About

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition characterized by high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, forcing the right side of the heart to work harder to pump blood through narrowed or damaged vessels.​
 
Symptoms

• Common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, fainting, swelling in the legs or ankles, and a fast heartbeat, which often worsen with physical activity.

 
Causes

• PH arises from various factors, including heart or lung diseases, blood clots, genetic mutations, certain drugs like methamphetamine, or conditions such as HIV, connective tissue diseases, or schistosomiasis.

 
The World Health Organization classifies it into 5 groups,
 

• Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH): Problem in lung arteries themselves, making them narrow and stiff no clear cause linked to diseases like lupus or HIV.​
• Due to Left Heart Problems: Most common type, stiff heart muscle, or leaky/narrow valves, backup pressure pushes into lung arteries.​
• Due to Lung Diseases or Low Oxygen: Seen in COPD (smoker's lung), lung scarring (fibrosis), and Living at high altitudes worsens it.​
• Blood Clots Blocking Arteries (CTEPH): Old clots or tumors clog lung arteries, raising pressure. These Clots don't dissolve but surgery can sometimes clear them.​
• Mixed or Unclear Causes: Rare issues like blood problems (anemia), kidney failure, or sarcoidosis (lung inflammation).​ Reasons not fully understood; doesn't fit other groups.

 
Complications

• Untreated PH can lead to right ventricular hypertrophy, right-sided heart failure, blood clots, irregular heartbeats, lung bleeding, and life-threatening issues during pregnancy.
• Over time, reduced oxygen flow impairs the left heart's function, limiting physical activity.​

 
Diagnosis and Treatment

• Diagnosis often involves echocardiography, cardiac catheterization to measure pressures, and imaging for artery ratios.
• Treatments focus on symptom management with medications like vasodilators, oxygen therapy, and lifestyle changes, though no cure exists; early intervention improves quality of life.​

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