Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms

An ectopic or tubal pregnancy is a dangerous condition that requires medical treatment.  This type of pregnancy occurs when, for reasons not really known, a fertilized egg implants itself outside the uterus.  The uterus is the scientific name for the womb, so an ectopic pregnancy is one that takes place outside the womb.  This is obviously not the natural place for a developing fetus, as there is neither the space nor the resources required to support life here.  Not only that, but the mother's life is also endangered.  If left unchecked, the growing fetus can rupture the area in which it is located, commonly the fallopian tubes.  This can lead to heavy bleeding, which is often life threatening for the mother.  For this reason, it is important to know the symptoms of ectopic pregnancy for all women, not just women in high risk categories.  Because ectopic pregnancy symptoms resemble normal symptoms in the early pregnancy, a pregnant woman needs to be on the lookout for those signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy that take a bit longer to emerge, about 6 to 8 weeks into the progression of the pregnancy.  It's estimated that about 1 in 200 pregnancies are ectopic, or extrauterine pregnancies.  An ectopic pregnancy never survives, and may either resolve on its own, resulting in bleeding as in a miscarriage, cause ectopic pregnancy symptoms, and be life threatening and require surgery if it ruptures the fallopian tubes.

Anyone can conceivably get an ectopic pregnancy, but they are statistically higher in women who conceive when they are older, as in the 35 to 40 year old range.  Smokers are also considered to be more high risk, as are women who use an IUD for birth control.  Abnormalities in the fallopian tubes such as kinks or scarring, often caused by infections like gonorrhoeoa and chlamydia can also cause ectopic pregnancies.  Women who are using assisted conception methods are also place in the high risk category.  Unfortunately, having already had an ectopic pregnancy increases the chances of having it happen again.
 

Early ectopic pregnancy symptoms are virtually identical to normal symptoms of being pregnant and include

*missing your menstrual period
     
*nausea, aka morning sickness

*tender breasts

*fatigue or general tiredness

*increased frequency of urination

If you have these symptoms, there's no need to get worried.  Chances are, your pregnancy is progressing normally and you will have a healthy baby.  It's hard to know whether these are symptoms of a normal pregnancy or early symptoms of ectopic pregnancy, so you will generally have to wait to see if things go as normal or if other symptoms develop. 

The other symptoms that you need to look out for are definitely cause for concern, as there is a good chance they are symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy.

*Pain in the abdominal or pelvic region, especially if it starts on one side of the body and then spreads.  This pain may also get sharper during movement.

*Pain during the course of a pelvic exam or during intercourse

*Vaginal bleeding, whether light or heavy

*Getting lightheaded or dizzy, or even fainting (often caused by internal bleeding)

*Signs of Shock

*Shoulder pain, which indicates bleeding through the diaphragm into the abdomen


You should also know that these are the symptoms that accompany miscarriage.  In either case, seeking immediate medical attention is of the utmost importance if you experience any of these symptoms.  Sometimes, there are no symptoms and the fallopian tube may just rupture without and of the warning signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. 

If you have even one ectopic pregnancy symptom, go to the hospital immediately.  Here, you will be given a pregnancy test to determine whether or not you are pregnant.  Getting an ultrasound is a good way to check the fallopian tubes.  A transvaginal scan will go inside the body to physically check to see if an egg has become lodged in the fallopian tubes.  A scan may not show anything if you are early in the pregnancy, in which case you will have to get it redone at a later date to recheck your fallopian tubes.  Hormones indicating changes in pregnancy will also be tested for in most cases.

If you catch it early enough, you have several options for dealing with an ectopic pregnancy.  The easiest thing to do may be just to monitor the situation, as many cases of ectopic pregnancy will resolve themselves.  This is dependent on having only mild or no symptoms.  If you have symptoms that are worrisome, it would probably be best to either surgically remove the pregnancy or remove it medically.  While doing it medically doesn't involve surgery, you do have to get monitored closely for several weeks with various tests and scans to ensure that the treatment was successful.
If the fallopian tube has already ruptured, surgery (often life-saving) will be required.  This surgery will aim to stop the bleeding and remove the ruptured tube and the remnants of the ectopic pregnancy.