Friday, June 08, 2007

Never Ignore Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms - It Is An Emergency

Ectopic pregnancy symptoms start occurring when the egg is fertilized outside the uterus and the baby starts developing outside the womb. Most commonly, ectopic pregnancy occurs inside the fallopian tube, but in some cases, though quite rare, it occurs in the ovary or the stomach area. These are not normal kinds of pregnancies and should not be allowed to proceed further as they may cause permanent damage to the system.

The reason why an ectopic pregnancy takes place is due to a condition in which the passage of the fertilized egg through the fallopian tube is blocked or slowed down. This blockage may be physical and can occur due to some previous infections, surgery in the fallopian tube, and inflammation of the area or earlier ectopic pregnancy.

Symptoms To Watch Out For

Ectopic pregnancy symptoms are abdominal and are characterized by pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding. These are often confused with the pregnancy symptoms of miscarriage or pelvic inflammatory diseases. The best thing is to approach your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms as a delay in action might cause a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, which is a serious medical condition.

Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy

Common early symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include lightheadedness, dizziness, passing-out, sweating, and pale complexion, extreme and unbearable pain in pelvic area and/or stomach. You must go to your doctor if you experience any of these and undergo certain examinations which the doctor will perform on you. The doctor generally goes for a pelvic exam and ultrasound to determine enlargement of the uterus and the area affected by this kind of pregnancy. Blood hormone levels are also checked to see the changes.

If you are having any ectopic pregnancy symptom, it should be treated as an emergency as this type of pregnancy may rupture anytime and damage the fallopian tube permanently. Such pregnancies if diagnosed at early stages can be treated accordingly and the pregnancy can be terminated safely without damaging the tube. However, if it ruptures, surgery is the only option to save the patient’s life.

With the advancement in medical science and technology, this kind of pregnancy can be terminated safely with a small surgery today and the woman can still hope to conceive and deliver a healthy child next time. Earlier, all of the fallopian tube used to be terminated and there was no chance for having a baby in the womb. Thanks to the medical advancements today, women who had such type of pregnancy once can dream to have a healthy pregnancy in the near future.

All women should be vigilant enough not to take signs of pregnancy lightly and start getting pre-natal care immediately. This way, she can recognize and tell her doctor about ectopic pregnancy symptoms, if any, at the earlier stages and get the condition treated properly without harming herself and her reproductive system.

Ectopic pregnancy is a very severe pregnancy complication, which could have disastrous effects. Be watchful about ectopic pregnancy symptoms, such as pelvic pain and contact your doctor immediately because a ruptured ectopic pregnancy could signal an emergency. Early Pregnancy Symptoms provides more information about normal symptoms of pregnancy and even some early pregnancy symptoms that could indicate that you are on your way to being a mother.

Source:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=29049

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