Thread by @IhuezeMD

Let us have a discussion on 'Ectopic Pregnancy'.

If you are young, female & sexually active; then this information is just for you.

A Thread

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Welcome to the thread. Please grab a chair to learn a thing or two. You may invite any friend by retweeting or mentioning them on this thread. 😊

Now, let's proceed to our thread without wasting time. Time is money.

If I was to ask you what ectopic pregnancy is, I can bet on my negative bank balance that 'some' of you would run to google. But that's okay because you would've learned something anyway. 😊☺️

A normal pregnancy develops inside the uterus(womb).

A pregnancy is referred to as “ectopic” when it develops anywhere else outside the womb.

Sometimes the ectopic pregnancy can be in the fallopian tubes, the cervix (the entrance to the womb) or the ovaries.

So how does this happen?

Well, for a pregnancy to occur a sperm and female egg must "hook-up".
So once the "hook-up" becomes successful we then say the egg is fertilised 😊😊

Then, the fertilized egg travels to the uterus where it attaches itself so that it can grow and mature into a baby till it is term.

So what happens in an ectopic pregnancy?

Well, in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg doesn’t attach to the uterus. Instead, it may attach to the fallopian tube, abdominal cavity, or cervix.

And because you have a pregnancy in an abnormal location, and a live baby growing in the tubes rather than in the womb where it should be, this presents very dangerous problems later on as the baby becomes bigger and the tubes are forced to expand.

Does this make sense so far?

Now that you have been enlightened, lets move swiftly to the causes, symptoms and treatment of ectopic pregnancy.

Unfortunately there is no exact known cause for Ectopic pregnancy, but any factor that can disrupt the travelling and the implantation of the fetus can be attributed to it.

Those factors are:

If one of the fallopian tubes is damaged (by an infection, or previous surgery or being born that way), it may not allow the fertilised egg to pass to the womb causing the egg to implant in the fallopian tube or somewhere else.

Please raise your hands if you have a question, it will be addressed.

The common symptoms are:
1. She first misses her period
2. Then she has cramps and tummy pains
3. Then has bleeding through the vagina
4. Nausea/vomiting
5. Lower tummy pain, often on one side
6. Severe tummy cramps
7. Diarrhoea or vomiting
8. Dizziness, weakness or even collapse

And if the tube ruptures, there can be serious internal bleeding that can lead to the death of the woman.

If you suspect you may have an ectopic pregnancy, see your doctor immediately.

Ectopic pregnancies can be diagnosed from a physical exams & imaging studies e.g. ultrasound scan.

After confirming the ectopic pregnancy diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe medications that prevent the ectopic mass from bursting or perform surgery to remove the fetus.

Will having an ectopic pregnancy affect my chances of having a child?

It depends on the affected fallopian tube or remaining fallopian tube if one was removed.

The good news is that about 6 out of 10 women who have had an ectopic pregnancy are able to have a child after.

What should you do after having an ectopic pregnancy?

Giving yourself time to heal both physically and emotionally after an ectopic pregnancy is very crucial.

Above all, please never blame yourself.
Try to talk to someone you trust to help you cope with the loss.

😔 😔

Can you prevent ectopic pregnancy?

Ectopic pregnancy cannot be prevented, but a woman can reduce risk by protecting herself against STDs through safer sex practices and ensuring prompt treatment of any infections that occur.

Stopping smoking also helps.

Kindly RT for as many women to get to read and know this information.

Thank You 😊