Ectopic Pregnancy is a rare kind of pregnancy, which occurs in a very little percentage of women. It is not a normal pregnancy and hence is either naturally miscarried or has to be clinically aborted. The term 'Ectopic' literally means a part of the body, found in an atypical place in the body. Therefore, it is a kind of pregnancy, which develops in an organ other than the uterus.
Occurrence Of Ectopic Pregnancy
In a normal pregnancy, when fertilization of egg takes place inside a woman's body, the fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube and embeds itself in the uterus. But in this casey, the ovum (the fertilized egg) is planted at some other place outside the uterus. It usually implants inside the fallopian tube and seldom in other parts such as the pelvic region, the cervix or somewhere in the abdomen. But none of these parts is able to nurture and develop a fetus as the uterus. So, after a while, the woman experiences discomfort or her body signals to her that something is not quite right. She may not feel anything abnormal until it is detected in an ultrasound.
Symptoms
Initially symptoms are just like a normal pregnancy. But gradually, certain ectopic pregnancy symptoms start developing. As the ovum grows bigger, the woman will feel severe discomfort or pain in the abdomen. She could also suffer from pain in the shoulder, which aggravates as she breathes. These preliminary signs could be followed by certain definite symptoms like abnormal bleeding or spotting; dizziness; low blood pressure and high pulse rate; nausea and unconsciousness.
Who Is At Risk?
There is no definite reason, which leads to it but certain factors can put a woman at a higher risk of having it. The risk group consists of women who:
- have a history of same pregnancy
- have fallopian tubes damaged due to an infection or a surgery
- have Endometriosis
- have adopted in-vitro fertilization for conception
- use contraceptive pills containing only progesterone
- use contraceptive coils
Detection & Treatment
An ectopic pregnancy goes unnoticed until an internal medical examination, appearance of any symptoms or an ultrasound scanning. As mentioned above, it can miscarry by itself but a doctor will need to intervene to completely remove it surgically. With progress in medical techniques and procedures, it is now much easier and less painful to rid the women of such a pregnancy. Keyhole surgery and laparoscopy are two such techniques.
Life After Ectopic Pregnancy
Experiencing ectopic pregnancy once does not have any negative impact on future pregnancies. In most of the cases, it is not the end of the world for you. You can surely conceive again and have a healthy baby. However, it is always better to wait for a few months before attempting to conceive again.
