What is the difference between threatened miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy?

The entire process of female pregnancy and childbirth is accompanied by risks. In comparison, the risks are greatest in the early and late stages of pregnancy. Many abnormal conditions will occur in the early stages of pregnancy, such as pregnancy reactions such as nausea and vomiting, and threatened abortion. Many people confuse threatened abortion with ectopic pregnancy, so the following are the many differences between the two.

The difference between threatened abortion and ectopic pregnancy:

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy in which the fertilized egg does not implant in the uterus but instead ends up in the fallopian tube or abdominal cavity. It is also known as an ectopic pregnancy and is a gynecological emergency that can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Threatened abortion refers to the phenomenon that after a normal intrauterine pregnancy in a woman, the fetus stops growing and aborts due to certain reasons. Patients with ectopic pregnancy and threatened abortion will experience abdominal pain and bleeding.

1. Menopause

Ectopic pregnancy often causes short-term amenorrhea or delayed menstruation for several days, but in a few people, vaginal bleeding occurs without obvious amenorrhea. Threatened miscarriage can also present with similar symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish them from one another.

2. Vaginal bleeding

The most common symptom of ectopic pregnancy is a small amount of dark red vaginal bleeding after menopause, and a few people also experience heavy bleeding. Vaginal bleeding of threatened abortion can be divided into light bleeding and heavy bleeding, continuous bleeding and irregular bleeding. Although a small amount of vaginal bleeding in the first 3 months of pregnancy may be normal, vaginal bleeding is one of the signs of threatened abortion. Therefore, if vaginal bleeding occurs after pregnancy, whether accompanied by or with abdominal pain, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time. Additionally, vaginal bleeding in the setting of a threatened miscarriage may present as the discharge of blood clots or grayish tissue.

3. Abdominal pain

Once an ectopic pregnancy ruptures, there will be tearing pain in one side of the lower abdomen, and symptoms of shock such as pale face, low blood pressure, and confusion will quickly appear. A large amount of intra-abdominal bleeding accumulates in the rectouterine pouch, and the patient will also have a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen. Threatened abortion is often manifested as persistent pain in the waist or abdomen, and the abdominal pain often manifests as lower abdominal cramps. Once vaginal bleeding symptoms appear, pain may begin a few hours or days later.

Therefore, whether it is ectopic pregnancy or threatened abortion, it is very important for female friends to seek medical treatment in time.

The dangers of ectopic pregnancy

1. Damage to the reproductive system. After an ectopic pregnancy occurs, the patient often has severe abdominal pain, accompanied by vaginal bleeding and other conditions. This is because the fetus develops outside the uterus, and as the embryo grows, it squeezes or stretches other tissues of the reproductive system. The longer the ectopic pregnancy lasts, the larger the fetus grows, and the greater the damage to the mother's reproductive system.

2. Fallopian tube rupture. If an ectopic pregnancy continues for more than three months, the embryo will grow to a size that the fallopian tube can no longer support and will eventually rupture the tube. At this point, the pregnant woman will feel increased abdominal pain and severe bleeding from the lower body. If an ectopic pregnancy ruptures the fallopian tube, it will immediately put the pregnant woman into fatal crisis. If rescue is not timely, the ectopic pregnancy will take two lives at the same time.

3. Infertility or another ectopic pregnancy. If an ectopic pregnancy is not treated in time, the fallopian tube will be ruptured, and the fertilized egg will not be successfully delivered to the uterus when the next pregnancy occurs. At this time, ectopic pregnancy will lead to two situations. One is that the patient will become infertile and can no longer conceive a baby normally; in the other case, the pregnant woman will have an ectopic pregnancy again.

4. Shock, fainting, and death. Putting aside the impact of ectopic pregnancy on the pregnant woman in the future, when it occurs, it is a very big threat to the mother. The rate of shock, fainting, unconsciousness and even death caused by ectopic pregnancy is still very high. Even if timely rescue is given, it will cause great harm to the mother.