Only 1-2% of pregnancies are ectopic, that is, ectopic. The probability is extremely small, but every woman can face such a pathology, since the causes of its occurrence are not completely clear to the medical community. What are the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy? How to identify pathology in the early stages? After all, not only health depends on this, but also the life of the woman herself, the ability to bear and give birth to a child in the future. How long can ectopic pregnancy symptoms be noticed? This will be discussed in the article.
What is an ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic, or ectopic, pathological pregnancy is called one in which a fertilized egg is fixed and continues to develop not in the uterus, as in a physiological pregnancy, but, as a rule, in the fallopian tube. Sometimes a zygote is pushed out of the tube in the opposite direction from the uterus and fixed in the abdominal cavity or on the ovary. In this case, the embryo ceases to have enough space and nutrients in order to develop normally.
Spontaneous abortion may occur with or without a uterine tube rupture. Pathology is fraught with very serious complications, it can lead to death, that is, the death of a woman, or infertility in the future. But fortunately, about 60% of such cases end favorably, because the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy cause a woman to consult a gynecologist much earlier than complications develop.
The mechanism of pathology
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy occur when the fertilized egg is not properly located. Normally, the next female reproductive cell regularly (every 28 days on average, which is the duration of the menstrual cycle) matures in one of the follicles. In the ovulatory phase of the cycle, the egg is sent to the tube. The process of fertilization of the germ cell by sperm occurs in the same place.
If the egg was fertilized by a sperm, then it becomes a zygote and moves along the fallopian tube deep into the uterus. The movement is due to contractions of the muscles of the tube and villi of the mucous membranes. The process of moving to the uterus lasts three to four days, after which, if the fetal egg has successfully completed this path, it attaches to the wall of the uterus, secreting special enzymes that dissolve the mucous membrane at the attachment site.
In some cases, the egg cannot move to the uterus, encountering any obstacles of a mechanical or hormonal nature in its path. Then attachment can occur in the ovary, abdominal cavity, on the internal genital organs or in the tube, and not in the uterus itself. Most pathological pregnancies (about 98% of the total) are precisely tubal pregnancies.
Causes of Ectopic Pregnancy
The main reason for an ectopic pregnancy, the symptoms and signs of which a woman often may not pay attention to at a very early stage, is the incorrect location of the egg. The normal movement of the egg into the uterus can be prevented by mechanical obstruction or hormonal causes. Other causes of symptoms and signs of an ectopic pregnancy include:
- Inflammatory gynecological diseases, previous. Even minor inflammatory processes in the internal genital organs rarely pass without a trace. Adhesions may form in the tubes, which, after fertilization, can prevent the egg from moving normally into the uterine cavity.
- Inflammatory processes in the fallopian tubes in both chronic and acute course. Diseases become the reason that villi die and nerve endings are lost, which contribute to the promotion of the ovum. There is a high probability of pathology in violation of the transport function of the pipes. The egg does not have its own organs of movement, so an ectopic pregnancy develops in the fallopian tube.
- Anomalous structure of the internal organs of the reproductive system of women. Additional holes in the lumen of the fallopian tubes or additional tubes are pathologies that still occur in utero. Often the reason for this is the incorrect behavior of the girl’s mother during pregnancy, the use of prohibited drugs, ionizing radiation, and sexually transmitted infections.
- Any surgical operations (with complications on the reproductive system and the reproductive function of women), especially gynecological ones, including previous abortions, ectopic pregnancies. Surgical intervention can cause adhesions, an inflammatory process.
- Disorders of the hormonal background. Hormonal dysfunction leads to disruption of the cycle or immobilization of the muscles of the tube apparatus. The same effects are taking hormonal drugs, hormones of synthetic origin. In this case, the implantation of the embryo can occur earlier than the due date, that is, even when he did not have time to get to the uterine cavity.
- The absence of one pipe. If the egg leaves the side where the tube was removed, then it must go a longer way to get into a healthy tube. So, an ectopic pregnancy can be considered a consequence of a previous ectopic pregnancy.
