For every woman, pregnancy is a long-awaited holiday, which can occur in different ways. For some, it is measured and calm, but others can have all sorts of complications. Some of them do not pose a threat, being a kind of side effect of the “interesting situation”, while others are dangerous on the contrary, not only with respect to the child, but also to the woman herself. One of these may be the development of the fetus not where it should be. In this regard, many have a logical question: does the test show an ectopic pregnancy? After all, the sooner this pathology is detected, the better - measures will be taken in a timely manner.
Let's try to find out if this is possible, but at the same time we will get acquainted with some features of this dangerous phenomenon.
What it is?
Under normal conditions of pregnancy, after the egg has left its place of birth, it is sent to the fallopian tube, where it subsequently encounters male reproductive cells. After fertilization has occurred, active cell division begins, from which the embryo actually forms. It moves along the fallopian tube and reaches the uterine cavity, where it is fixed in some place not on the wall. Journey through the fallopian tubes lasts 7 days.
But it happens that a fertilized egg for several reasons is not fixed in the cavity of the genital organ, but in a completely different place, which is extremely undesirable. In medical language, this phenomenon is called an ectopic pregnancy.
Types of pathological condition
Before you figure out whether an ectopic pregnancy is shown on the test or not, consider what types of it exist. One type of pregnancy can be:
- pipe;
- ovarian;
- cervical;
- abdominal.
Among all cases, tubal pathology is most common. In this case, the egg after successful fertilization, again, for some reason, remains in the fallopian tube, and there is nothing left for it like to fix here. In medical practice, there have also been cases where the egg safely reaches the uterine cavity, but in connection with certain circumstances returns to the fallopian tube.
Ovarian pregnancy is rare, but no less dangerous. In some cases, male seminal fluid can enter the opened follicle, after which fertilization occurs instantly. The egg is fixed here in the ovary. And here the most important thing is to make a correct diagnosis in a timely manner. Often, doctors confuse an ovarian pregnancy, taking it for a cystic formation, and prescribe an operation.
But what if it is a cervical ectopic pregnancy? Does the test show this? Certain symptoms, of course, exist, but about them a little later. In the meantime, a general idea of this pathology. After fertilization, the female cell, once in the uterine cavity, sometimes can not gain a foothold on its wall. Then it slides down and reaches the neck of the genital organ. This type of pathology is most dangerous for a woman. As for the fetus, its chances of survival are equal to zero. If such a pathology is detected, the woman is prescribed an emergency operation, as a result of which the entire uterus is removed and a blood transfusion is performed.
Abdominal pregnancy is a rather unusual type of pathology, in which a fertilized egg does not enter the uterine cavity, but beyond the peritoneum. One can only guess why a female cell falls into the abdominal cavity.
What is the danger?
I immediately want to note that it is not so important whether the test will show the result with an ectopic pregnancy. It is much more important to understand how dangerous this phenomenon is. Regardless of its type, this pathological process poses a great threat to the health of a woman. The danger is that diagnosing this phenomenon in the early stages is quite problematic.
The fetus develops outside the uterus in the same way and at the same speed as under normal circumstances. In this regard, an increase in the size of the child is a great danger to the body of a woman. At a period of 6-8 weeks, the fetus is already quite large and if before the egg was fixed in the fallopian tube, then by this time its rupture is not excluded. This in turn leads to internal bleeding. What it threatens to understand is not difficult:
- Due to rupture of the tube, the ovary ceases to function.
- Internal bleeding often causes death.
For this reason, it is necessary to detect such a pathology in a timely manner. This will allow the use of forced and necessary measures.
Can pregnancy be preserved?
Most women are interested not only in whether the test always shows an ectopic pregnancy. Many want to know if it can be saved? It is sad, but the answer will be unequivocal - no. It is impossible to save such a pregnancy with any form of its course for a number of reasons. And above all, we are talking about the fact that the child cannot fully develop, and then be born under such conditions.
