Does the test indicate an ectopic pregnancy?
The short answer is yes. But there is one nuance - it is impossible to determine an ectopic pregnancy the first time. This article will discuss the dangers of ectopic pregnancy and how to determine this condition using a test. If the embryo began its development not in the uterus, but, for example, in the fallopian tube, abdominal cavity or ovaries, then we are talking about an ectopic pregnancy. The test shows 2 stripes, both during an ectopic pregnancy and during a normal pregnancy (uterine). However, when tested for 7-10 days at home, it is possible to distinguish an intrauterine pregnancy from an ectopic one.
How do pregnancy tests work?
Before moving on to the question of whether the test determines an ectopic pregnancy, the principle of the study itself should be considered. All popular express strips allow you to detect pregnancy by reacting to hormonal markers in the urine. To obtain results, short direct contact with a woman’s urine is necessary. The result will be almost immediately (30-45 seconds after wetting), the test is considered positive or negative depending on the number of colored indicator lines on the strip of other symbols assigned by the manufacturer.
Using a pregnancy test
What happens to the female body when the fertilized egg is abnormally attached?
Many women perform a pregnancy test if they suspect an ectopic pregnancy, without thinking about the mechanism of the process itself. Favorable and pathological courses have different stages. During normal development, the fusion of germ cells occurs in the fallopian tube. The embryo then moves along the fallopian tube and implants into the wall of the uterus, where the growth and development of the fertilized egg occurs.
In the case of pathology, the resulting zygote is implanted in the fallopian tube or pushed out in the opposite direction, attaching to the ovary. Due to the lack of conditions for the growth and development of the fetus, when the fertilized egg is implanted, damage to the organ cells occurs, leading to hemorrhage into the abdominal cavity.
HCG: positive or negative result?
There are a number of misconceptions about whether an ectopic pregnancy can be detected by a pregnancy test. Chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is synthesized by embryonic structures immediately after the implantation of the fertilized egg. This hormone is the most common detectable marker of conception, secreted into urine and blood.
Whether the test shows an ectopic pregnancy depends on the amount of hormone.
Around 7-10 weeks, the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin in a woman reaches its maximum level. Since the source of hCG is embryonic structures, synthesis also occurs in pathological conditions. The level of human chorionic gonadotropin may differ from the normal level due to the period, but usually with an ectopic pregnancy, a laboratory or home test for the hormone shows a positive result.
Dynamics of hCG growth during pregnancy
How dangerous is an ectopic
An ectopic pregnancy is a pathological condition that poses a threat to the life and reproductive health of a woman. In all cases, it has only one outcome - interruption. How this process occurs depends on the timeliness of seeking medical help. In the early stages, it is possible to perform an artificial medical abortion, but in a longer period, surgical intervention will be required. If you do not seek medical help, the growth of the embryo will stop on its own, but at the same time it will provoke massive internal bleeding.
In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches outside the cavity of the reproductive organ. Nine times out of 10, the embryo gets stuck as it passes through the fallopian tubes. Less commonly, localization is observed in the abdominal cavity, on the ovary or in the cervix. Predisposing factors for the development of this condition are:
- inflammatory processes and diseases of the genital organs (including infectious ones);
- diagnostic and surgical interventions in the uterine cavity;
- operations on the peritoneum;
- adhesive process;
- anatomical features of the structure of the uterus and appendages;
- intrauterine contraceptives;
- hormonal disorders;
- tumors.
Does the test show two lines or not?
For most manufacturers of express strips for home use that react to a hormone in the urine, the appearance of two red lines on a paper indicator indicates that conception has occurred. The instructions do not stipulate whether the pharmacy test will show an ectopic pregnancy or not.
The question of determining hCG in blood or urine during pathological implantation of the fertilized egg has already been raised above. Modern home express methods also respond to human chorionic gonadotropin. Therefore, since hCG is synthesized during an ectopic pregnancy, the pharmacy test will show two stripes. However, an erroneous result cannot be ruled out.
Both with a favorable mechanism and with an ectopic pregnancy, the test may be negative.
How to identify a dangerous pathology?
How to determine an ectopic pregnancy? This question is asked by every girl who has heard at least once in her life about such a dangerous pathology, which is often found in women. But, before answering this question, you should understand why this condition is dangerous, what are its symptoms and causes.
An ectopic pregnancy is, first of all, an abnormal pregnancy - it poses a rather serious danger to the life of every woman and, of course, requires prompt help from a gynecologist.
How does pathology develop?
