Patient's question:
My last menstrual period was on October 12th. A urine test confirmed that I am pregnant. These past few days, I've been experiencing mild, intermittent pain on one side of my abdomen. Due to my history of multiple abortions, I'm worried it might be an ectopic pregnancy, but there's no bleeding. What should I do?? AnswerDoctor's answer:
Hello: Based on your condition, it cannot be diagnosed as an ectopic pregnancy. You should go to the hospital for an ultrasound examination to confirm the diagnosis.An ectopic pregnancy, also known as a tubal pregnancy, refers to a situation where a fertilized egg, due to certain influencing factors, implants and develops outside the uterine cavity, such as in the fallopian tubes, uterine angles, abdomen, ovaries, etc. Because the implantation site is narrow and the wall is thin, it cannot fully expand to accommodate the growth and development of the embryo, making it easy for the embryo to penetrate the wall and cause severe bleeding by damaging blood vessels. Ectopic pregnancies often have a sudden onset and are severe in nature. If not handled properly, they can be life-threatening. Therefore, women of childbearing age should pay attention to distinguishing the following conditions:
Menstrual delay: Most patients have a brief history of menstrual delay before the onset of symptoms, usually around 6 weeks. However, some patients may mistake pathological bleeding for menstruation due to insufficient human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) produced by the trophoblast tissue or because the condition was detected early.
Abdominal pain: This is the main symptom when the fallopian tube is damaged, with an incidence rate of 95%. It is often sudden, sharp, tearing, or intermittent pain on one side of the lower abdomen, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. When the diaphragm is stimulated, it can cause radiating pain in the shoulder blades. When fluid accumulates in the pelvic cavity, it may cause a sensation of fullness in the rectum and the urge to defecate, which is very helpful for diagnosing ectopic pregnancy.
Irregular vaginal bleeding: This is usually light, dark brown, and less than the amount of a normal menstrual period. Vaginal bleeding occurs due to the shedding of the endometrium or bleeding from the fallopian tube being expelled through the uterine cavity. When abdominal pain is accompanied by vaginal bleeding, it often indicates damage to the embryo. When there is abdominal pain but no vaginal bleeding, it is more likely that the embryo is still surviving or