4.Diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy can be notoriously difficult to diagnose because it often presents with symptoms that can be suggestive of other, more usual, conditions such as gastroenteritis, miscarriage or even appendicitis. Doctors rely on women to give them clear histories about their symptoms and so the more you can tell a doctor about what has changed, what feels different and what is worrying you, the more likely they are to be able to diagnose you. Please do be vigilant and take symptoms that concern you seriously until absolutely proven otherwise. If your instincts are screaming at you that something doesn’t feel right, it’s OK to trust them and ask medical professionals for a reassessment at any time.
The EPT considers that all women of childbearing age presenting with abdominal pain and/ or bleeding should be considered pregnant until proven otherwise.
In diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy, medical professionals are likely to undertake some or all of the following tests. Please click on any that interest you and more information will open up.
1.Urinary Pregnancy Tests 2.Ultrasound scanning 3.Beta hCG Blood Tests 4.National guidelines
5.Treating an ectopic pregnancy in Europe
If you have been diagnosed as having an ectopic pregnancy and are stable, with pulse and blood pressure within normal limits, and there is no heavy bleeding or severe pain, and if there are no signs of dizziness or fainting, the doctor will be able to discuss various treatment options with you. Unfortunately, a number of women have no early symptoms so present for assessment after a time when there are still options available for treatment. If you are bleeding heavily, in severe pain or have signs of dizziness or fainting, the doctor will probably suggest only an exploratory surgical operation called a laparoscopy which is done via ‘keyhole surgery’ to allow him or her to take a look inside your abdomen to see what might be happening.New methods of treatment are being developed but these are the treatment options you are likely to be given currently. Please click on any of them and they will expand to provide more information.1.Surgical management 2.Medical management with Methotrexate 3.Expectant management
6.Your body after an ectopic pregnancy
Your body is likely to go through a whole process of recovery following an ectopic pregnancy and it is important that you be gentle with yourself and give yourself time to heal. Because such an invasive and frightening thing has happened, it is not unusual to become very worried about any symptom you may experience and to have many questions racing through your mind. You may also find that you have different questions about your body at different stages after treatment.
Please click on any of the questions below that interest you and they will expand into a detailed answer. If there are any questions that you don’t see the answers to here.
1.Pain 2.The wound sit 3.Other symptoms 4.Doing ‘Normal’ Thing 5.Bleeding and Periods 6.Following Up With The Hospital 7.Contraception 8.Chlamydia 9.About my baby.
7.Your emotions after an ectopic pregnancy
During the diagnosis and treatment stages of an ectopic pregnancy there can be so many worries and decisions to make that it can be difficult to think about the future and may take time for your emotions to surface properly.Being monitored or treated for an ectopic pregnancy is a worrying experience for any woman and, until your hCG levels drop, which can take several weeks, you may still ‘feel’ pregnant. Once the hormones do fall and the doctors confirm the pregnancy has ended, it is not unusual to feel low in mood and sometimes even a little depressed. We are all different and we all react and recover in different ways; there is no right or wrong way and there is no time frame. It is, however, important to give yourself sufficient time to recover on a physical, psychological and emotional level. Feelings can change dramatically in the first few weeks and months after an ectopic pregnancy.You may experience fear, anger, sadness and guilt. In the immediate aftermath you may feel vulnerable, the world might seem threatening, and the future uncertain. Fear and panic are therefore also very understandable emotional responses. Ectopic pregnancy can sometimes trigger physical symptoms such as palpitations, patchy sleep, poor concentration, agitation and dizziness. It is important to remember that the ectopic pregnancy was not your fault and that there was nothing you could have done to prevent it happening.In ectopic pregnancy you lose a baby, part of your fertility, face your mortality (risk to your life) and are left with huge unanswered questions about the future. It is only natural that you will experience many emotions. Below is a list of common questions that we are asked about emotions. Please click on any of the questions below that interest you and they will expand into a detailed answer. hakimdilshad@yahoo.com
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