Pulmonary Hypertension Symptoms and Causes

There is no cure for some forms of Pulmonary Hypertension. Early treatment can reduce the symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain and this treatment can significantly reduce and improve quality of life and can be fatal when not treated. Yet most people ignore this condition due to ignorance which we aim to dispel in this blog today.

What is Pulmonary Hypertension? What are the symptoms and causes of Pulmonary Hypertension? What types are curable and what types are not? With the inputs from the best lung specialist in Hyderabad & Padma Shri awardee, Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale we have answered all the questions here. Read on:

What is Pulmonary Hypertension?

Hypertension i.e. high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries which carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs is called Pulmonary Hypertension. Unlike regular hypertension, Pulmonary Hypertension is a dangerous condition that eventually narrows the arteries that carry the blood to the lungs.

The narrowed arteries impede the blood flow and as a result, enough blood doesn’t get to reach the lungs – fatigue and shortness of breath are how this manifests in the human body. The heart now has to work extra hard to push enough blood which eventually may also damage the heart.

Pulmonary Hypertension Symptoms:

This abnormal function caused by high blood pressure in arteries may eventually lead to blood clots in arteries, abnormal heartbeat & pericardial effusion which manifest in the form of the variety of symptoms like:

1. Fatigue
2. Dizziness
3. Ankle swelling
4. Heart racing/pounding sensation
5. Chest pain

The above symptoms take time to manifest and they occur in stages which are termed in classes. Class one is when people do not show any symptoms, Class 2 is when the symptoms show up during activity, Class 3 is when symptoms appear more frequently, and Class 4 is when the symptoms appear even during rest.

“In rare cases, the overtaxed heart may eventually damage and develop right-sided heart disease (because hypertrophied ventricle works overtime). This right-sided heart failure is a serious condition that may trigger damage to several organs in the body”, says the best lung transplant surgeon in India, Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale.

Types of Pulmonary Hypertension & Causes:

Congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, connective tissue disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, and blood clots in the lungs are some of the common causes of Pulmonary Hypertension. Even devoid of all these an individual may develop Pulmonary Hypertension due to genetic predisposition. The important point to note is that each cause listed above will result in a different type of Pulmonary Hypertension which is as follows:

Group-1 Pulmonary Hypertension: This is caused by pulmonary arterial hypertension which may be the result of congenital heart disease, Lupus, HIV, Glycogen store disease, Scleroderma, Liver diseases and recreational drugs.

Group-2 Pulmonary Hypertension: Caused by left-sided heart disease which may be the result of left-side heart failure, aortic valve disease, mitral valve disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, and more.

Group-3 Pulmonary Hypertension: Caused by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorders, interstitial lung diseases, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Group-4 Pulmonary Hypertension: Caused by chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) which may occur due to scarring of lung arteries and blood clots.

Group-5 Pulmonary Hypertension: There are conditions which may cause PH due to other unrelated medical conditions as well. These include kidney disease, thyroid disease, and gaucher disease and Langerhans cell hystiocytosis.

What types of Pulmonary Hypertension are treatable?

Among the above types, only Group-1, and Group-4 types of Pulmonary Hypertension have direct treatment options. All the other cases are treated by managing the underlying symptoms.

In most cases, one medical condition may trigger the development of other changing the underlying cause of Pulmonary Hypertension. So the best possible option is to consult a heart specialist at the first sign of any of the above symptoms listed above.

If you are in Hyderabad and are looking for a heart specialist, Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale is the best heart specialist and lung transplant surgeon in Hyderabad. With an excellent track record in treating all types of Pulmonary Hypertension cases, he can definitely help you .Contact him here: @Call 9603040506