PPH, PAH or IPAH, Finding it Hard to Breathe? You Could Have Pulmonary Hypertension
What is Pulmonary Hypertension?
Pulmonary hypertension is a rare, serious and incurable lung disorder that affects how blood flows from the lungs to the heart. It’s categorized in 2 ways: primary, meaning there is no obvious cause; and secondary, in which a cause is known, such as bronchitis or emphysema. Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), also referred to as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and more recently, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), causes increased blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, a blood vessel that carries oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs.
This is often significant part of this specific article. Increased blood pressure can have serious results. The muscles within the walls of the arteries may tighten, causing the arteries to constrict. The walls of the pulmonary arteries may thicken. Scar tissue may form, causing the arteries to become increasingly narrow. Tiny blood clots may form within the smaller arteries, causing blockages. In more serious cases, when the right ventricle no longer functions properly, progressive heart failure occurs, leading most often to death.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of PPH frequently occur over a period of time, making the condition difficult to diagnose. Although most of the symptoms relate to breathing issues, such as shortness of breath and hyperventilation, other symptoms may include:
Extreme fatigue Dizziness or fainting Weakness of the body Racing pulse Chest pain Swelling of legs and hands Coughing up blood Bluish discoloration of lips and skin (cyanosis) Diagnosing PPH:
Peyava Tea to Help Lower Blood Pressure – YouTube: Hypertension/high blood pressure puts a serious burden on the vascular system which sometimes results to atherosclerosis. What causes high blood pressure is …
PPH is regularly misdiagnosed in routine medical examinations since its symptoms can be confused with other more common conditions. These conditions must be ruled out first, along with secondary pulmonary hypertension disorders. Unfortunately this means that PPH is usually diagnosed after the appearance of many of the symptoms, and by that time the disorder is likely to have progressed to a more serious stage.
Tests to diagnose PPH include:
X-ray of the chest Electrocardiogram Echocardiogram Cardiac catheterization Blood tests MRI Pulmonary function tests Connective tissue serology Perfusion lung scans
Most often, the cause of primary pulmonary hypertension is unknown, yet could be attributed to genetic or familial predisposition, immune system disease or drug/chemical exposure. A number of drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamines and the diet drug Fen Phen (taken off the market in September 1997) have been linked to causing PPH.
Treatment:
PPH requires proper medical diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Most treatment regimes require drugs that help lower blood pressure, or affect the blood, blood vessels, lungs and/or heart. In recent studies, Viagra (Sildenafil) has been found to improve the condition of PPH. It’s awaiting approval for use as a treatment for PPH.
Other drug therapies may include:
Anticoagulants Calcium channel blockers Diuretics Endothelin receptor antagonists Prostacyclin analogues
Since every patient responds differently to drug combinations, amounts and types of drugs must be carefully monitored and often changed. For patients who don’t respond to drug therapy, the other alternatives are heart-lung or lung transplantation. But nevertheless, transplantation can lead to complications that could result in death.
Statistics:
The Montefiore Medical Center states that the first recorded case of primary pulmonary hypertension occurred in 1891. Each year in the United States, an estimated five hundred to 1,000 new cases are diagnosed, most of them women between the ages of twenty and 40. On the other hand, both genders and any age can develop PPH. According to the American Lung Association, there were 3,065 deaths attributed to PPH in 2000. It can also be a genetic disorder
~Cheryl Kaye Tardif has worked in the past as a journalist and book editor. Currently, she’s the author of 3 bestselling novels: The River, Divine Intervention and the her most recent Whale Song, a novel that includes a character with PPH. Whale Song deals with many controversial and emotional issues, including the death of a loved one, offering a hopeful and beautiful way to make peace with death.
For more information on Cheryl, please visit http://www.whalesongbook.com or http://www.cherylktardif.com
5 Responses to “PPH, PAH or IPAH, Finding it Hard to Breathe? You Could Have Pulmonary Hypertension”
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What are some causes of high blood pressure in pregnancy other than pre-eclampsia..? My friend is pregnant too – we're due 2 days apart (July 4th & July 6th). She went to the doctor today and her blood pressure was 162/96 and has never been out of normal range until today. At the same time, there was no protein in her urine and they said that rules out pre-eclampsia and they're re-checking her blood pressure in the morning. So i'm wondering, what else would cause it to jump this high? Thanks in advance.
What Causes High Blood Pressure – Hypertension Quite a few people in this world dont know what causes high blood pressure and hypertension. Hypertension is more common in blacks, and the risk increases with age. One-fourth of people in the United States between the ages of 20-74 have hypertension, and three-fourths of women and two-thirds of men over seventy-five have hypertension. Blood pressure is described by 2 values: – The highest pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts. – The lowest pressure just before the heart contracts. When you take your blood pressure look for certain numbers to inform you if your pressure is high or low. Blood pressure is considered high when the systolic pressure is above 140 and the diastolic pressure is above 90. When a change in blood pressure occurs, the body has a sudden means of returning back to normal. These include changing the amount of blood that the heart pumps, controlling the diameter of the arteries, and changing the volume of blood in the bloodstream. The kidneys can also control blood pressure by excreting salt and water in the blood so that the blood volume decreases. People who have hypertension, the increase in pressure may be due to a change in the heart, blood vessels or an increase in the blood volume. Other factors contributing to hypertension include an inherited abnormality, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, stress, smoking, excessive alcohol and salt. Most people with hypertension experience no symptons from hypertension itself, however, once damage has occurred to other organs as a result of hypertension like the brain, eyes, heart or the kidneys. Symptoms of those conditions may manifest themselves as headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, restlessness, and blurred vision. The higher the pressure, the more likely you’re to experience a stroke, heart failure or early death. By: Colon Bolden Article Directory: Colon Bolden is a outstanding internet marketer in the home business arena. He has a gift working with other marketers around the world. Colon Bolden truly devotes his time, energy, and effort into making sure his team of professional marketers experience the success online that they truly deserves.
Malignant Hypertension Causes | eHow.com. Malignant Hypertension Causes. Malignant hypertension is a dangerous condition that affects a person’s blood pressure. Over a short period of time,
Genetics, pain, stress and anxiety, excitement…you name it. Your BP can be a little high just being pregnant. Your body is having to do extra work it doesn't normally do. Have her find out about any HBP history in her family. I’ve that in mine. I also get frequent migraines and other headaches. Pain easily raises blood pressure. I also have anxiety and stress and this also adds to it.
Postural Hypertension, Orthostatic, Causes. Postural hypertension can be the reason of an unexpected increase in your blood pressure levels.