PHTN is a lung disease where the lungs cannot pump enough blood into the body. This causes high pressure inside the lungs. It causes swelling of the arteries that carry blood to the lungs and may cause heart failure. It’s estimated that it affects about 300000 people in the USA alone. It can be inherited or can occur after birth.
Pulmonary Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects the blood pressure inside your lungs. It causes your heart to work harder than normal and your body to keep up.
If you think you might be suffering from this condition, take some time to read our Pulmonary Hypertension definition and symptoms guide.
Pulmonary Hypertension is a serious and often fatal condition. In this article, we’ll give you a basic understanding of this condition and explain its symptoms so you can recognize when to seek help.
The lung has a protective mechanism against diseases. That mechanism is called the immune system. A healthy person’s lungs usually prevent bacterial and viral infections by creating an immune response. However, in some people, their immune system stops working normally. This is when the lungs no longer protect the body from disease, and the person develops lung damage. When this happens, the lungs are damaged permanently.
What is pulmonary Hypertension?
Pulmonary Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects the blood pressure inside your lungs. It causes your heart to work harder than normal and your body to keep up.
While it can affect anyone, it is most common in older women. There are several risk factors associated with the development of this condition.
Symptoms
Pulmonary Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects the blood pressure inside your lungs. It causes your heart to work harder than normal and your body to keep up.
The best way to tell if you have pulmonary Hypertension is by looking at the signs.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
• Breathlessness when exerting yourself.
• Chest pain, particularly after exercising.
• Fatigue.
• Swelling in the legs and ankles.
• An inability to exercise due to shortness of breath.
• Rapid weight gain.
• An increase in the size of the liver.
• Swelling of the neck.
• Swollen hands and feet.
• The need for supplemental oxygen at night.
A simple visit to your GP can rule out some of these symptoms.
However, if you’re still unsure, your GP can refer you to a specialist with experience diagnosing and treating the condition.
Treatments for Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects the blood pressure inside your lungs. It causes your heart to work harder than normal and your body to keep up.
While this disease is rare, it is treatable, so it is important to see your doctor for a diagnosis.
Here is a list of medications that are available to treat pulmonary Hypertension:
Diuretics: These are medications that help reduce water retention in your body.
Beta-blockers: These drugs relax your heart, reducing your heart’s workload.
Calcium channel blockers: These drugs relax your muscles and improve blood flow.
Lipid-lowering agents: These drugs lower cholesterol levels.
Angiotensin receptor blockers: These drugs lower blood pressure and prevent your blood vessels from narrowing.
Sildenafil: This drug increases blood flow to your lungs.
Endothelin receptor antagonists: These drugs target your blood vessels to reduce fluid buildup.
Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors relax your blood vessels and improve blood flow.
Pulmonary arterial Hypertension: This is a subtype of pulmonary Hypertension. It is much more severe and is treated differently.
Definition of Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects the blood pressure inside your lungs.
The word “hypertension” comes from the Greek word “hypertrophia,” meaning “excess pressure.”
It is caused by increased resistance in your arteries and can lead to heart failure, stroke, and even death.
The World Health Organization estimates that around 1% of the global population currently suffers from this disease, and it is estimated that “only 25% of patients are diagnosed.
Frequently asked questions about Hypertension.
Q: What causes high blood pressure?
A: High blood pressure results from increased blood volume caused by either too little water (hypotension) or too much salt.
Q: How does the body regulate blood pressure?
A: The kidneys and adrenal glands are major regulators of blood pressure. When the kidneys become dehydrated, their ability to filter out sodium is impaired, and blood pressure can rise. When the adrenal glands become depleted, they fail to produce adequate levels of aldosterone hormone. Aldosterone helps to maintain electrolyte balance, which controls water content in the cells. The resulting increase in blood volume can lead to increased blood pressure.
Q: What can cause dehydration?
A: Dehydration is most common when the body loses fluids, usually through sweating during exercise. Also, some medications may cause fluid loss from the body.
Top myths about Hypertension
1. Hypertension only affects older adults.
2. Hypertension only occurs in people with high blood pressure.
3. Hypertension only occurs because of stress.
Conclusion
Pulmonary Hypertension is when the blood pressure in the arteries leading to the lungs is abnormally high. It can lead to right heart failure, which can be because the streets leading to the lungs are affected.
If your physician has recommended echo cardio, It can lead to right heart failure, which can cause death. Gram tests your heart’s function, and they will look for signs of pulmonary Hypertension. Pulmonary Hypertension may also be diagnosed based on symptoms alone or in combination with a physical exam, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, blood tests, and oxygen levels in your blood.
Echocardiography (ECHO) is a test that uses sound waves to view the heart and its valves, the chambers, and the blood flowing through them. It can tell you if there are any problems with your heart’s structure or pumping ability. The echocardiogram is performed by inserting a thin, hollow tube into a vein in your arm. This tube is connected to a machine that sends sound waves through the blood vessels in your arm.
These sound waves bounce back from the walls of the blood vessels and back to the machine, where they are recorded on a strip of paper. The results of this test are called a Doppler ECHO. A Doppler ECHO will tell you how well your heart works and how fast the blood flows through your arteries and veins. A Doppler ECHO is a good test for anyone with heart disease symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations.
