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Symptoms include vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, which can be a sudden and sharp ache on either side, shoulder pain, if blood from the ruptured tube area builds up in the abdomen under the diaphragm or weakness, dizziness or fainting. Nausea and breast tenderness might also occur but are hard to distinguish from the normal or common signs of pregnancy.
An ectopic or 'tubal' pregnancy occurs when the fertilised egg doesn't reach the uterus. In most cases, the egg begins to grow in the fallopian tube (called a 'tubal' pregnancy), although it could also attach to an ovary or other abdominal organ. While a missing period is the common sign of a pregnancy, in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, the woman may not miss her periods. Since the egg is growing outside the uterus, the pregnancy cannot develop normally and will end up as an 'ectopic' pregnancy.
Most ectopic pregnancies are diagnosed between six and eight weeks, and occasionally even before a woman knows that she's pregnant. A pelvic exam, blood tests and ultrasound may be used, but the doctor may want to confirm the diagnosis with a laproscopy. The laproscopy procedure involves looking at the tube directly through a slender telescope inserted through a small opening in the abdomen.
Sometimes it's possible to treat very early ectopic pregnancies medically with drugs that can cause the pregnancy to literally be dissolved or reabsorbed in the tube. But most commonly it has to be treated surgically because if it's allowed to develop, it could become a very serious threat to the woman. If a tube bursts, then there is bleeding inside the abdomen that may be heavy. Bleeding needs to be stopped promptly and emergency surgery will be necessary. If little damage has been done to the tube, the doctor may try to repair it, but in many cases, a ruptured tube must be removed.
The chances of an ectopic pregnancy is only 1 percent to 1.5 percent, although the risk increases to a greater degree if you've had an ectopic pregnancy earlier. Spotting the signs of an ectopic pregnancy early is critical since the condition can be life threatening or affect future fertility if allowed to go on for too long.
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