Many women have concerns about an ectopic pregnancy and we shall be solving all doubts about this dangerous condition right here today. An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilised egg implants outside the uterus in a woman’s body. Ectopic, in fact, means ‘out of place’. The fertilised egg usually implants in the fallopian tubes whose actual work is to transport the ovum or egg from the ovaries to the uterus for fertilisation. This is why such pregnancies are also called ‘tubal pregnancies’. Sometimes the fertilised egg can also implant in the cervix or the ovaries of the hapless woman.
Normally pregnancies happen when a fertilised egg attaches itself to the uterine wall to grow and develop. Ectopic pregnancies are a serious condition and can cause internal bleeding and infection and even death of the expecting mother. That’s why knowing the symptoms is so important.
Common symptoms of ectopic pregnancy appear as the pregnancy matures. Initially the woman will have all the usual pregnancy-related symptoms like missing her period and breast tenderness, but soon the other alarming symptoms will start appearing like severe abdominal pain on one side, vaginal bleeding, severe cramps and nausea and vomiting, fainting spells and dizziness.
One should seek a doctor’s advice right away in this condition because ectopic pregnancy can be fatal. Why? Because as the fertilised egg is implanted in a part of a woman’s body which is not built to look after it, the embryo can burst in the fallopian tubes, cervix or wherever it has managed to implant itself. This mini-explosion inside the body is a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths during the first trimester. This can lead to internal bleeding and infection, which is lethal.