Preventing The Causes Of Ectopic Pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the fertilized egg lodges itself somewhere other than the uterus. In almost all cases of an ectopic pregnancy, it usually occurs in the fallopian tubes although there are some cases in which it occurs in the abdomen or any other place where the fertilized egg may stop on its journey to the uterus. There are several causes of ectopic pregnancy and most of these can be prevented.

Problems With The Fallopian Tubes

The primary cause of ectopic pregnancy is the malfunction of the fallopian tubes. These tubes are supposed to contract to bring the fertilized egg to the uterus where it should attach itself to the uterine walls to get nourishment. Among the many causes of ectopic pregnancy, the state of the fallopian tubes is probably the most significant. The health of the fallopian tubes can be affected by several factors such as smoking, infections of the pelvis due to diseases or IUD, surgery in and around the fallopian tubes, endometriosis and age, thus making them causes of ectopic pregnancy.

Smoking can causes many of the body's tissues to malfunction or harden as well as spasm which will alter their efficiency. The fallopian tubes may spasm resulting in blockage that will prevent the fertilized egg from reaching its proper destination. This is one of the causes of ectopic pregnancy that can also cause many other conditions in a person. Infections of the pelvis can be caused by venereal diseases. The IUD can also cause scarring of the reproductive organs including the fallopian tubes. Scarring will make the tubes thicker thus making the tubes narrower and preventing the proper transport of the fertilized egg.

Surgery also promotes scarring of tissues which may occur when there has been a previous ectopic pregnancy which was operated on. Tubal ligation is one of these kinds of causes of ectopic pregnancy. Endometriosis can also cause a build up in the reproductive system of a woman thus making the passages narrower and less easy to pass for the fertilized egg. Surgery to remove the accumulation can also raise the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.

Age is another factor that contributes to a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy will have less risks of an ectopic pregnancy if the girl has none of the above factors compared to an older adult near menopausal age. This may be because the older body may not function as best as a younger one.