Biomoz » ectopic pregnancy http://biomoz.com For Biology Lovers Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:24:50 +0000 en hourly 1 Ectopic Pregnancy http://biomoz.com/diseases-and-treatment/ectopic-pregnancy.html http://biomoz.com/diseases-and-treatment/ectopic-pregnancy.html#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:37:11 +0000 admin http://biomoz.com/?p=604 Ectopic PregnancyEctopic pregnancy is a complication of pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is that which develops outside a woman’s uterus (womb). This happens when normally when the fertilized egg from the ovary does not implant itself in uterus. Instead the egg develops somewhere else in abdomen. Most of the ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tube, which is also called as tubal pregnancy. In case of tubal pregnancy, as the products of conception continues to grow in the fallopian tube, the tube expands and eventually ruptures. The serious complication of an ectopic pregnancy is intra-abdominal hemorrhage, which is severe bleeding.

It is observed to happen in about two of every 100 pregnancies in India.  As the pregnancy grows, it can lead to bleeding and causes pain and if it is not recognized, the tube can easily rupture which causes internal bleeding. This can turn fatal and if it is not treated it can lead to death. Most of the ectopic pregnancies resolve without treatment. These are known as tubal abortions. It is difficult for some women to become pregnant again who had ectopic pregnancy earlier. An ectopic is usually found between the fourth and tenth week of pregnancy.

Causes:

Ectopic pregnancy is caused when a fertilized egg gets lodge in a fallopian tube instead of continuing its journey to the uterus, where in it is supposed to implant. The most common reason is that the fallopian tube has been damaged, causing a blockage or narrowing, which prevents the egg from reaching its destination and it implants in the wall of the tube. It also causes if the pervious case was of ectopic pregnancy.

Symptoms:

Ectopic pregnancy turns difficult to diagnose due to some of its symptoms such as:

  • Missed periods
  • Nausea
  • Breast tenderness
  • Vomiting
  • Frequent urination
  • Pain in pelvis and abdomen
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Low blood pressure
  • One-sided pain in the lower abdomen and intense stabbing pain
  • Often vaginal bleeding. In this case you might not know that you are pregnant and mistake for a period. But the blood is usually different from normal period and often dark and water.
  • Pain in the lower back.
  • Shoulder-tip pain. This can happen if there is internal bleeding which causes irritation in internal body organs such as the diaphragm.

Treatment:

The treatment of ectopic pregnancy varies, depending on how medically sable the women is and also the size and the location of the pregnancy.

Nonsurgical treatment

Treatment is possible with the help of an injection of methotrexate, which stops the growth of embryo.

Surgical treatment

If the pregnancy is further along after injections, you’ll likely need surgery, to remove abdominal pregnancy.

However, the pregnancy can be sometimes removed using laparoscopy. It is a less persistent surgical procedure. Where the surgeon makes small incisions in the lower abdomen and then inserts a tiny video camera allowing the surgeon to see what’s going on inside the body without making large incisions. The ectopic pregnancy is then removed and any damaged organs are also repaired or removed.

Ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency, and so if it is not treated properly it may lead to death.

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