With an ectopic pregnancy, instead of developing in the uterus, as it should, the fertilized egg begins to develop outside it. What does this mean? In a normal pregnancy, the egg moves directly into the fallopian tube immediately after ovulation. There she already meets a suitable sperm. As a result, fertilization occurs and then an embryo is formed. Then, over the course of 7 days, this embryo moves straight through the fallopian tube and enters the uterus to attach to its wall. And in the case when fertilization does not occur in the uterus itself, but occurs in the fallopian tube, a so-called ectopic pregnancy (or tubal pregnancy) occurs. Approximately one to two percent (including after IVF) are pathological.
Why is this happening?
Scientists have been studying ectopic pregnancy for a long time. And they consider the main reason for this condition to be blockage of the fallopian tube, as well as a violation of its natural function, that is, contraction.
This usually occurs when there is:
- inflammatory processes in the genital organs (tubes/ovaries) - for example, inflammation caused by abortion;
- hormonal disorders (for example, seemingly causeless delays in menstruation);
- congenital underdevelopment of a woman's fallopian tubes;
- tumors in the genital organs.
It is important to note that the risk of ectopic pregnancy increases significantly with age and is highest in women aged 35–44 years. Those women who suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases caused by mycoplasma, serious chlamydial infection, or ureaplasma should be especially attentive to themselves. In addition, those girls who have undergone treatment for hormonal/tubal infertility are at risk.
Ectopic pregnancy also threatens those women who have endometriosis, have congenital anomalies of the fallopian tubes/uterus, as well as those women who have already experienced miscarriage.
The cause of ectopic pathology can even be the use of an intrauterine device as contraception.
Test - can you trust it?
Now back to the question - does the test show an ectopic pregnancy? Yes, the test does show it, but just like a traditional pregnancy! The thing is that if a woman has a delay, and her fertilized egg has attached outside the uterus, the pregnancy test will still be positive. Therefore, we can say with confidence that both normal and even ectopic fertilization are determined by the test.
Unfortunately, the difference can only be detected after an ultrasound examination. The results of this study show where the fertilized egg is located. And if it is not in the uterus, specialists will conduct some additional ultrasound checks in order to diagnose a possible pathology as early as possible.
Therefore, if you are experiencing delays and your text indicates that you are pregnant, you should immediately
consult a gynecologist to rule out a possible ectopic pregnancy.
Features of test results
Every woman knows that during a delay, the first thing to do is buy a test. It is he who determines at the earliest stages whether pregnancy has occurred or not. However, with an ectopic pregnancy, a pharmacy test often shows a slightly weak 2nd line. Why? This is because hCG levels in an ectopic pregnancy generally do not rise as quickly as in a traditional pregnancy.
Where is the danger?
So, you are observing delays in menstruation, you bought a test and are ready to find out the answer to the question - whether pregnancy has occurred or whether these delays in menstruation are a sign of hormonal imbalance or some other disease. The test was carried out - 2 stripes are visible. You are glad that pregnancy is determined by the test and, perhaps, you think that there is no need to rush to the doctor. And this is the most common misconception among girls and women, which leads to major health problems.
You should know that if there is an ectopic pregnancy, and if you do not intervene in time, it will terminate on its own in the seventh or eighth week. This moment will certainly be accompanied by serious blood loss, sudden severe pain and quite serious problems that can significantly undermine health.
The fact that the test shows/determines pregnancy is good, only after this procedure you should immediately visit a gynecologist.
How do doctors diagnose?
Deviations in fetal development can be diagnosed as early as the 2nd week of pregnancy (that is, 2 weeks after the delay). To do this, specialists can use 2 methods:
- The first method is to insert an ultrasound probe into the vaginal cavity. Then the doctor immediately prescribes laparoscopy (diagnostic), which allows the specialist to obtain the most accurate result of the study.
- The second method is a blood test that tests hormones.
How to determine without a test: symptoms
Alas, it is impossible to independently determine for sure that a developing pregnancy is ectopic. The symptoms are the same as during normal pregnancy:
- feeling of some changes that occur in the mammary glands;
- delayed menstruation;
- aversion to certain foods and smells.
And of course, the test shows that she is pregnant.
In order not to miss an ectopic pregnancy, you must register with a good gynecologist, who will prescribe and conduct all the necessary examinations - this is the surest path to health. But every modern woman wants to find out about pregnancy as early as possible and go to the doctor as late as possible. She buys a pharmacy test that determines pregnancy, she finds out that she will soon have a baby, and the visit to the doctor is postponed for several weeks. Meanwhile, complications that can arise due to an ectopic pregnancy pose a real danger to life.
