nuance of difference that indicates the fact that the process is not happening correctly is the brightness of the stripes on the test. As many women who have experienced this note, with this pathology, the second line on the test is often somewhat lighter. This is one of the early signs of ectopic pregnancy

. You can read on the forum that quite often it was precisely this test that raised suspicions that the process was “wrong.”

In addition, the lines on the test are sometimes very bright initially, but become lighter and lighter with each subsequent test. That is, early signs of ectopic pregnancy after a delay can be detected by conducting several pregnancy tests at certain intervals. However, it is important to understand that this is not the most reliable method. It is not uncommon for cases in which the second line did not appear at all, that is, the test demonstrated that the woman was not pregnant. Thus, when you experience all the characteristic symptoms of pregnancy, and the test says the opposite, there is reason to suspect an ectopic pregnancy.

Despite the fact that menstruation stops during an ectopic pregnancy, as in the normal course of pregnancy, at the same time, pathological pregnancy is usually accompanied by slight bleeding or bloody spotting from the vagina. In addition, this condition is also characterized by pain: pain during an ectopic pregnancy most often appears in the lower abdomen or lower back. To be more precise, pain manifests itself in the place where the fertilized egg was implanted.

Alarming signs indicating a possible ectopic pregnancy are also dizziness, general malaise, and in some cases even fainting. When a woman reveals the first signs of an ectopic pregnancy before a missed period

or after it - you must urgently contact an antenatal clinic. Only a doctor can confirm or refute these suspicions.

Ectopic pregnancy: signs, timing

The signs that were listed above are characteristic not only of an ectopic pregnancy, but also of a normal one. So it is possible to accurately determine that a fertilized egg has “settled” outside the uterus only with the participation of a doctor. In addition to the early symptoms already mentioned above, which may well be signs of an “ordinary” pregnancy, toxicosis can also indicate an ectopic pregnancy. However, it is not the presence of toxicosis in itself (vomiting and nausea are frequent companions of normal pregnancy), but gradually increasing manifestations: in the presence of a pathological condition, this phenomenon is pronounced and becomes stronger over time. At the same time, the pain in the lower abdomen intensifies; after a few days, it is already interspersed with severe spasms and sharp pains.

In some situations, a woman’s body temperature may increase and her blood pressure may drop sharply. In this case, the level of hemoglobin is reduced, sometimes to such an extent that anemia develops. When signs of ectopic pregnancy

, HCG blood test demonstrates inappropriate concentrations of this pregnancy hormone. This indicator is clear evidence of the presence of pathology.

In addition, if there are signs of ectopic pregnancy, ultrasound

must be carried out. The presence of free fluid behind the uterus, as well as the absence of a fetus in it, indicate pathology.

If there is at least one of the signs indicated above, and abnormal bleeding is also noted, first of all, it is vital for the woman to urgently visit a gynecologist. When implantation pathology is not diagnosed in time, fallopian tube rupture may occur in the future. In this case, internal bleeding occurs in the peritoneal area, severe pain, fainting and painful shock - these are the consequences of a terminated ectopic pregnancy. In this case, without options, the woman needs to undergo surgery. In this case, the likelihood of infertility in the future increases significantly. And in the absence of timely medical care in case of rupture of an ovary or tube, the risk of death is generally high.

Oksana Igorevna

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Abortion and contraception clinic in St. Petersburg - department of the medical gynecological association "Diana"

Make an appointment, tests or ultrasound via the contact form or by calling +8 (812) 62-962-77. We work seven days a week from 09:00 to 21:00.

We are located in the Krasnogvardeisky district, next to the Novocherkasskaya, Ploshchad Alexander Nevsky and Ladozhskaya metro stations.

The cost of a medical abortion in our clinic is 3,300 rubles. The price includes all pills, an examination by a gynecologist and an ultrasound to determine the timing of pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy: how can you recognize symptoms during the subsequent development of pregnancy?

How can you independently identify the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, so as not to waste precious time, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, not to suspect the presence of a non-existent problem? So, let’s summarize all of the above: signs of ectopic pregnancy before delay

, as well as after it, usually correspond to normal. The first symptom is a delay in the next menstruation. Also, against the background of a delay, the appearance of bloody spotting is likely, which is typical for the termination of a normal pregnancy. It happens that menstruation occurs on time or with a slight delay, but the blood loss is more scanty.

Other signs include the appearance of pain: pain is localized in the lower abdomen, stronger in the area of ​​the fallopian tube where the egg is attached. At the beginning, the pain is nagging in nature, but over time it becomes sharper, “shooting,” spasmodic, intensifies and covers the entire abdomen. In the case of a rupture of the fallopian tube, which usually occurs between the sixth and tenth weeks from conception, a sharp dagger pain appears in the lower abdomen on the left or right. This condition is characterized by internal bleeding, which threatens the woman’s life.

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