Will ectopic pregnancy cause backache?

A woman’s body undergoes some changes after pregnancy, some are good, and some are uncomfortable. After a normal pregnancy, she may also experience back pain, which is normal. But will an ectopic pregnancy cause back pain? Women with ectopic pregnancy may experience lower back pain, but not everyone will experience this. It is best for pregnant women to go to the hospital for an ultrasound examination first to determine whether it is an ectopic pregnancy or an intrauterine pregnancy. Only after the confirmation can the next step of examination and care be carried out.

Will ectopic pregnancy cause back pain?

Patients with ectopic pregnancy may experience back pain. However, the simple occurrence of lower back pain does not necessarily mean an ectopic pregnancy. In addition to lower back pain, patients with ectopic pregnancy may also experience symptoms such as abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. The early symptoms of ectopic pregnancy are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1. Abdominal pain: The patient has a heavy or severe pain in the lower abdomen, a feeling of defecation, and often has cold sweats. If the affected area ruptures, the patient will suddenly feel tearing pain in one side of the lower abdomen, accompanied by symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

2. Amenorrhea: The early symptoms of ectopic pregnancy can easily be confused with normal early pregnancy reactions. If a pregnant woman experiences amenorrhea and early pregnancy reactions within a short period of time, and sometimes also has lower abdominal pain on one side, and examination reveals that the fallopian tube is normal and enlarged, ectopic pregnancy should be suspected.

3. Vaginal bleeding: Patients with ectopic pregnancy will have symptoms of vaginal bleeding. It should be noted that ectopic pregnancy bleeding is irregular vaginal bleeding that occurs after the death of the embryo. It is dark brown in color and small in amount, generally not exceeding the amount of menstruation. Bleeding is often accompanied by the discharge of decidual tubular or decidual fragments. When the lesion is eliminated, the bleeding may stop completely. The bleeding during menstruation is discharged without decidual tissue.

4. Syncope and shock: Many patients may suffer from decreased blood volume or severe abdominal pain due to acute intra-abdominal bleeding. Mild cases may experience syncope, while severe cases may suffer from shock, which is life-threatening.

5. Other symptoms: Patients with ectopic pregnancy may also experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and frequent urination. Some patients may go into shock due to heavy bleeding, becoming pale and having low blood pressure.

If a woman experiences several of the above symptoms at the same time after becoming pregnant, she should suspect an ectopic pregnancy and go to the hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible.

Which women are prone to ectopic pregnancy?

1. Women with chronic salpingitis

Under normal circumstances, the fallopian tube transports the fertilized egg to the uterine cavity through the movement of cilia and the peristalsis of the fallopian tube smooth muscle. Women with chronic salpingitis have difficulty in the fertilized egg reaching the uterine cavity due to inflammation and lesions.

2. Women with dysplastic or deformed fallopian tubes

Pathologies such as hypoplastic fallopian tube muscle layer and lack of cilia in the endometrium reduce the function of the fallopian tube in transporting fertilized eggs. Malformations of the fallopian tube also make it difficult for the fertilized egg to reach the uterine cavity smoothly.

3. Women with endometriosis

This is because the endometrium is ectopic in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube, causing the lumen to be narrowed or blocked, making it difficult for the fertilized egg to pass through. On the other hand, when the fertilized egg comes into contact with the ectopic endometrium, the syncytial cells differentiate from the cytotrophoblast cells and secrete a protease that dissolves the mucosa, eroding the ectopic membrane to form a gap, allowing the fertilized egg to implant and develop there, thus leading to an ectopic pregnancy in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube.

4. Women with pelvic tumors

Due to the squeezing and traction of the tumor, the position of the uterus or fallopian tube moves and the structure becomes abnormal, which will affect the normal arrival of the fertilized egg in the uterine cavity.

5. Women who have had tubal ligation and tubal recanalization

Regardless of whether it is natural recanalization or surgical recanalization, the fallopian tube is not as unobstructed as before, and the recanalized area is relatively narrow, so the fertilized egg can easily be trapped in the narrow area and settle down.

6. Women with a history of ectopic pregnancy

If you are planning to get pregnant again, but the cause of the previous ectopic pregnancy has not been found and eliminated, the risk of an ectopic pregnancy this time will be higher than that of ordinary women.