The danger of an ectopic pregnancy
If there are symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, it is very, very dangerous. The stoppage of the egg in the fallopian tube and its attachment there lead to an increase in the diameter of the tube. The thin shell of the pipes is not designed for such a load, so that after a couple of weeks (with the growth and development of the embryo), the stretching will become too significant. Then the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy will appear. Reviews of women who had to survive such a pathology confirm that signs of incorrect localization of the fetal egg are strongly felt, so you can have time to see a doctor as early as possible, preventing serious complications.
As a result of critical stretching of the pipe, it may burst. At the same time, mucus, blood and the fetal egg get into the abdominal cavity, infection occurs, acute stomach syndrome, peritonitis will develop. This is accompanied by very strong pain. In addition, vascular damage will lead to bleeding. If spontaneous abortion occurred during its normal development, that is, when the embryo was in the uterus, then the vessels would cope with this, bleeding would not develop. In the fallopian tube, the vessels are not designed for such a load.
So a critical condition arises that requires urgent medical attention. Treatment of a pathological pregnancy is carried out in the conditions of resuscitation, in addition, doctors still observe the patient for some time after the operation. After such a pregnancy, a woman needs to restore the reproductive and menstrual functions of the body, and often in psychological help.
A critical condition with ectopic pregnancy is fatal. In addition, if pathology is detected at a relatively late date (about 8 weeks), treatment can be carried out with the removal of one or both fallopian tubes. If one tube is removed, the woman will be able to become pregnant and bear the child later, if both, then conception will be possible only with the help of IVF. The most favorable outcome of the pathology is considered to be a freeze in the development of the embryo and spontaneous abortion in which bleeding does not develop.
Signs of pathology in the early stages
What are the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy? Unfortunately, in the early stages a pathological pregnancy cannot be distinguished from that which develops physiologically correctly. A woman has a delay in menstruation, instead of critical days or a week before, spotting with an admixture of blood from the vagina may be observed, the mammary glands swell. This refers to probable signs, that is, objective from a medical point of view, determined during examination.
Doubtful (that is, subjective) signs of pregnancy both in the normal course and in pathology are intolerance to some smells, frequent urge to go to the toilet “little by little”, emotionality and frequent mood swings, tearfulness, drowsiness during the day, sleeplessness at night, change in eating habits or appetite. For some time, the pathology has successfully “disguised” as a healthy pregnancy.
A test strip for home use will show a positive result (as with normal pregnancy). However, many women noted among the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy at 6 weeks and later that the stripes became less noticeable. Initially, the result was clear, but over time, the stripes became more dull, as if disappearing. Doctors explain this by the fact that with pathology, the level of hCG in urine and blood does not grow as fast as normal (twice a day).
Anxiety: WB Symptoms
What symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy in the early stages should alert a woman? With pathology (as with normal pregnancy), menstruation stops. However, if the ovum has not fixed properly, there may be spotting or even slight bleeding on the days of the alleged menstruation.
This sometimes happens during the normal course of pregnancy. In any case, it is better not to rely on luck, but to visit a doctor immediately. He will not only deny the presence of pathology (if this is actually the case), but he may also prescribe some drugs as part of the preservation therapy. If an ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed at an early date (signs and symptoms can be recognized with the help of a doctor), this will allow you to start treatment on time.
Among the warning signs are general malaise and weakness. With pathology, there is a much greater burden on the woman’s body than with normal localization of the embryo, so drowsiness, lack of strength, and poor health are characteristic. Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy in the early stages (reviews of women confirm this), as a rule, are felt much more strongly than the same thing, but with a normal course. That is, it is normal for a woman to experience weakness, increased fatigue and drowsiness in the early stages, but with pathology this is felt several times stronger.
