Symptoms of an Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy refers to a fertilized egg that implants somewhere outside of the uterus. This is generally in the fallopian tube and is sometimes referred to as a tubal pregnancy. Certain women are at a higher risk for having an ectopic pregnancy than others.
An ectopic pregnancy can start out just like a normal pregnancy. You may have a positive pregnancy test, miss your period or have other normal pregnancy symptoms. Then again, you may not have a positive pregnancy test and you should seek immediate medical help if you experience any of the ectopic pregnancy symptoms.
Many women first experience abdominal pain that can be tender to the touch, sharp or sudden, persistent or intermittent, or it could be fairly mild. Symptoms can have a wide range from person to person. Some women only have pain on one side while others have it in their entire abdomen or pelvis.
Vomiting or nausea can occur. Spotting or vaginal bleeding is also normal. Pain generally gets more severe if you are active, sneezing, coughing or laughing.
If your fallopian tube has ruptured, then you could be in immediate life-threatening danger and you should call 911 immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms. Pain in your shoulder, especially when you lie down can be caused by internal bleeding. Lying down can wash the pooling blood up to your shoulder and put pressure on the nerves, causing pain.
This is a real emergency and you may not have much time to get medical help. Do not delay in calling 911 and never attempt to drive yourself if you experience this type of pain. You may go into shock and experience a weak or fast pulse. Your skin could become pale and clammy. You can get dizzy and find it hard to balance. You can feel faint or actually pass out. Any of these symptoms should tell you that you are in immediate danger and you should get help without delay.
Your chances of having an ectopic pregnancy are higher if you have an IUD, have had a previous ectopic pregnancy, if you have had any type of surgery in or around your fallopian tubes, if you have had a cesarean section or other abdominal surgery or if you have had any type of pelvic infection, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia or gonorrhea. Any surgeries or infections can make scar tissue grow in your fallopian tubes trapping a fertilized egg. IUD’s and progestin-only birth control pills can make your uterus inhospitable to fertilized eggs and they may implant in your fallopian tube instead.
If you are at a higher risk for ectopic pregnancy, be very mindful of the symptoms so that you can seek medical help at the slightest signs of a problem.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Round Rock OBGYN specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: about Ectopic Pregnancy, Ectopic, Ectopic Pregnancy, Ectopic Pregnancy symptoms
Cravings During Pregnancy
Pregnant women are famous for having extraordinary food cravings. We have all heard the pickles and ice cream story. It may seem strange to someone that has not experienced it, but to the mom-to-be, it is a very real and very powerful urge.
Many pregnant women report food tasting different during pregnancy. Food that you used to hate, you might crave. Food that you used to love, might make you sick just to think about it. No one is sure, but most experts agree that these cravings are nature’s way of helping you to eat what you and your growing baby need. For example, if you are craving ice cream, then you might need calcium. If you are craving hamburgers, then you may need protein. But, there is actually little to no evidence to support this theory.
Another school of thought is that hormonal changes intensify your sense of taste and smell. This could affect your impressions of certain foods. Some things can taste like the best thing you have ever had in your whole life, while other foods will send you running for cover.
Some believe that pregnant women are just more likely to comfort themselves and take advantage of this precious opportunity to get what they want. They are tired, heavy, hormonal and that hot fudge brownie every night seems to take the edge off. But, many women report being repeatedly inconvenienced by their cravings and they are definitely not trying to get any extra attention or comfort themselves by having to drive to buy a candy bar in the middle of the night when they would much rather be sleeping.
There is actually a condition called pica that you should report to your doctor if you experience. Pica can cause women to crave non-food items such as sand, rocks, soil, paper, feces or clay. Some women even want to eat ingredients such as plain flour or cornstarch. These types of cravings should not be entertained and can actually harm your baby or keep your baby from receiving the nutrients that it needs. This condition is usually only diagnosed if it lasts for more than a couple of weeks. Let your doctor know if you are experiencing any types of these cravings, especially if you have indulged in any of them. Actions such as eating dirt can introduce dangerous parasites into your body. Eating some of these other substances can give your body dangerous levels of lead or iron. Flour and other food ingredients eaten plain can block your intestines and inhibit absorption of nutrition needed by you and your baby.
Most cravings that you have for normal foods are okay and quite common. It is usually okay to indulge every now and then. Just talk to your doctor if you are having any consistent cravings that could give you or your baby too much of one vitamin, iron or sugar.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Georgetown Texas gynecologist specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: cravings during pregnancy, pregnancy aversions, pregnancy cravings
Uterine Fibroid Diagnosis
If you have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, then you may have a lot of questions. Treatment may depend on what organs are affected by your tumors. Your symptoms may also have a bearing on decisions about how to go about treating the uterine fibroids.
If you have mild uterine fibroids, then you may be able to only treat the symptoms. This usually includes pain management and hormone suppression therapy to inhibit the progressive growth of the fibroids. In many cases, this type of treatment only delays an inevitable surgical removal of tumors, hysterectomy or embolization.
Surgery is used to remove tumors from the uterus one at a time. The procedure is called a myomectomy and is usually preferred over a hysterectomy. Uterine fibroids used to almost always mean a hysterectomy where the entire uterus is removed. Surgical advances have made it possible for many women to only need a myomectomy. Sometimes tumors can grow back and more than one surgery may be necessary. Myomectomy is almost always used over a hysterectomy if the woman is of a reproductive age. Uterine fibroids can interfere with fertility, but with treatment, having children is generally not out of the question.
Uterine artery embolization is the newest form of treatment for uterine fibroids. This is a non-surgical procedure and is far less invasive than previous forms of treatment. Tumors are like living extensions of your uterus. They need a blood supply to thrive and grow. Uterine artery embolization cuts off that blood supply.
X-rays are generally taken to identify arteries that supply the uterine fibroid tumors. Then a needle is injected into the artery. The needle is used to inject small particles into the artery. This inhibits blood flow and cuts off the tumor’s blood supply. The tumor should shrink over time and the embolization can also stop dangerous bleeding inside of your uterus.
If you choose to have the uterine artery embolization procedure, you can expect that the procedure will be fairly easy and painless. You will most likely be given a sedative and the procedure itself should leave no visible scars. However, as the tumors die off, they release toxins. This can cause severe pain that can last for several days. You may choose to stay in the hospital overnight for pain management after the procedure. Most people can go home after that first night and manage their own pain with medications at home.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Round Rock OBGYN specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: about Uterine Fibroids, Uterine Fibroid, Uterine Fibroid information, Uterine Fibroids
