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How Serious is Pulmonary Hypertension

The pulmonary system in the body has a serious responsibility in delivering oxygen to the lungs. Whenever the blood pressure in the arteries in the lungs increases in pressure, pulmonary hypertension occurs. The problem occurs when the blood vessels where the blood passes through in order to deliver oxygen to the lungs becomes narrow, such causes constriction to the flow of blood. As a result, very few blood can reach the lungs and the heart that pumps the blood going to the lungs need to exert the extra effort to improve the pulmonary circulation.

As a result of the extra pressure on the heart muscles to perform its function of pumping the blood to reach the lungs, the heart becomes subject to a greater pressure. Its inability to keep up will lead to less blood reaching the lungs with the less oxygen supply that it needs. As a result, people with pulmonary hypertension experience the feeling of being easily fatigued, shortness of breath and dizziness. Others would have a swollen ankle, increased pain and pressure on the chest, bloated abdomen and a bluish lips or skin.

The danger of getting a pulmonary hypertension is that it may occur and manifests the symptoms of extreme fatigue and tiredness that are always mistaken as the normal sign of ordinary stress. These symptoms are often negligible but when one begins to experience fainting spells and shortness of breath, that is the time they seek medical attention. However, at this point, the condition might already involve a greater extent of narrowing of the blood vessels that cause more serious symptoms to be experienced.

Pulmonary hypertension is not a very common medical problem but may result in a serious condition because of the late diagnosis. It is usually diagnosed with a prominent abnormal heart sound, pulse that are felt along the chest, abnormally large vein along the neck, swelling of the liver and the spleen and a heart murmur on the right side of the heart. The condition may occur without the presence of a lung or heart disease. In this case, it is called as primary pulmonary hypertension. The occurrence of the condition is sometimes linked to the intake of appetite suppressant drugs. Secondary pulmonary hypertension occurs when it is caused by underlying medical conditions involving the lungs and the heart.

There is no known cure for pulmonary hypertension but the treatment is directed at controlling the blood circulation in the heart and the lungs. Active substances that are known to improve the blood circulation that work in the same manner as the Tadalafil substance seen in Cialis are always prescribed. Specific medications that are prescribed for pulmonary hypertension include diuretics, calcium channel blockers, sildenafil and similar medicines that are effective in improving the blood circulation in the body.

If you have an existing pulmonary hypertension, it is not recommended to engage in active physical activities involving heavy lifting and traveling at high altitude. Doctors also give advice to smokers to quit from smoking because it causes more hardening of the blood vessel that could aggravate the condition.