Tubal Pregnancy Everything you need to know about Tubal Pregnancy and more http://tubalpregnancy.net/node/7/atom/feed 2008-07-01T19:26:11-06:00 Indicators That a Your Pregnancy May be Ectopic http://tubalpregnancy.net/content/indicators-your-pregnancy-may-be-ectopic 2008-07-01T21:19:00-06:00 2008-07-01T19:26:11-06:00 sonia An ectopic pregnancy, or “tubal” pregnancy in which the egg adheres to the fallopian tube instead of the uterine lining, can have serious complications and pose risks to the mother. It is possible for the fallopian tube to be damaged and may have to be repaired or removed. Bleeding is also a risk, and excessive bleeding may lead to the death of the woman. Most women who are pregnant will not know that their pregnancy is developing tubally until several weeks into the pregnancy because the symptoms of ectopic pregnancies are the same as those of normal pregnancies at first. Around five to eight weeks into the pregnancy is when you may begin to have symptoms that indicate the possibility of a tubal pregnancy. If you have any of the following symptoms, you should seek the assistance of your medical specialist immediately so that the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy can be made or ruled out:

]]> An ectopic pregnancy, or “tubal” pregnancy in which the egg adheres to the fallopian tube instead of the uterine lining, can have serious complications and pose risks to the mother. It is possible for the fallopian tube to be damaged and may have to be repaired or removed. Bleeding is also a risk, and excessive bleeding may lead to the death of the woman. Most women who are pregnant will not know that their pregnancy is developing tubally until several weeks into the pregnancy because the symptoms of ectopic pregnancies are the same as those of normal pregnancies at first. Around five to eight weeks into the pregnancy is when you may begin to have symptoms that indicate the possibility of a tubal pregnancy. If you have any of the following symptoms, you should seek the assistance of your medical specialist immediately so that the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy can be made or ruled out:

• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Light-headedness
• Vaginal spotting
• Heavy vagina bleeding
• Abdominal cramping
• Abdominal pain
• Pain in the shoulder or neck
• Pain on one side of the pelvis

Although many of these symptoms may be signs of something else, any pregnant woman who experiences them should be tested to see if the pregnancy is developing normally in the womb or abnormally in the fallopian tube.

Tests will generally consist of a pelvic examination, blood tests, a urinalysis, and an ultrasound. Generally, if you have been pregnant for longer than six weeks, an ectopic pregnancy can be diagnosed using one or several of these techniques. However, it is sometimes impossible to either diagnose a pregnancy as ectopic or rule it out; this is especially true very early in the gestation period. If you present with any of the above symptoms and a tubal pregnancy is neither diagnosed nor ruled out, your doctor will most likely continue to monitor you very closely, and you may need to return every few days for more testing.

Fainting, dizziness, and light-headedness are all symptoms because they are frequently caused by blood loss, and ectopic pregnancies may cause bleeding. Spotting and vaginal bleeding may be seen as symptoms of ectopic pregnancy because when the egg attaches to the tube, bleeding may result, and if the tube actually ruptures, heavy bleeding is likely. Abdominal cramping or pain may present itself because the egg is not where it belongs, and that pain may be on only one side of the pelvis because the pain will likely emanate from the tube in which the egg has attached itself. Shoulder pain may seem like an odd symptom, and it is rarer than the other symptoms, but it can be the result of excessive internal bleeding.

]]>