Pulmonary hypertension is when the blood pressure in the blood vessels from your heart to lungs is abnormally high. This condition, shortly known as PH, constricts the right ventricle of your heart. And that can result in heart failure. You get to develop symptoms of PH once it becomes advanced.
The most prominent sign of PH is shortness of breath. The narrowing of arteries responsible for carrying blood from your heart to your lung – termed pulmonary arteries – makes your heart muscles weak. Access to quality medical assistance optimally helps reduce the intensity of the problem. Get in touch with the leading doctor of pulmonology in Siliguri city.
Experiencing Breathing Difficulties During Activities?
What are the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension?
PH/pulmonary hypertension grows gradually. Therefore, discomforts due to PH may not be experienced by you until it becomes more intense. Let’s have a closer look at the symptoms of PH:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- A feeling of pressure in your chest
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Swelling in the abdomen, legs, ankles
- Bluish lips/ skin
- Racing pulse
Knowing the causes of pulmonary hypertension
We’ve discussed the causes according to the five different classifications of pulmonary hypertension:
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/PAH
The causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension can be heredity, congenital heart disease, chronic liver disease, illegal drug misuse, HIV infection. However, much remains unknown about the root cause of PAH.
Pulmonary Hypertension Result from Left Side Heart Disease
Left-sided heart conditions such as aortic valve disease, mitral valve disease, failure of the lower heart chamber may result in this medical condition.
Pulmonary Hypertension Caused by Lung Conditions
Obstructive sleep apnea chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis may contribute to the development of pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Chronic Blood Clots
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension happens when one’s body fails to dissolve blood clots in his lungs. Blood clotting disorders might double the risk of this disease.
Pulmonary Hypertension from Other Causes
Inflammatory disorders, metabolic disorders, kidney disease, tumors that suppresses pulmonary arteries, polycythemia vera, etc can lead to pulmonary hypertension.
Does Pulmonary Hypertension Have Risk Factors?
Yes, several factors are there to contribute to pulmonary hypertension:
- A family history of PH
- Congenital heart disease
- Obesity
- Blood clotting disorders
- Illegal drug abuse
- Scleroderma
- Lung disease
- Living at a high altitude
- Obstructive sleep apnea
Medical Help To Improve Your Health
Diagnosis & Medical Assistance for Pulmonary Hypertension
To diagnose PH, your pulmonologist/chest specialist first goes for a physical exam and examines your existing discomforts. A medical review is a must as it helps a chest specialist evaluate if you have health problems, like – heart disease, blood clotting disorders, lung disease.
Other tests and diagnostic procedures may involve – blood tests, chest X-rays, echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, lung function tests, MRI, CT scan, biopsy, genetic testing. You might schedule an appointment with the best chest specialist in Siliguri for pulmonary hypertension/PH.
Pulmonologists may prescribe different types of medications to ease the symptoms of PH. If medication alone is not able to bring fruitful out turns, surgical therapies help. Both lifestyle and dietary changes significantly help improve the condition of your health.