Many women don’t realize they have a fallopian tube blockage until they run into trouble getting pregnant, but fallopian tube problems actually account for up to 30 percent of female infertility. Blocked or scarred tubes can make it difficult for sperm to reach or fertilize an egg, but there are treatment options that can help you can conceive.
Here’s what you should know about this condition, including where it comes from, how it’s treated and what you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
What causes blocked fallopian tubes?
Fallopian tubes can get blocked when a growth or scar forms within a tube or between the end of a tube and an ovary. These blockages can result from a few different health issues, including:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is a bacterial infection affecting the uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries. The infection can cause inflammation and potentially the formation of scars and blockages in the fallopian tubes, especially when left untreated.
- Sexually transmitted diseases. Bacterial STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause PID, triggering scarring and blockages.
- Endometriosis. With endometriosis, uterine tissue grows in places where it shouldn’t — like the fallopian tubes. These growths can cause blockages or lead to scarring.
- Abdominal or pelvic surgery. Any surgery in the lower belly or pelvic area — including surgery to remove uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts — has the potential to cause scar tissue that leads to a tube blockage. A ruptured appendix caused by appendicitis could lead to scarring as well.
What are the symptoms of blocked fallopian tubes?
Fallopian tube blockages often go completely unnoticed. You can still have a period with a blockage, and the blockages may not always feel painful.
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That said, fallopian tube blockages can commonly cause female infertility — so for many women, trouble getting pregnant ends up being the first sign. Women with a blockage might also be more likely to experience an ectopic pregnancy.
In some cases, blockages can cause discomfort. Some women experience regular pain in their belly or pelvic area that tends to get worse during their periods. Occasionally, unusual vaginal discharge is a symptom of blocked fallopian tubes.
Diagnosis of blocked fallopian tubes
Most practitioners diagnose fallopian tube blockages with a procedure called a hysterosalpingogram or HSG test.
This short test, which can be done in your provider’s office, involves injecting a liquid dye into the uterus and taking X-rays to see how the liquid moves through the fallopian tubes. If the liquid backs up or causes the tubes to stretch or swell, there’s a blockage.
In some cases, your provider might opt to look at a blockage via laparoscopic surgery. You may also sometimes see larger blockages on an ultrasound.
Treatments for blocked fallopian tubes
If a blocked fallopian tube has affected your fertility, addressing the blockage can usually increase the chances of becoming pregnant. There are a few different ways to do that based on where your blockage is located and if it can easily be removed.
Surgery
Depending on the cause and severity of the blockage, your provider may remove the scar tissue that’s causing the block, make a new opening outside of the blocked tube that’s near the ovary or open the tube from the inside by breaking up the blockage. Some blockages can be removed laparoscopically, while others require traditional surgery with a larger incision.
In vitro fertilization
Surgery may not effectively repair severely damaged fallopian tubes. In that case, your provider may recommend bypassing the blockage altogether and trying to get pregnant via in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)
HSGs typically diagnose blocked fallopian tubes, not treat them. But research has shown that many women with blockages who undergo HSG tests end up conceiving within three to six months after the procedures. Experts don’t fully understand why, but one potential explanation is that the dye used to detect the blockage helps flush out the fallopian tubes.
Complications from blocked fallopian tubes
Scarred, inflamed or partially blocked fallopian tubes increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. In fact, up to 50 percent of ectopic pregnancies occur in women who have affected tubes.
An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus — usually in one of the fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancies are never viable, and when left untreated they can cause serious and even life-threatening complications like internal bleeding.
If you’ve recently had tubal surgery, you should call your provider right away if you notice possible symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy — including abnormal bleeding or brown spotting after a positive pregnancy test, sharp or crampy abdominal pain that gets worse when you move, or lower back pain.
Other possible risks associated with any type of surgery include infection or bleeding, an allergic reaction to the anesthesia (or dye, if you’re having an HSG test) or the formation of new scar tissue.
Prevention
You can’t always prevent blocked fallopian tubes, especially if the blockage forms as the result of endometriosis or another abdominal or pelvic surgery. But you can take steps to reduce your risk for other blockage culprits like pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia and gonorrhea.
- Avoid douching. It can disrupt the normal bacteria in your vagina, putting you at higher risk for infection.
- Practice safe sex. Use condoms when you have sex, and ask partners about their sexual history.
- Get tested for STDs if you need to. Women under 25 should get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year; women over 25 with new or multiple sex partners should also receive tests annually, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends. If you’re at risk for gonorrhea or chlamydia, you should also be tested during early pregnancy. Your doctor can help determine your individual risk and advise when you should be tested.
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