If you think you are pregnant and you have these symptoms, see your doctor right away. It may be sharp on one side at first and then spread through your belly. The key signs of an ectopic pregnancy are: In the first few weeks, an ectopic pregnancy usually causes the same symptoms as a normal pregnancy, such as a missed menstrual period, fatigue, nausea, and sore breasts.
This is often the result of an infection such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. The more you smoke, the higher your risk of an ectopic pregnancy. Things that make you more likely to have fallopian tube damage and an ectopic pregnancy include: A fertilized egg may have trouble passing through a damaged tube, causing the egg to implant and grow in the tube. What causes an ectopic pregnancy?Īn ectopic pregnancy is often caused by damage to the fallopian tubes. If you have an ectopic pregnancy, you will need quick treatment to end it before it causes dangerous problems. If the egg keeps growing in the fallopian tube, it can damage or burst the tube and cause heavy bleeding that could be deadly. There is no way to save an ectopic pregnancy.
(This is why it is sometimes called a tubal pregnancy.) In rare cases, the egg implants in an ovary, the cervix, or the belly. But in an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches (or implants) someplace other than the uterus, most often in the fallopian tube. The egg attaches in the uterus and starts to grow. In a normal pregnancy, a fertilized egg travels through a fallopian tube to the uterus. Topic Overview What is an ectopic pregnancy?