Signs of an ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy is a rather unpredictable pathology. It can occur in any woman, so you need to know about the symptoms of such a pregnancy and its course. This will help prevent unfortunate consequences.

The first symptom of an ectopic pregnancy

If a pregnancy develops normally, then after fertilization from the fallopian tubes, the egg passes into the uterus and there is attached to its wall. This does not happen in the case of an ectopic pregnancy. For some reason, the ovum remains in the fallopian tubes, the ovary, or is attached to the woman's abdominal cavity. The most common case is when an egg is attached inside the fallopian tube.

As the egg grows in size, the walls of the tube stretch. Soon, the growth of the ovum leads to the fact that the tube ruptures, causing severe bleeding in the abdominal cavity. If medical assistance is not provided to a woman in a timely manner, bleeding very quickly leads to death.

The very first sign that something is wrong with pregnancy, and it may be ectopic, this is the appearance of blood in the vaginal discharge. In this case, the amount of blood can be quite insignificant. After that, mild pain in the lower abdomen is added. They can be aching or cramping. If a woman notices such signs in herself against the background of usual symptoms pregnancy, you must immediately contact your gynecologist.

Early signs of ectopic pregnancy

Along with all the symptoms characteristic of ordinary pregnancy, with an ectopic attachment of the ovum, there are also specific symptoms:

• Discharge with an admixture of brown or brownish blood appears, resembling menstrual discharge. Sometimes they may not be there if blood accumulates inside the abdominal cavity.
• The pain in the lower abdomen becomes cutting in nature. It is localized on the side where the ovum develops. At rest, the pain subsides, and during movement or change of position of the body it becomes stronger.
• The woman feels weak all over her body, she begins to shiver.
• Sometimes the body temperature rises.
• If the blood loss is large, fainting or dizziness is observed, blood pressure drops.

At an early stage, the ectopic nature of pregnancy can be established after the traditional analysis of hCG blood. With the natural development of pregnancy, the concentration of this hormone will increase every other day. If the ovum develops in the wrong place, then the increase in the concentration of hCG will be slow.

Another study showing an ectopic position pregnancy, this is the progesterone level. For an ectopic pregnancy, the corpus luteum hormone will remain low.

In addition to these two analyzes, it is necessary to perform an instrumental examination of the woman. For this, an ultrasound scan of all organs of the small pelvis is performed. Already at the 4th week of pregnancy, you can see the ovum in the uterine cavity. If the doctor does not observe him there, then the tubes, ovaries and abdominal cavity are examined.

If it is impossible to locate the ovum with ultrasound methods, a laparoscopic examination is performed, in which the pregnancy is immediately terminated if its atypical development is detected. Often, during such an operation, the fallopian tube, in which the pregnancy developed, is completely removed.

Will the test show an ectopic pregnancy?

Many women do not know exactly how the test reacts to the development of pregnancy and why a second strip appears on it. Tests record the presence of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine, which is produced during pregnancy. This substance is released in any case, regardless of where the fertilized egg is attached. Therefore, it is impossible to determine the development of an ectopic pregnancy by the test.

At the same time, it is possible to suspect that something was wrong on some special grounds. For example, if the second strip does not look bright enough. In this case, you need to conduct the test several times with different brands of tests and on different days. The barely noticeable second stripe on the test also suggests an ectopic pregnancy.

Another reason to sound the alarm is the different test results, when, after an initial positive, the second test gives a negative result. This phenomenon is due to the fact that with improper attachment of a fertilized egg, the level of hCG is low or begins to be produced later. If such symptoms appear, it is necessary to consult a doctor so that the necessary assistance is provided in a timely manner.