/images/logo.gif){kind=logo}
Ectopic Pregnancy: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment |
| Date Added: September 22, 2009 01:47:26 PM |
| Author: Michelle Edwards |
| Category: Health |
| Defining the problem In a normal pregnancy, an impregnated egg passes through a fallopian tube to the womb. The egg implants in the uterus and starts growing. But in an ectopic pregnancy (also known as an extrauterine pregnancy), an impregnated egg implants in another place but not the womb, most often in a uterine tube. An ectopic pregnancy is often brough on by damage to the fallopian tubes. A fertilized egg may have trouble passing through a damaged tube. Hence, the egg is made to attach and grow in the tube. Rarely, the egg implants in an ovary, the cervix or the belly. If the egg keeps developing in the damaged salpinx, it can do damage to or burst the tube and cause severe internal haemorrhage which can be life-threatening. If you think you have an ectopic pregnancy, you require immediate medical aid to cease it before it bring about grave health problems. Factors leading to oviducts damage 1. Smoking. The more cigarettes a day you smoke, the higher your risk of an extrauterine pregnancy. 2. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is often the result of an infection such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea. 3. Endometroid heterotopia, which can bring on healing tissue in or around the salpinges. 4. A history induced abortions. 5. Exposure to the chemical DES before birth. Common symptoms Pain is commonly the first common symptom of an extrauterine pregnancy. The pain, often one-sided, may occur in the pelvis, abdomen or even in the shoulder or neck. The pain is usually acute. Weakness, dizziness or fainting can signal severe internal hemorrhage, requiring prompt specialist medical aid. Diagnosis Diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy includes an ultrasouns, a pelvic exam administered to test for pain, tenderness or a mass in the belly. The most accurate lab test is the measurement of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Treatment Treatment of an ectopic pregnancy is surgery, mostly by laparoscopy today, to excise the extrauterine pregnancy. A ruptured Salpinx usually has to be excised. If the tube has not burst yet, it may be fixed. Future pregnancies The extent of the operation impacts upon the probability of sucessful future pregnancies. If the Fallopian tube has been spared, the chance of a successful pregnancy is commonly better than 50%. If a fallopian tube has been removed, an egg may be fertilized in the other tube, and the chance of a successful pregnancy goes down below 50%. |
Ratings:
You must be logged in to leave a rating.Average rating: ( votes) |