Due to the elasticity of the walls of the ovary, the fetus can develop, however, childbirth will take place using cesarean section. If the pathology is of the abdominal type, then the course of pregnancy is complicated by the fact that the blood supply to the fetus will be poor. At the same time, there is a very high risk of developing any anomalies.
But as for cervical pregnancy, there are no options, and, as already noted above, an urgent operation is performed, in which almost everything is removed: both the fertilized egg and the genital organs themselves.
The reasons for this strange phenomenon
Does the test show an ectopic pregnancy before the delay? It is worth noting that cases of ectopic pregnancy have been studied by scientists for a long time. According to many experts, the main reason for this phenomenon is a blockage of the fallopian tube and a violation of its functionality. Here we are talking about its reduction. And there may be reasons for this too:
- The presence of inflammation in the tubes, ovaries, which can be caused by abortion.
- Hormonal disorders in the face of unreasonable delays in menstruation.
- Hereditary pathology of the fallopian tubes.
- The presence of tumors in the genitals.
It is worth clarifying one important point: the risk of a similar pathological condition increases with each woman's age. Thus, representatives from 35 to 44 years old are at risk. But it is especially worthwhile to be careful for those women who suffer from chronic inflammation caused by pathogens of mycoplasma, chlamydia, ureaplasma, and other similar bacteria. Often they are also interested in whether an ectopic pathology is shown on the test.
Also, this group may include those women who have undergone a course of treatment associated with hormonal or tubal infertility. In some cases, the cause of an ectopic pathology may be the intrauterine device used for contraception.
Feature of the tests
Almost every woman, at the slightest suspicion of pregnancy, goes to the nearest pharmacy in search of the treasured test, which in our time has been implemented in great numbers. And for any preference, depending on the cost. There are both cheap and expensive options, but the latter are distinguished by a higher degree of sensitivity. Rarely, someone instead of such tests goes to the clinic to determine the fact of pregnancy.
The principle of operation of the tests is quite simple to understand. The female body, from the very moment when the fertilization of the fertilized egg took place, understands that a new life has begun to emerge. From this time on, he needs to prepare properly, and then begins the development of a special hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin. Does the test show an ectopic pregnancy?
The very fact of pregnancy will be established precisely if the procedure itself was carried out correctly. The test part of the pharmacy is treated with a special solution that responds to this sex hormone. Pregnancy is determined by the presence of two bright stripes. One of them indicates the performance of the test, and the other indicates the presence of hCG.
The process of promoting the egg through the fallopian tubes for each woman is individual and can take from 3 to 7 days. In this connection, it is recommended to conduct a test no earlier than a week after sexual intercourse. In this case, the reliability will be maximum.
Whether the test will show or not - that’s the question
Now it's time to move on to an important question for most girls and women: is it possible to determine an ectopic pregnancy using well-known tests? To some extent this is possible. The fact is that during the beginning of an ordinary and ectopic pregnancy, the same hormones are produced, but there can be a different degree of intensity.
If the pregnancy is ectopic, will the test show a positive result? Yes, of course, but at the same time, the second strip may be a pale shade. This may be due to the fact that after the embryo is fixed in the fallopian tube, the level of hCG hormone is noticeably lower. This is especially noticeable in the early stages of pregnancy (2-3 weeks).
For this reason, if you conduct a test at home, you can find a weak second strip. At the same time, if you pass the test a month or more after conception, then no matter where the fertilized egg is fixed, the signs of pregnancy are exactly the same. At this time, the level of sex hormone is already quite high.
According to experts, the nature of the localization of the egg also affects the hormonal level. For this reason, pharmacy products may not detect an ectopic pregnancy.
Special symptoms
Analyzing the question of whether the test will show two stripes during an ectopic pregnancy, it is worth noting that such funds are an informative and effective research methodology, but each woman needs to listen to herself.
An ectopic pregnancy is distinguished by its symptoms, which depend on the gestational age. Moreover, initially everything appears as in the usual conception. That is, a woman develops weakness, frequent urges to urinate. She becomes lethargic and her chest begins to hurt. Sometimes toxicosis occurs.