Let’s return to the question of determining pregnancy and suggest learning about 2 interesting ways:
Iodine
How did our grandmothers used to determine that they would soon become mothers? Have you ever asked yourself this question? In fact, they were saved only by a reliable folk test. Now, of course, it makes no sense, but, nevertheless, we will give it as an example. Women used to fill a small container with their urine and then drop one drop of iodine into it. If the drop blurred, this meant that there was no pregnancy, but if the iodine continued to remain on the surface, the woman was believed to be pregnant. Of course, not a single doctor currently advises his patient to rely on the results of such tests. But at one time, it was a very common method of determining pregnancy.
Temperature
This method requires measuring her basal temperature - a woman must systematically maintain a personal special schedule, tracking the slightest temperature fluctuations. During pregnancy, basal temperature never drops below 37 degrees. This means that if you don’t have your period and your temperature remains elevated, then pregnancy has most likely occurred.
Clinical kratina
Experts identify symptoms that may indicate an ectopic pregnancy:
- "morning" nausea;
HCG for ectopic pregnancy
Women who dream of having a baby want to receive comprehensive information about pregnancy without leaving home. It is already clear that in case of an ectopic pregnancy, the test shows the fact of pregnancy. However, the question arises about the possibility of differentiating pathology from the normal course at home based on the results of express strips. Unfortunately, a home study cannot determine the fact that the ovum is ectopic.
In order to make sure that pregnancy is proceeding favorably, other diagnostic methods are needed. There is a test that shows an ectopic pregnancy, or rather, allows you to suspect it - a blood test for hCG. If the hormone level exceeds 1.5 thousand mIU/ml, and ultrasound does not detect an embryo in the uterus, then this indicates a possible pathological fertilization. If the hCG concentration is lower, then the ultrasound examination is repeated after 2 days.
Places of possible embryo attachment
If your period is 10 days late and the test is negative, can you be pregnant?
The difference with a normal, physiological one is that during an ectopic pregnancy, for various reasons, the fertilized egg cannot attach to the wall of the uterus. It attaches to the peritoneum or fallopian tubes. This situation is dangerous due to complications:
- heavy bleeding;
- sudden rupture of the fallopian tubes;
- risk of recurrent pathologies;
- inability to get pregnant;
- fatal.
Tests help quickly identify the state of conception. The principle of their action is based on the determination of the hCG hormone. This substance begins to form after fertilization of the egg, with the formation of the placenta, connecting the mother and the embryo. Two bright stripes - a positive result - evidence of a high level of hCG and the onset of conception.
The situation when a woman needs to know whether she is pregnant arises often. This is especially important in the presence of pathologies and threats to the implantation of the fetus outside the uterus. You need to purchase a tester when the price at stake is a woman’s life. Its cost is affordable. If unprotected sexual contact has occurred, 10 days have passed, and there has been no delay in menstruation, it is advisable to get tested.
Doctors recommend testing on the third day after a missed period. If this procedure is carried out earlier, there is a high probability that the test will show an incorrect result.
However, you can use highly sensitive tests that can detect hCG in very small quantities.
Other symptoms of early ectopic pregnancy
In the first stages, the unfavorable course of gestation, as a rule, proceeds similarly to the normal process. An ectopic pregnancy in the early stages should be suspected if the test is positive and the following manifestations occur:
- pain;
- bloody issues.
Women face various pain sensations: in the form of contractions, cramps, nagging pain. Mostly the lesion is located in the lower abdomen. Unpleasant sensations can radiate to the anus and solar plexus. A test to determine the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy also includes an assessment of the nature of the discharge. They are usually scarce and short-lived. Signs of an ectopic pregnancy can appear early, even before the test. A number of women experience loss of consciousness, pale skin, and hypotension.
If your period is 10 days late and the test is negative, can you be pregnant?
The development of an ectopic pregnancy is an extremely dangerous process that poses a threat to the life and health of a woman. Many who have encountered this pathology wonder whether they should have periods during an ectopic pregnancy. As soon as the embryo begins to damage the tube, spotting and spotting begins; these are the signs that a woman can mistake for menstruation.
As soon as the size of the future fetus begins to increase, and the place of its attachment is not at all suitable for its size, bleeding becomes profuse. Accompanied by pain in the corresponding area of the abdomen. Then tissue rupture occurs, acute unbearable pain and bleeding, which can be fatal.
It is recommended to take a pregnancy test on the first day of your delay or after it. There are often situations when a woman is pregnant, but menstruation continues.
The presence of bloody vaginal discharge during the days of expected menstruation in the first weeks of pregnancy is an individual feature of some women. As a rule, such discharge is short-term and less abundant. There is no cause for concern only if the doctor determines that the pregnancy is proceeding without pathologies and there is no reason to terminate it.
