Pregnancy is an amazing occurrence and while many people take the whole process for granted, assuming that they will have a beautiful baby at the end of their 40 week pregnancy, it’s not always that cut and dry. Some women become pregnant but it is not a viable pregnancy because it is what is called an ectopic pregnancy.
Ectopic Pregnancy: What Is It?
There are many terms that are used to refer to an ectopic pregnancy including tubal pregnancy, cervical pregnancy as well as abdominal pregnancy. While there are many different names for this type of pregnancy, all of them refer to a pregnancy that occurs outside of the uterus. While pregnancy has occurred, in terms of an egg being fertilized, it is not a viable pregnancy as a fetus cannot thrive outside of the uterus.
Causes of Ectopic Pregnancy
Not every ectopic pregnancy has the same cause but generally this type of pregnancy is caused by a lack of movement or the inability of a fertilized egg to move down through the fallopian tubes into the uterus where it can attach itself to the uterine wall and thrive. This inability to move freely can be caused by blockages in the fallopian tubes, hormones and even smoking as smoking has been linked to changes in the fallopian tubes.
Ectopic Pregnancy Risks
There are some women who are more likely to experience an ectopic pregnancy than others. Most of the time, the women who experience this type of pregnancy do so because they have a swelling of the fallopian tubes or pelvic inflammatory disease, though not all women who have these issues will experience an ectopic pregnancy. Some of the risk factors associated with ectopic pregnancy include but are not limited to:
• ● Past ectopic pregnancies
• ● Current or past infections of the fallopian tubes
• ● Surgery involving the fallopian tubes
• ● Pelvic inflammatory disease
• ● Smoking
• ● Birth defects
• ● Scar tissue caused by past pelvic surgery
• ● Scar tissue from appendicitis
• ● Endometriosis
• ● Being over the age of 35
• ● Promiscuity
• ● In vitro fertilization
While these are common causes associated with ectopic pregnancy, there are some instances when the direct cause is unknown.
Diagnosing an Ectopic Pregnancy
A doctor will usually suspect ectopic pregnancy based on the symptoms that the patient is reporting. These symptoms may include sharp pains in the lower abdomen, low back pain, nausea, mild cramping on one side, pain in the pelvic area, feeling faint, intense pressure in the rectum, as well as severe and sharp pains accompanied by irregular bleeding.
The diagnosis is usually confirmed through a pregnancy test and then a transvaginal ultrasound. In some cases a serum progesterone level test will be done in addition to a white blood count and quantative HCG blood test. The rise in the HCG levels is very helpful in diagnosing a potential ectopic pregnancy.
Treatment
Once the ectopic pregnancy has been identified treatment is required. The pregnancy is not viable and it must be removed or it can cause shock and lead to a loss of life for the pregnant woman. Generally speaking minor surgical procedures including but not limited to a D and C, laparoscopy or laparotomy is done to remove the unviable fertilized cells. In some cases the patient will need to be treated for shock with blood transfusions, oxygen and even hospitalization. After treatment most women are able to go on to have healthy pregnancies in the future.