The harms of pulmonary arterial hypertension during pregnancy

Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
Updated on September 04, 2024
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Pulmonary hypertension is categorized into mild, moderate, and severe stages. If it is mild pulmonary hypertension, pregnancy generally does not have a major impact. However, for those with moderate or especially severe pulmonary hypertension, pregnancy can be very dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. As the fetus grows, pulmonary hypertension can lead to ischemia and hypoxia, which can worsen over time. The mother is likely to develop symptoms of acute heart failure, severely endangering her life. Additionally, it can cause intrauterine hypoxia for the fetus, leading to miscarriage or stillbirth. Therefore, pregnancy is not recommended for patients with moderate, and particularly severe, pulmonary hypertension.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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Mild pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a relatively common disease in daily life. Many patients, when they go to the hospital for examination, often see reports from cardiac ultrasound indicating mild pulmonary hypertension, moderate pulmonary hypertension, or non-severe pulmonary hypertension. So, what are the criteria for mild pulmonary hypertension? Generally, pulmonary artery pressure is measured using right heart catheterization or cardiac ultrasound. If the pressure is between 30 to 50 mmHg, this is often considered mild pulmonary hypertension. Generally, the prognosis for mild pulmonary hypertension is quite good, typically not producing noticeable symptoms or affecting health.

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Written by Zeng Wei Jie
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Pulmonary hypertension belongs to which department?

Pulmonary hypertension is a relatively complex disease with many types, and the department to which a patient should go depends on the type. For example, patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension often need to visit the department of cardiology. Similarly, pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease also falls under the jurisdiction of cardiology. However, if the pulmonary hypertension is related to hypoxia, these patients typically belong to the department of respiratory medicine. Furthermore, there are cases of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, where patients can be seen either in cardiology or respiratory medicine. Therefore, answering which department pulmonary hypertension belongs to is a complex issue that requires classification based on the cause of the disease.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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Pulmonary hypertension is treated by which department?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a common clinical condition with complex causes, and depending on the cause, patients may visit different departments. The common causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension include the following. The first type is venous pulmonary hypertension, which is caused by diseases of the left heart system. Patients with this condition need to visit the department of cardiology, mainly to control heart failure. The second type is chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. The main reasons include thromboembolism in the proximal or distal pulmonary arteries, or due to tumors, parasites, foreign bodies, etc., leading to pulmonary embolism. Diseases of this type require visits to the respiratory department. Additionally, chronic pulmonary heart disease, such as heart failure caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, sleep breathing disorders, and hypoventilation lesions, also lead to pulmonary arterial hypertension and should be treated in the respiratory department. Furthermore, some rheumatic immune diseases and congenital heart diseases can also cause pulmonary arterial hypertension. As pulmonary arterial hypertension has gradually received more attention, some hospitals have established specialized outpatient clinics for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Mild, Moderate, Severe Classification

Pulmonary artery pressure refers to the average pressure in the pulmonary artery when the body is at rest. Generally, the normal average pulmonary artery pressure is less than 25mmHg. Pulmonary hypertension is considered when the pulmonary artery pressure exceeds 25mmHg. The grading is generally divided into three levels based on the data: the first level is mild pulmonary hypertension with pulmonary artery pressure between 26-35mmHg; moderate with pressure between 36-45mmHg; and severe with pressure greater than 45mmHg. If classified by the functional impact of pulmonary hypertension, grade I pulmonary hypertension is characterized by patients who are not limited in daily activities, and do not experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or chest tightness after physical activity. Grade II pulmonary hypertension patients are limited by mild activities, do not feel discomfort at rest, but experience symptoms like difficulty breathing, fatigue, chest tightness, and chest pain during everyday activities. Grade III pulmonary hypertension patients have significantly limited activity; they feel no discomfort at rest, but experience symptoms like difficulty breathing, fatigue, and chest pain after only mild activity, less than everyday activities. Grade IV pulmonary hypertension is severe, with patients experiencing symptoms such as difficulty breathing and feeling tightness in their chest even at rest without any activity.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
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Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include:

The clinical symptoms of pulmonary hypertension primarily include: 1. Shortness of breath, which is the most common symptom of pulmonary hypertension. Many patients experience shortness of breath as their initial symptom, which is often related to physical activity. As the condition progresses, the shortness of breath tends to worsen. 2. Some patients may also experience chest pain, dizziness, or fainting. 3. Some patients may cough up blood, usually only a small amount, but occasionally there can be a significant amount. 4. Patients with pulmonary hypertension caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may experience repeated symptoms of coughing and coughing up phlegm. 5. Patients with pulmonary hypertension often experience fatigue and weakness.