Fainting and dizziness are characteristic of pathology. Sometimes temperature can rise, blood pressure drops sharply, hemoglobin levels decrease until anemia develops. Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy in the early stages include palpable soreness. Pain may occur in the lower abdomen, on the side where the embryo has fixed, in the lower back. Discomfort can give to the right collarbone and back. Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy as early as 5 weeks include toxicosis. This phenomenon, which often accompanies and normally proceeds with pregnancy, is characterized by severity in pathology, and only increases with time.
In some cases, the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy in the early stages do not appear at all. A woman can feel neither pain, nor toxicosis, nor frequent changes in mood, nor even a change in eating habits. Often the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy remain mild, so the woman is in no hurry to consult a doctor, without giving them any importance.
In addition, you need to know that in a third of cases, pathology is completely accompanied by excellent health. That is why it is advisable to consult a gynecologist not only if some disturbing calls occur, but also a few days after the appearance of two stripes on the test. This will confirm the normal development of pregnancy or establish a diagnosis and start treatment in a timely manner.
Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy early require medical confirmation. It is necessary to go to the hospital so that the doctor confirms or refutes the presence of pathology and, if necessary, prescribes treatment. If such a pregnancy is suspected, it is necessary to conduct diagnostic procedures:
- in dynamics, determine the level of the hormone (hCG) in the patient’s blood;
- conduct an ultrasound scan;
- make a laboratory blood test;
- undergo a gynecological examination;
- sometimes abdominal puncture, laparoscopy, diagnostic curettage of the uterine membrane are necessary.
Confirmation of diagnosis
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy in the early stages are an occasion to contact a gynecologist as soon as possible. To confirm the diagnosis, a gynecological examination will be performed. The pathology is characterized by excessive uterine mobility, cyanosis of the vaginal mucosa, bloating, severe pain with displacements of the cervix. In laboratory blood tests, there may be an elevated ESR level, the clinical picture of anemia, and low hemoglobin. With ultrasound, you can find a fetal egg next to the body of the uterus, but such a study cannot be an independent diagnostic method, additional ones must be used.
It is recommended that when the pathology is suspected and the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy appear, the terms should be compared with the level of hCG. The information content of this research method is 96.7%. With pathology, the level of the hormone grows more slowly than with normal pregnancy. However, this does not always make it possible to correctly distinguish an ectopic pregnancy from a complicated physiological one.
In some cases, laparoscopy is performed. The research method allows the doctor to visually assess the condition of the woman, internal organs, including pipes. Until now, a diagnostic method such as abdominal puncture has also been used in medical practice, although laparoscopy is still most often used. Puncture results can be either false positive or false negative.
Treatment of pathological pregnancy
Treatment of pathology involves, as a rule, an operation during which a fetal egg is removed. Then, restoration of hemodynamic parameters is necessary, there is a need for rehabilitation of reproductive function and psychological assistance. As with interrupted spontaneously, and with an ongoing ectopic pregnancy, emergency surgical intervention is necessary. An indication for surgery is also hemorrhagic shock. Most often, doctors remove the tube, but in some cases, an organ-preserving intervention is possible. Doctors can remove the egg through a small incision. However, the size of the embryo should not exceed 5 mm in diameter, and a critical condition should not threaten the health of the woman herself.
Pathology prevention
The main method for the prevention of pathological pregnancy is the systematic preparation for the conception of a child. Both of the couple who decided to conceive a baby need to undergo a medical examination, abandon addictions and, if possible, begin to lead a healthy lifestyle. It is imperative to promptly and completely treat all infectious processes associated with the genitals, gynecological diseases, prevent excessive overheating or hypothermia, take care of proper contraception.
Abortion is one of the main reasons for an ectopic pregnancy, so you must not neglect contraception, choose funds together with your doctor, and in case of unwanted conception, perform an operation as soon as possible (medical abortion is possible within the first eight weeks). Mandatory manipulation should be carried out within the walls of a medical institution and by a qualified doctor. Only in this case will it be possible to minimize the adverse effects of abortion on female reproductive health and to avoid most complications.