Signs of ectopic pregnancy and treatment

Signs of an ectopic (uterine) pregnancy may be similar to other normal pregnancy symptoms such as missed periods, chest tightness or nausea. Therefore, every pregnant mother should have knowledge and constantly monitor the changes of the body during pregnancy.

According to research of doctors, about 1,000 pregnant women will have from 4 to 10 people having ectopic pregnancy. In which up to 15% of women with a history of ectopic pregnancy relapse.

As soon as she knows she is pregnant, the pregnant mother needs an ultrasound to check whether the fetus has entered the uterus or not. If the gestational week is not enough to get pregnant in the womb, the doctor will make an appointment for a checkup in 1-2 weeks. If the fetus is suspected of having an ectopic implantation, specialists will perform a transvaginal probe ultrasound to determine the location of the pregnancy sac.

Signs of ectopic pregnancy

In addition to signs such as missed periods, chest tightness or nausea, other symptoms include:

Abnormal vaginal bleeding: This is the first sign of ectopic pregnancy. The bleeding a little in the genital area, sometimes pregnant mothers do not notice or mistakenly think it is a sign of pregnancy, not a warning of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. However, when the fallopian tubes are ruptured, women experience massive vaginal bleeding.

Lower abdominal pain and back pain: You will see abdominal pain at the implantation site, lower abdominal pain. Many cases also suffer from abdominal pain like constipation. Prolonged abdominal pain, uncomfortable dull pain, sometimes severe pain with vaginal bleeding. Pain will increase over time as an ectopic pregnancy develops.

The level of HCG in the blood decreases gradually: If you have a normal pregnancy, the amount of HCG will increase gradually with your gestational age, but if you go through a pregnancy test, the level of HCG increases slowly or stands still. This is the reason why some women feel that they themselves have signs of pregnancy but the pregnancy test does not see 2 lines.

How to treat ectopic pregnancy

Depending on the progression of ectopic pregnancy, there are usually three treatment options for ectopic pregnancy:

Drug treatment

Surgery

If the ectopic pregnancy has ruptured or causes complications such as intra-abdominal bleeding, emergency surgery is required to save the mother's life.

If the ectopic pregnancy has not ruptured, there are the following cases (for reference only):

Large fetus, at risk of rupture: priority is given to surgical methods.

The fetus is small, not yet ruptured, but does not regress: it can be treated with medicine or surgery.

Auto-regression of the fetus: can be monitored until it has completely regressed.

Not all ectopic pregnancies require surgery. The choice of treatment method depends on the specific case. Better yet, talk to your doctor about the benefits and harms of each method, your own wishes and the progression of the disease so that you can be consulted on the most suitable treatment option.

The cause of ectopic pregnancy

The leading reasons for an ectopic pregnancy are tubal infections, pelvic infections caused by sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or abortion.

Due to congenital obstruction, stenosis, ovarian cyst disease , endometriosis, the consequences of each ovary surgery ...

Women who are addicted to cigarettes, live long in an environment with smoke. Nicotine poisoning is one of the causes of ectopic pregnancy because it destroys the villi on the wall of the fallopian tubes, reduces the movement of the ovaries, making the process of the zygote moving back to the uterus difficult.

If there are signs of pregnancy outside the womb, see an obstetrician and gynecologist for examination and advice. Early detection of an ectopic pregnancy is the best way to avoid serious complications and has more treatment options.

See more:

Do you know if you have an ectopic pregnancy test? Signs identifying ectopic pregnancy

What are signs of ectopic pregnancy? Mom needs to find out soon before it's too late

Can ectopic pregnancy be kept? How should pregnant mothers handle?