Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
Pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening condition that gets worse over time, but treatments can help your symptoms so you can live better with the disease. It may take some planning, but plenty of people who have it find ways to do all the things they love, just as they did before they were diagnosed.
Having pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) means that you have high blood pressure in the arteries that go from your heart to your lungs . It's different from having regular high blood pressure.
Pleural Effusion
A pleural effusion is an abnormal amount of fluid around the lung. Pleural effusions can result from many medical conditions. Most pleural effusions are not serious by themselves, but some require treatment to avoid problems.
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With PAH, the tiny arteries in your lungs become narrow or blocked. It's harder for blood to flow through them, and that raises the blood pressure in your lungs. Your heart has to work harder to pump blood through those arteries, and after a while the heart muscle gets weak. Eventually, it can lead to heart failure.
Sometimes doctors can't find a reason for high blood pressure in the lungs. In that case, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. Genes may play a role in why some people get it.
In other cases, there is another condition that's causing the problem. Any of these illnesses can lead to high blood pressure in your lungs:
You may not notice any symptoms for a while. The main one is shortness of breath when you're active. It usually starts slowly and gets worse as time goes on. You may notice that you can't do some of the things you used to without getting winded.
Other symptoms include:
If you have shortness of breath and see your doctor, he will ask you about your medical history. He may also ask you:
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
What Is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?
Pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening condition that gets worse over time, but treatments can help your symptoms so you can live better with the disease. It may take some planning, but plenty of people who have it find ways to do all the things they love, just as they did before they were diagnosed.
Having pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) means that you have high blood pressure in the arteries that go from your heart to your lungs . It's different from having regular high blood pressure.
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Pleural Effusion
A pleural effusion is an abnormal amount of fluid around the lung. Pleural effusions can result from many medical conditions. Most pleural effusions are not serious by themselves, but some require treatment to avoid problems.
Read the Pleural Effusion article > >
With PAH, the tiny arteries in your lungs become narrow or blocked. It's harder for blood to flow through them, and that raises the blood pressure in your lungs. Your heart has to work harder to pump blood through those arteries, and after a while the heart muscle gets weak. Eventually, it can lead to heart failure.
Causes
Sometimes doctors can't find a reason for high blood pressure in the lungs. In that case, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. Genes may play a role in why some people get it.
In other cases, there is another condition that's causing the problem. Any of these illnesses can lead to high blood pressure in your lungs:
- Congestive heart failure
- Blood clots in the lungs
- HIV
- Illegal drug use (like cocaine or methamphetamine)
- Liver disease (such as cirrhosis of the liver)
- Lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases
- A heart defect you're born with
- Lung diseases like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or pulmonary fibrosis
- Sleep apnea
Symptoms
You may not notice any symptoms for a while. The main one is shortness of breath when you're active. It usually starts slowly and gets worse as time goes on. You may notice that you can't do some of the things you used to without getting winded.
Other symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Passing out
- Swelling in your ankles and legs
Getting a Diagnosis
If you have shortness of breath and see your doctor, he will ask you about your medical history. He may also ask you:
- Do you smoke?
- Does anyone in your family have heart or lung disease?
- When did your symptoms start?
- What makes your symptoms better or worse?
- Do your symptoms ever go away?