How Pulmonary Hypertension Affects Your Body?
Pulmonary Hypertension is a condition of blood pressure in which the pulmonary arteries in the lung become stiff, swollen and thick due to which the blood flow through the lungs is blocked or slowed down. This damage in the arteries causes blood pressure to rise. In some individuals, Pulmonary hypertension affects badly and can be life-threatening. While certain forms of pulmonary hypertension will not get cured, medication will help alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life. There are five different types of pulmonary hypertension:
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
- Pulmonary hypertension triggered by other health conditions.
- Pulmonary hypertension caused by chronic blood clots.
- Pulmonary hypertension caused by left-sided heart disease.
- Pulmonary hypertension caused by lung disease.
Diagnosing Pulmonary Hypertension can be complicated since many of the signs and symptoms are identical to other lung diseases such as asthma and COPD. Some of the most common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain or pressure, dizziness and fainting, heart racing or palpitations, and edema (or swelling in your ankles and legs)
Pulmonary Hypertension is caused by many risk factors, growing old is the major factor just in case of normal blood pressure. Some other risks are A family history of the condition, Being overweight, Blood-clotting disorders or a family history of blood clots in the lungs, Exposure to asbestos, Genetic disorders, including congenital heart disease, Living at a high altitude, Use of certain weight-loss drugs, Use of illegal drugs such as cocaine, Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), used to treat depression and anxiety.
Similar to how systemic high blood pressure can make the heart work harder to pump blood to the body. As a result, the pressure in your arteries is rising because your heart is working harder to try to push out the blood. Heart failure occurs when the heart is too tired to pump adequate blood to the lungs. Pulmonary hypertension affects and slowly, without early signs and symptoms. Your doctor can suggest tests and procedures for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension and determining its cause and severity when symptoms do occur. Popular medical tests include an echocardiograph, X-ray of the chest, electrocardiogram (EKG) and right-heart catheterization.
