Identification Of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Symptoms

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension or PAH is a rare lung disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises significantly higher than the normal levels. The disease is serious and if left untreated can cause heart failure. An estimated 300 new cases of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) are diagnosed in the US every year and the greatest numbers are reported in women between the ages of 21 and 40. The various treatments for PAH are aimed at improving the symptoms, exercise tolerance and improving the quality of life.

What is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?
In this disease the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs become narrowed thus making it difficult for the blood to flow through the vessels. The narrowing of the arteries generally occurs due to the injury to the layer of cells lining the small blood vessels of the lungs. The difficulty in the blood flow leads to creation of excess pressure which leads to expansion of the right ventricle. The overworking and enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart makes it weaker and reduces its efficiency. This could lead to the failure of the heart.

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

It is only when the disease progresses to a significantly higher level, the symptoms of PAH become visible. These include:

• Shortness of breath in everyday activities such as climbing stairs


• Fatigure, dizziness and fainting spells


• Swelling in the ankles, legs or abdomen


• Bluish lips and skin


• Chest pain

Since these symptoms are quite common to several other conditions, it often becomes difficult to diagnose PAH. These symptoms become quite frequent and occur even with minimal activity as the disease becomes advanced. At such a time additional symptoms like irregular heart beat or palpitations, racing pulse, passing out, progressive shortness of breath during exercise or activity and difficulty in breathing are evident.

The PAH is often only diagnosed after ruling other problems have been ruled out. The diagnosis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension cannot be done on the basis of symptoms alone and a series of investigations may be required. Complete medical history, physical examination and analysis of symptom are essential to rule out other diseases and make a correct diagnosis.

The first stage in the diagnosis of PAH involves a physical examination to check whether the patient shows signs of breathlessness and other symptoms mentioned above. The next stage involved conducting blood tests for checking the livery and kidney functions, level of antibodies, check for thyroid problems, level of oxygen in arterial blood, blood count, hemoglobin and infections etc. Other tests that may be conducted to check for what disease or problem is a patient suffering from include:

• Echocardiogram: to check the functioning of right ventricle and measure the blood flow


• Chest Xray to check the size of right ventricle and pulmonary arteries


• Pulmonary Function Tests: to check for lung conditions


• Polysomnogram to check for sleep apnea


• 6-minute walk test


• Ventilation and perfusion lung scan: to check for evidence of blood clots


• High resolution computed tornography or HRCT


• Pulmonary angiogram: to check for blood clot blockages in pulmonary arteries


• Chest CT Scan


• Right heart catheterization: to check the level of heart pressure and to search for any leaks between the two sides of the heart.

Causes of PAH

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension can be caused due to various factors such as:

• Low oxygen levels in the blood


• Diseases like scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis that can damage the lungs


• Birth defects related to heart


• Certain diet medications


• Congestive heart failure


• History of blood clots in the lung


• Lung or heart valve disease


• Blockage in the veins of your lungs

Of the various treatments available Adcirca is indicated to improve the exercise ability of patients suffering from various types of PAH.