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 afraid 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 can 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, influenced by certain factors, implants and develops outside the uterine cavity, such as in the fallopian tubes, uterine cornua, abdomen, or ovaries. Due to the narrow and thin walls of the implantation site, 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 menstrual delay before the onset of symptoms, usually around 6 weeks. However, some patients may not experience a delay because the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) produced by the trophoblast tissue may not be sufficient to maintain the endometrium, or if the condition develops early, the pathological bleeding may be mistaken for a menstrual period, leading to the belief that there is no delay.
Abdominal pain: This is the main symptom when the fallopian tube is affected, with an incidence rate of 95%. It is often sudden, sharp, and tearing-like 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 there is fluid accumulation 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 spotting, dark brown in color, and minimal in amount, not exceeding the volume 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