Pulmonary Hypertension: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious condition resulting from abnormally high pressure in the pulmonary arteries between the right heart chamber and lungs.

Call 843-707-8040 to schedule an appointment with a member of our pulmonology team.

Pulmonary Hypertension Causes

The heart pumps blood from the right side of the heart through the pulmonary arteries into the lungs. When the force of blood against the walls of the arteries, called blood pressure, gets too high, the arteries narrow. This restricts blood flow through the lungs and prevents oxygen from getting to the rest of the body, leading to pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension can be genetic or caused by a medical condition. It can also be idiopathic, which means there’s no identifiable cause. Pulmonary hypertension can also be caused by:

• Long-term heart disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Pulmonary embolism
• Underlying lung diseases, such as COPD and emphysema

Other conditions, including blood disorders, thyroid disease and chronic kidney failure, can cause pulmonary hypertension.

Risk factors for pulmonary hypertension include:

• Age
• Exposure to environmental lung irritants
• Gender (women appear to be at greater risk than men)
• Genetics
• Medical history of conditions that cause blood clots
• Smoking

Signs and Symptoms of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension can sometimes be hard to diagnose because many symptoms are similar to those of other lung diseases. Symptoms can include:

• Chest pain
• Decreased appetite
• Difficulty doing physical activities
• Dizziness and fainting
• Fatigue
• Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen
• Racing heartbeat
• Shortness of breath during routine activities
• Swelling in the belly, legs, ankles or feet

Stages of Pulmonary Hypertension

If your pulmonologist suspects you have risk factors for pulmonary hypertension or if you have a family history, he or she might order screening tests for the disease. These tests might include an echocardiogram (ECG), electrocardiogram (EKG), pulmonary function tests, and imaging studies, such as a chest X-ray or cardiac MRI.

Based on those tests, pulmonary hypertension can be diagnosed and categorized into one of four stages:

• Stage 1: No limitation of usual physical activity
• Stage 2: Mild limitation of physical activity with no discomfort at rest
• Stage 3: Marked limitation of physical activity, but no discomfort at rest
• Stage 4: Unable to perform any physical activity without experiencing symptoms

In most cases, pulmonary hypertension cannot be cured, but medications such as blood thinners can minimize your symptoms and slow the disease’s progression.

Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause of pulmonary hypertension, whether through healthy lifestyle changes, including exercise and smoking cessation, or medical treatments. Your doctor might also prescribe supplemental oxygen to reduce the amount of work your heart has to do to oxygenate the blood. In more severe cases, you may need a lung transplant.

The pulmonology team at Beaufort Memorial has the expertise needed to uncover the cause of pulmonary hypertension and help you manage your condition and live the best life possible.