In many cases, women with scarred Fallopian tubes are not aware they have the condition, which does not always present symptoms. The first indication of an issue may arise when a woman tries to conceive, because having two blocked Fallopian tubes tends to result in infertility; it is possible, though perhaps more difficult, to conceive when only one tube is blocked by scars. Some women, however, do notice mild pain, either on one or both sides of the abdomen. Severe pain is another possible symptom of damaged Fallopian tubes, and it may be worse during menstruation.
For many women, the first sign of Fallopian tube scarring is infertility. There are several causes of infertility, so women who suspect a problem are advised to see a doctor, who can use a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to diagnose tubal scarring. An HSG involves a doctor injecting dye into the cervix; the dye should go into the uterus, through the Fallopian tubes and into the ovaries. If the dye only gets to one ovary, it is an indication that one tube is likely scarred, while dye that fails to make it to either ovary is an indication that both tubes may be scarred. In most cases, women who suffer from infertility attributed to tubal scarring have two scarred Fallopian tubes, because it is possible to become pregnant with only one functioning tube.
Some women with scarred Fallopian tubes notice abdominal pain that is mild yet constant. If only one tube is blocked, the pain may only present on one side of the abdomen, but it can show up across the entire lower abdominal area when both tubes are blocked. Patients are cautioned that various problems can cause mild abdominal pain, so it is usually best to see a doctor before assuming that scarring on the Fallopian tubes is to blame.
A small percentage of women suffering from scarred Fallopian tubes only notice abdominal pain occasionally but, when it does show up, it is severe. Like the mild, intermittent pain, severe discomfort may show up on one or both sides, depending on whether both Fallopian tubes are scarred. In many cases, this type of pain becomes worse during menstruation and may disappear for the rest of the month. In general, the pain of blocked Fallopian tubes tends to differ depending on the cause of the scarring. For example, when it is caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), the pain will show up most often during menstruation, while scarring caused by an infection tends to cause pain mostly during sexual intercourse.