Pulmonary Hypertension

What is pulmonary hypertension?

How does pulmonary hypertension affect the lungs and your health? High blood pressure, also called hypertension, affects millions of people every year. It is a condition in which blood travels through the body via the arteries in a pressure that is too high and affects the health of the person. There is a certain type of hypertension that only affects the arteries in the lungs and this is called pulmonary hypertension. This is a very serious progressive illness that unfortunately, leads to death for many people.

Pulmonary hypertension symptoms

What are some common signs and symptoms of pulmonary hypertension? Well, usually the signs are very subtle in the beginning and many people do not realize they have a problem until months or years after you have gotten pulmonary hypertension. Some symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness or fainting spells, chest pressure and pain, racing heart or palpitations, swelling in the ankles or legs and sometimes in the abdomen.

Pulmonary Hypertension

These symptoms will worsen as the disease progresses with time. At first fatigue may only be felt with physical exertion but eventually you may find ordinary activities such as getting out of bed or walking around the house cause fatigue. Dizziness and fainting spells (syncope) may increase and you may even sustain injuries due to falling during syncope. Swelling can get worse and spread to different parts of the body.

Pulmonary hypertension causes

What causes pulmonary hypertension? This condition occurs when the tiny arteries in your lungs get too narrow or become blocked by something. Then, the blood is not able to properly flow throughout the lungs and the lungs become deprived.

 Pressure will build up behind these narrow or blocked passageways and when this pressure builds, your heart’s lower chambers will have to work extra hard to pump blood throughout the lungs. When this happens, the heart muscle can weaken or in some extreme cases, fail completely.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for pulmonary hypertension but there are many treatment options available that can lessen the symptoms and help you live a healthier life. The sooner you seek treatment for your condition, the better able to doctors will be to help you. 

Regular checkups and treatment for a qualified physician will help you notice pulmonary hypertension in its early stages, even before significant symptoms appear.