This kind of pregnancy is fatal: it can explode at any time, is good at disguise, and cannot be prevented...

I once heard a very sad story from a friend:

A colleague of hers had a little bleeding in the early stages of her pregnancy. She didn't take it seriously at the time and asked for leave to rest at home. But her husband was dumbfounded when he came home from get off work and found his wife collapsed in the toilet. She was already dead. Even though he sent her to the hospital immediately, she couldn't be saved. Later, he learned that the girl had an ectopic pregnancy and the fallopian tube ruptured, causing heavy bleeding and losing her life. You know, ectopic pregnancy is a gynecological emergency. When the bleeding is severe, even if you have surgery immediately in the hospital, it may not be possible to save the woman.

Ectopic pregnancy can really be fatal, but fortunately, many women can narrowly escape its clutches.

So what exactly is an ectopic pregnancy? Why is it so dangerous? Who should pay attention to it? Let's talk about it today.

As the name suggests, the fertilized egg seed does not grow in the uterus where it should be, but grows outside the uterus.

If the fertilized egg doesn't stay in the uterus, where will it go? The fallopian tube, ovary, cervix and abdominal cavity are all possible places, and 95% of them grow in the fallopian tube.

However, the wall of the fallopian tube is much thinner than the wall of the uterus, and it is small, narrow and rich in blood vessels. Once the fertilized egg takes root and sprouts on it, it may "break" the wall of the fallopian tube soon, causing bleeding. The rupture in different places and the size of the rupture will cause different degrees of rapidity of bleeding.

For example, if it is just a small cut and the blood clot has just solidified, the bleeding will not be too rapid and may be slow. However, if the cut is larger or in a special location, such as cornual pregnancy, the muscle layer here is relatively weak and the blood vessels of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes all pass through here. Once ruptured, the bleeding will be very severe and the consequences will be even more unimaginable.

Among all fatal gynecological diseases, the incidence of ectopic pregnancy is relatively high, about 2% to 3%. That is to say, for every 100 pregnancies, 2 to 3 will be ectopic pregnancies.

This is because the first encounter between sperm and egg is in the fallopian tube, not in the uterus! They combine in the fallopian tube to form a fertilized egg, which then moves from the fallopian tube to the uterus and finally lands in the uterus for implantation.

If the fallopian tube becomes inflamed at this time, it may block or block the fertilized egg's path; or if there is inflammation or damage in the uterus, which is not suitable for the fertilized egg to implant, the fertilized egg may develop in place or go to other places suitable for growth.

Therefore, women with these conditions should pay attention to:

Have pelvic inflammatory disease or salpingitis

Pelvic inflammatory disease and salpingitis may cause narrowing and congestion of the fallopian tubes, which may affect the entry of the fertilized egg into the uterus.

Abnormal fallopian tube development or fallopian tube surgery

Conditions such as fallopian tube absence, fallopian tube dysplasia, recanalization after tubal ligation, and fallopian tube plasty may hinder the fertilized egg from entering the uterus.

I have had multiple abortion surgeries

Repeated abortions and curettage and uterine cleaning surgeries can cause the endometrium to become thinner and scars to appear in the uterine cavity, making it difficult for the fertilized egg to find a suitable implantation site in the uterus.

IUD

The probability of contraception with an IUD is not 100%. Women can still get pregnant, but because the uterine environment at this time is not suitable for embryo implantation, the risk of ectopic pregnancy will increase.

Endometriosis

Changes in the pelvic environment make it difficult for the uterus to implant.

History of ectopic pregnancy

A previous ectopic pregnancy may change the environment of the fallopian tube or uterus, thus affecting normal implantation.

other

Smoking, failure of emergency contraception, etc. may also induce ectopic pregnancy.

The most typical triad of ectopic pregnancy is: amenorrhea, abdominal pain, and vaginal bleeding.

But in fact, many people confuse it with the menstrual period. For example, patients with ectopic pregnancy experience amenorrhea and bleeding symptoms, but the timing is almost the same as normal menstruation. It is very likely that this will be misunderstood as menstruation, and the possibility of ectopic pregnancy will be ignored.

For example, some friends use test strips to confirm that they are pregnant, and they may mistake the bleeding caused by ectopic pregnancy for bleeding from the implantation of a fertilized egg, or even take the bleeding as threatened miscarriage to preserve the fetus.

Therefore, the best way to detect ectopic pregnancy early is to go to the hospital for a gynecological examination as soon as possible when you suspect you are pregnant and the triad symptoms appear to rule out ectopic pregnancy. Generally, an ultrasound examination can make a diagnosis. That is, if no embryonic sac is seen in the uterine cavity, but there is a mass echo outside the uterus, it can almost be determined to be an ectopic pregnancy.

However, the disadvantage of B-ultrasound is that it takes at least 6 weeks of pregnancy to detect the pregnancy. Another method is to draw blood for a test to check HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). If the HCG value doubles every other day, it means that the embryo is developing well and the possibility of ectopic pregnancy will be smaller. You can rest assured and wait for B-ultrasound confirmation after 6 weeks.

Finally, a warm reminder that ectopic pregnancy can only be discovered early, not prevented in advance. Women of childbearing age who have a history of ectopic pregnancy, fallopian tube inflammation, pelvic inflammation, etc. should still be highly vigilant about ectopic pregnancy and pay more attention to their own bodies. If you feel uncomfortable, go to the obstetrics and gynecology department of the hospital for examination in time~