More characteristic signs of an ectopic pathology begin to appear by 4-6 weeks:
- Pain in the lower abdomen of a aching character.
- The presence of spotting.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- Headache on the background of dizziness.
- Fever.
With these signs, a woman needs to visit a doctor as soon as possible to make sure the diagnosis is correct. To do this, you need to conduct a general examination and a number of studies: a general blood test, biochemistry, ultrasound.
As it is now known, the question of whether the test strip shows an ectopic pregnancy disappears by itself. Of course, the very fact of motherhood will be detected, but at the slightest suspicion (weak strip or uncharacteristic signs for an ordinary pregnancy) it is better to visit a doctor. And if the threat is confirmed, an urgent operation is required to remove the embryo. It is sad to realize that there is simply no chance of having a baby under the circumstances. With the onset of 6-8 weeks, pregnancy terminates spontaneously, thereby causing internal bleeding. And what this threatens is already known.
After a successful outcome of surgery, a woman can still give birth, since the second ovary is preserved. A positive result can be considered those cases when the fallopian tube is fully preserved. Then the chances of getting pregnant again increase. However, sometimes during the operation it is necessary to remove the fallopian tube completely or some part of it. In this case, the chances of re-conception are 50 to 50.
How is the operation done
Does the test show an ectopic pregnancy in the early stages? The answer is yes. But this does not apply to the specific location of the fetus outside the uterus. This is indicated more likely by symptoms. As for the surgical intervention, this is done in the gynecological department. Recently, significant changes have occurred in medicine, due to which many operations are carried out by the laparoscopic method. In this case, instead of cutting the skin surface with a scalpel, several thin punctures are made through which all the manipulations are performed.
As a result, the length of stay in the hospital is significantly reduced due to the rapid healing of punctures. In addition, no seams are formed. And their appearance is undesirable for subsequent attempts by a woman to become pregnant.
Rehabilitation period
We are now thinking about whether the test shows an ectopic pregnancy should no longer arise. After the operation, the woman needs a therapeutic course of treatment in order to restore and strengthen the body. After 7-8 weeks, an ultrasound examination will be required and biostimulating drugs will be prescribed.
A woman can get pregnant again no earlier than two months after the recovery course. And only with the approval of the attending physician! It remains likely that the functionality of the pipes (both or what is left) is preserved, which is easy to detect using ultrasound. But sometimes laparoscopic diagnosis may be required, which will make sure that the woman is ready for another pregnancy.
It should be noted that the removal of the fetus also causes hormonal changes in the body, as during pregnancy. In other words, at first the female body produces a large amount of the hormone, but then suddenly it all ends - for him it is also a kind of shock. In this regard, hormone therapy is often prescribed to a woman.
There are different opinions about taking such drugs. However, trusting them is clearly not worth it. Nowadays, new generation drugs are produced that help restore the hormonal background in the female body.
Preventive actions
In order not to bother with questions whether the test shows signs of an ectopic pregnancy, each woman should initially take care of herself. Without a doubt, this pathology is very dangerous, but do not be afraid of this terrible diagnosis, since this can be avoided. For this, each representative of the fair sex needs to carefully monitor their health. Moreover, this must be taken care of in advance, that is, even before pregnancy planning.
First of all, every lady, without exception, needs to visit a gynecologist every 6 months in order to conduct a routine examination. If there is any pathology, the doctor will be able to detect this and prescribe the necessary treatment.
The experience of foreign countries is useful in this regard, where, before getting married, people undergo various tests to check their health. Many sexually transmitted diseases from men are a serious threat to women.
Also, the importance of the examination is due to the fact that due to benign tumors, the structure of the genital organs of the female body changes. Therefore, neglecting preventive examinations is extremely undesirable.
Regarding whether the test shows an ectopic pregnancy, reviews of many women confirm the duality. That is, on the one hand - yes, perhaps on the other - it is unlikely. And only a trip to the doctor will put everything in its place.