Blocked Fallopian Tubes: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatments
Blocked fallopian tubes are a serious condition that leads to infertility in women. Around 20% of infertility reported in people with a uterus are due to blocked fallopian tubes. Medically, the condition is termed tubal occlusion.
A woman has a pair of fallopian tubes that connects her ovaries and the uterus. It is lined with small-hair-like structures called cilia, that push the ovulated egg from the ovaries to the uterus. Cilia also help in helping sperm move up from the womb. The role of fallopian tubes in conception is of great significance and it deserves to be discussed. Therefore, we have come up with this article to educate you about the condition of blocked fallopian tubes, causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Importance Of Fallopian Tubes In Pregnancy?
The fallopian tube is one of the major parts of the female reproductive system as it facilitates conception. Now, the question is, how do fallopian tubes help conceive?
The fallopian tube is the tube that is seen on each side of the uterus. It is the location of fertilization as the ovulated egg from the ovary and sperm meet there. It is cilia that take the ovum from the ovary and sperm to the ovum. After three days of fertilization, the embryo moves through the fallopian tube to the uterus. Fallopian tube damage is possible in the case of infection, adhesion, or scarring of the tube tissues.
When this happens, the eggs are abstained from reaching the uterus, and the sperm is prevented from reaching the egg for fertilization, making pregnancy nearly impossible. The danger can be expected when one or both fallopian tubes are damaged or blocked. Often, an ectopic pregnancy is the outcome of blocked fallopian tubes. It does not come with any symptoms and you will only suspect a blocked fallopian tube until you find it difficult to conceive. This will eventually take you to the doctor and they will recommend the necessary tests that will diagnose conditions like a blocked fallopian tube.
Causes Of Blocked Fallopian Tubes
A range of reasons can lead to a blocked fallopian tube and they are as follows:
- Sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia or gonorrhea
- Swelling of the fallopian tube
- A former burst appendix
- Pelvic infection
- Endometriosis
Although these are a few of the common causes of blocked fallopian tubes, there can be other unexplained reasons as well. Also, it is not necessary whether or not you are currently diagnosed with a pelvic infection or appendix, a history of these ailments can also lead to the condition.
Symptoms Of The Blocked Fallopian Tube
Generally, blocked fallopian tubes do not exhibit any visible symptoms, but often, women with the condition have reported experiencing difficulty conceiving. Now, you need not have to suspect a blocked fallopian tube just because you didn’t get pregnant last month. In order to conclude this, you must at least try for a year continuously. In case you still didn’t get pregnant, then you may consult a doctor who will see whether your issue is anything related to the fallopian tube or not.
Although more than 50% of women with blocked fallopian tubes had not faced any symptoms, some might experience cramps or pain in the abdomen. Either they go through such pain consistently throughout their lives, or they experience pain during the menstruation period.
In some cases, this type of blockage may lead to ectopic pregnancy which is also hard to diagnose in the early stages. All you can do is, immediately consult a doctor whenever there is an abnormality experienced.
How Can Blocked Fallopian Tubes Be Diagnosed?
As we mentioned earlier, a diagnosis is not a doddle when it comes to conditions like blocked fallopian tubes. They do not often come with symptoms, so a suspicion itself is delayed for a long period. Moreover, fallopian tubes are designed in such a way that they can open and close anytime. So, when the doctor is performing any test and, at the time if it was only closed and not blocked, it will become hard to draw any conclusion. However, the following are the common methods to detect a blockage in the fallopian tube:
- Sonohysterogram- Sonohysterogram is, basically, an ultrasound test that builds a vague picture of the fallopian tube using sound waves.
- Laparoscopy- Laparoscopy is a keyhole surgery that makes an incision in your body through which a tiny camera is inserted. The camera is meant to click pictures of the fallopian tubes by getting closer to them. This is the most accurate type of fallopian tube blockage diagnosis.
- Hysterosalpingogram- Hysterosalpingogram or HSG is an x-ray test where the doctors inject a kind of dye into the womb. The dye is supposed to flow to the fallopian tubes, and if it doesn’t, then a blockage is detected.
How Can A Blocked Fallopian Tube Be Treated?
Since the outcome of the blocked fallopian tube is infertility, women often go to any extent to cure the condition. To date, surgeries are the only possible ways to treat the condition. However, the opening of a blockage depends on the intensity of the scarring or where the scarring is located. However, the following are the methods by which a blocked fallopian tube is opened via surgery:
- Making a new opening
- Opening the tube from the inside
- Removing the scarring
Although surgery is recommended by doctors, you have to be prepared to face whatever atrocities it brings such as excessive bleeding, damage to other organs around the fallopian tubes, and severe infection. In some instances, surgery leads to the formation of more scar tissue worsening the condition.
Conclusion
Blocked fallopian tubes are a common condition that affects women. People often address the condition in fear as it often leads to infertility. Since self-diagnosis is impossible, you better go for regular checkups to make sure that your organs are fine. In many cases, a doctor is capable to identify the issue and even repair the tissue, meaning, a blocked fallopian tube is not a non-curable ailment. It is possible to treat the condition and conceive. So, keep a positive attitude and move ahead.
We hope this article was informative and if you have any questions, make sure to drop them in the comments section or feel free to email.
