Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include:

Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
Updated on October 22, 2024
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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.

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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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Can pulmonary hypertension cause coughing?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a commonly seen clinical condition with complex causes, which may arise from various cardiac, pulmonary, and pulmonary vascular diseases. When pulmonary arterial hypertension occurs, due to increased resistance in the pulmonary circulation, the load on the right heart will increase, eventually leading to right heart failure, thus causing a series of clinical manifestations. In the early stages, pulmonary arterial hypertension may not present with obvious symptoms, and discomfort may be felt during intense exercise, with most patients showing shortness of breath after activity. During the compensatory period of pulmonary heart function, symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, and decreased endurance may occur during activities, and acute infections can also exacerbate these conditions, potentially causing mild chest pain or hemoptysis. Some patients may exhibit signs of heart dysfunction, like coughing and expectorating phlegm.

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Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
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How to treat pulmonary hypertension?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), depending on its various causes, has different treatments. The treatment commonly referred to as for pulmonary arterial hypertension specifically targets Group 1 PAH. This category of PAH has some targeted medications that are quite effective, such as prostacyclin medications, endothelin receptor antagonists, and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. These drugs target pulmonary artery pressure among other things. In addition to targeted treatments, anticoagulant therapy is usually necessary. When right heart failure occurs, diuretic therapy may be needed. In advanced stages, heart-lung or lung transplantation might be required.

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Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
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How is pulmonary hypertension measured?

There are usually two methods to measure pulmonary arterial hypertension. One is through echocardiography to estimate, by measuring the speed of tricuspid regurgitation and then calculating the systolic pressure of the pulmonary artery through a formula. This method may overestimate or underestimate, hence its accuracy is not reliable. The gold standard is measuring pulmonary artery pressure via right heart catheterization. The downside of this gold standard is that it is an invasive procedure, which needs to be performed in a catheterization room; compared to ultrasound, it is also more costly. These are the two methods, each with its pros and cons. We need to choose based on the patient's situation.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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How is pulmonary hypertension treated?

The treatment of pulmonary hypertension mainly focuses on identifying the cause. For idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, treatment primarily targets vascular constriction, endothelial damage, thrombus formation, and heart failure. This is to restore the tension, resistance, and pressure of the pulmonary vessels, improve the patient's sexual function, increase cardiac output, and improve quality of life. The main treatments include: 1. Drug therapy, which includes calcium channel blockers, prostacyclin, nitric oxide, endothelin receptor antagonists, and related anticoagulants. Anticoagulants do not improve symptoms, but can slow down disease progression and improve prognosis in some aspects. However, in cases of right heart failure, hepatic congestion, and ascites, cardiotonic diuretics are used, such as digoxin and anti-calcium channel blockers, which can cause adverse reactions like decreased myocardial contractility. But these drugs should be administered under the guidance of a doctor. In advanced stages of pulmonary arterial hypertension, heart-lung transplantation may be considered.