Pregnancy usually causes a few telltale signs, like a missed period and breast tenderness. For many, it includes morning sickness or fatigue.
An ectopic pregnancy — which you also may discover with a positive home pregnancy test and can cause those very same symptoms — is a potentially life-threatening gynecologic condition, and it requires immediate medical care.
That’s why you want the best in women’s health care in Lawrenceville, Georgia, if you’re expecting. Daniel Esteves, MD, has delivered more than 7,000 healthy babies, and he has advanced training in minimally invasive and pelvic reconstructive surgery.
If you’re in your reproductive years, Dr. Esteves recommends learning these warning signs of an ectopic pregnancy to ensure you get care as quickly as possible.
An ectopic pregnancy starts out like all other pregnancies: Sperm fertilizes the egg and it starts its journey to your uterus for implantation.
However, when you have an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg doesn’t reach its final destination. Instead, it implants itself in another part of your reproductive system. And this creates a dangerous situation.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that more than 90% of ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes — the narrow channels between your ovaries and uterus. However, a fertilized egg can also implant itself in the cervix or ovaries.
A fertilized egg needs nutritional support from the endometrial lining in your uterus to survive. It can’t survive anywhere else. However, it can continue to grow, and this can lead to a life-threatening situation, such as a ruptured fallopian tube.
Less than 2% of pregnancies are ectopic, but anything that slows the fertilized egg’s progress to the uterus may result in an ectopic pregnancy.
Factors that increase your risk of this type of pregnancy include:
However, many women who experience an ectopic pregnancy don’t have these risk factors.
Learning to recognize the warning signs ensures you get the emergency medical care you need.
In the earliest stages, it can be hard to differentiate between an ectopic pregnancy and a normal pregnancy. However, there are a few subtle signs that could indicate an issue.
You’re more likely to experience abnormal vaginal bleeding during the early days. You could also notice mild pelvic pain and cramping, especially on one side of your lower abdomen.
As the ectopic pregnancy progresses, it often causes symptoms to worsen. In most cases, women experience more severe pelvic pain that can even radiate into the shoulder. It’s also common to feel weak and dizzy.
If an ectopic pregnancy causes a fallopian tube to rupture, it can cause severe pain followed by low blood pressure and fainting.
You should consider a ruptured fallopian tube a medical emergency. Call 911 right away or have someone take you to the nearest emergency room.
Fortunately, most ectopic pregnancies get detected during the first trimester.
If Dr. Esteves confirms an ectopic pregnancy, he can guide you through your treatment options. Because these pregnancies aren’t viable, they usually require medication or surgery.
For an ectopic pregnancy that hasn’t ruptured a fallopian tube, Dr. Esteves could prescribe a methotrexate injection, which stops fetal cell production and ends the pregnancy. It also saves your fallopian tubes.
When an ectopic pregnancy ruptures a fallopian tube, you need surgery. You also could need surgery to remove the fertilized egg even if your tube remains intact. Dr. Esteves uses minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques to reduce scarring and recovery time when performing surgery for an ectopic pregnancy.
