Ectopic pregnancy
Overview
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
Symptoms
An ectopic pregnancy doesn't always cause symptoms and may only be detected during a routine pregnancy scan. If you do have symptoms, they tend to develop between the 4th and 12th week of pregnancy. Symptoms can include a combination of: a missed period and othersigns of pregnancytummy painlow down on one sidevaginal bleedingor a brown watery dischargepain in the tip of your shoulderdiscomfort when peeing or pooing But these symptoms aren't necessarily a sign of a serious problem. They can sometimes be caused by other problems, such as astomach bug. Read more about thesymptoms of an ectopic pregnancy.
Causes
In many cases, it's not clear why a woman has an ectopic pregnancy. Sometimes it happens when there's a problem with the fallopian tubes, such as them being narrow or blocked. The following are all associated with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy: pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)– inflammation of the female reproductive system, usually caused by asexually transmitted infection (STI)previous ectopic pregnancy– the risk of having another ectopic pregnancy is around 10%previous surgery on your fallopian tubes– such as an unsuccessfulfemale sterilisationprocedurefertility treatment, such as IVF– taking medicine to stimulate ovulation (the release of an egg) can increase the risk of ectopic pregnancybecoming pregnant while using anintrauterine device (IUD)orintrauterine system (IUS)for contraception– it's rare to get pregnant while using these, but if you do you're more likely to have an ectopic pregnancysmokingincreasing age– the risk is highest for pregnant women aged over 35 You can't always prevent an ectopic pregnancy, but you can reduce your risk by using acondomwhen not trying for a baby to protect yourself against STIs, and bystopping smokingif you smoke.
When to see a doctor
Call 999 for an ambulance or go toyour nearest accident and emergency (A&E) departmentimmediately if you experience a combination of: a sharp, sudden and intense pain in your tummyfeeling verydizzyorfaintingfeeling sicklooking very pale These symptoms could mean that your fallopian tube has split open (ruptured). This is very serious and surgery to repair the fallopian tube needs to be carried out as soon as possible. A rupture can be life threatening, but fortunately they're uncommon and treatable, if dealt with quickly. Deaths from ruptures are extremely rare in the UK.