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What You Should Know About Tubal Pregnancy

A tubal pregnancy can be life threatening if it is not discovered early. There have been significant strides made in medicine that can detect a tubal pregnancy and the maternal death rates due to a tubal pregnancy are on the decline. Most tubal pregnancies are diagnosed before the eighth week of pregnancy. However, tubal pregnancies are on the rise.

A tubal pregnancy occurs when the fertilized eggs implants itself in the fallopian tube. It is important to note that an ectopic pregnancy can also occur in the cervix, ovary or abdomen. If a fertilized eggs starts to grow anywhere other than the uterus it will not properly develop. In addition, when the egg starts to grow it will stretch out the organ where it is implanted. If the egg has implanted itself in a fallopian tube it can burst. This greatly increases the pregnant woman’s risk of hemorrhaging and it could cause the mother’s death if medical attention is not sought immediately.

The symptoms of a tubal pregnancy will mirror that of a normal pregnancy. It can have the most common symptom of a normal pregnancy such as a missed period. However, a tubal pregnancy will have other symptoms such as pain in the abdomen, bowel or bladder, dizziness or fainting and irregular vaginal bleeding. If you are pregnant and start to experience pain in your abdomen you should seek out medical attention immediately.

One way that doctors can detect a tubal pregnancy is by evaluating the HCG levels of the pregnant woman. In tubal pregnancies the HCG levels will not increase at such a fast rate as in a normal pregnancy. Your doctor may also monitor your level of progesterone. Woman who have a tubal pregnancy often do not produce a normal level of progesterone. Women who have a tubal pregnancy will a lower than normal progesterone level. Another way that a tubal pregnancy can be detected is through an ultrasound. An ultrasound will give your doctor a view of your uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.

A tubal pregnancy that is detected will normally be terminated. If left alone tubal pregnancies can cause the death of the mother. Tubal pregnancies are generally terminated with an injection of methotrexate. If this medication cannot be used for some reasons the egg can be removed through laparoscopy or be flushed out through a salpinostomy.

There are factors that can increase your chances of having a tubal pregnancy. These factors include having had a previous tubal pregnancy, becoming pregnant after the age of 35, having pelvic inflammatory disease, previous operations performed on your fallopian tubes, the use of certain medications, endometriosis, conceiving when an IUD was in place and there is a possibility that having multiple induced abortions may increase your chance of having a tubal pregnancy, although the evidence is still not clear.

You should know that if you have a tubal pregnancy it can affect your ability to get pregnant in the future. If you have experienced a tubal pregnancy you are at a higher risk for developing another one in the future. You may also have trouble conceiving if you have scarring or damage to your reproductive organs as a result of the tubal pregnancy. You should talk with your doctor about your personal situation and your changes of having a normal pregnancy in the future.