Tubal Pregnancy Everything you need to know about Tubal Pregnancy and more http://tubalpregnancy.net/node/10/atom/feed 2008-07-02T15:30:32-06:00 What is a Tubular Pregnancy? http://tubalpregnancy.net/content/what-tubular-pregnancy 2008-07-02T17:29:00-06:00 2008-07-02T15:30:32-06:00 sonia A tubular pregnancy, or tubal pregnancy, is also called an ectopic pregnancy, and it is a pregnancy in where the fertilized egg implants itself outside of the womb, in a fallopian tube, hence the common lay term tubal pregnancy. It is possible for an ectopic pregnancy to occur in other places, too, and in that case your doctor would not refer to it as a tubular pregnancy. Other places a tubular pregnancy can occur are an ovary, the cervix, or some other organ in the abdomen. Usually, however, an ectopic pregnancy occurs in one of the fallopian tubes.

]]> A tubular pregnancy, or tubal pregnancy, is also called an ectopic pregnancy, and it is a pregnancy in where the fertilized egg implants itself outside of the womb, in a fallopian tube, hence the common lay term tubal pregnancy. It is possible for an ectopic pregnancy to occur in other places, too, and in that case your doctor would not refer to it as a tubular pregnancy. Other places a tubular pregnancy can occur are an ovary, the cervix, or some other organ in the abdomen. Usually, however, an ectopic pregnancy occurs in one of the fallopian tubes.

The Danger of a Tubular Pregnancy

A tubular pregnancy is not normal. The fallopian tubes are not designed to sustain a baby. If the egg implants in the tube and continues to grow, the foetus will become too big for the tube and eventually the tube will rupture, or burst. A ruptured fallopian tube or ovary causes excessive amounts of bleeding and pain and can cause the death of the mother, so a tubal pregnancy cannot be carried to term.

The Symptoms

In the early stages of a pregnancy, the signs of a tubal pregnancy are just about the same as they are for a normal pregnancy. Those symptoms include breast tenderness, missed periods, a more frequent need to use the bathroom, and perhaps nausea and vomiting (morning sickness).

A little later, however, other symptoms that may indicate a tubular pregnancy can occur. Pain, spotting, low blood pressure, a fainting spell or dizziness, and pain in the small of the back can all be indicators of an ectopic pregnancy. So, too, are lower-than-expected levels of HCG (the “pregnancy hormone”). Of course, you would have no way of knowing that your hCG levels were low, other than to have them tested, so although that is a symptom, it is usually used as one of the methods of diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy.

The pain is usually the first sign; most women who are diagnosed with a tubular pregnancy seek the advice of a physician because they are having abdominal pain. The pain may be a sharp, stabbing pain – “like a knife” – and it may stay or be intermittent. It may hurt very badly at times and be less severe at other times, and usually the pain is only on one side of the abdomen – the one that has the tube in which the egg is implanted.

The Risk Factors

Any woman may experience an ectopic pregnancy, but there are risk factors that make it more likely. Since an ectopic pregnancy usually occurs because the egg does not successfully travel to the uterus, anything that makes it more difficult for the egg to get through the tube can be a risk factor. A previous ectopic pregnancy that has damaged the fallopian tube puts a woman at higher risk, as does having any type of surgery on a tube because of the chances of scar tissue blocking the normal path of the egg. Other conditions such as infections like Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) can have a similar consequence. Also, for some reason, women who are a little on the older-than-average age for childbearing may have a greater risk. Many tubular pregnancies occur in women between 35 and 44 years of age. In addition, women who have used medications to enhance the chances of getting pregnant may also have a higher risk.

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