Pulmonary hypertension: symptoms and treatment, the dangers of disease

Pulmonary hypertension is a condition that manifests itself in various diseases and is characterized by increased pressure in the arteries of the lung.

In addition, this type of hypertension causes an increased strain on the heart, resulting in a hypertrophic process in its right ventricle.

The elderly, who are already over 50 years old, are most susceptible to this disease. When tightened with treatment, the symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension not only worsen, they can lead to serious complications, up to the death of the patient.

Description of the disease, its causes

Hypertension of the pulmonary artery is formed against a background of other diseases that may have completely different causes of occurrence. Hypertension is developing in connection with the growth of the inner layer of pulmonary vessels. Thus

The main diseases that lead to the development of this pathology include:

• chronic bronchitis;
• fibrosis of lung tissue;
• congenital heart disease;
• bronchiectasis;
• hypertension, cardiomyopathy, tachycardia, ischemia;
• vascular thrombosis in the lungs;
• alveolar hypoxia;
• elevated level of erythrocytes;
• spasms of blood vessels.

There is also a number of factors that contribute to the onset of pulmonary hypertension:

• of thyroid disease;
• intoxication of the body with poisonous substances;
• long-term use of antidepressants or drugs that depress the appetite;
• use of narcotics taken intranasally( by inhalation through the nose);
• of HIV infection;
• oncological diseases of the circulatory system;
• cirrhosis;
• genetic predisposition.

Symptomatology and signs

At the beginning of its development, pulmonary hypertension does not manifest itself in any way , and therefore the patient may not go to the hospital until the onset of severe stages of the disease. The normal systolic pressure in the pulmonary arteries is 30 mm Hg, and the dystolic pressure is 15 mm.r.st. Strongly expressed symptoms appear only when these indicators increase by 2 times or more.

In the initial stages, the disease can be detected on the basis of the following symptoms:

• Shortness of breath .This is the main sign. It can appear suddenly even in a calm state and sharply increase with minimal physical activity.
• Weight reduction , which occurs gradually, regardless of the diet.
• Unpleasant sensation in the abdomen - it seems to burst, all the time there is an unexplained weight in the abdomen. This symptom indicates that in the portal vein stagnation of blood began.
• Fainting, frequent attacks of dizziness .They arise as a result of insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain.
• The incessant weakness in the body of , a feeling of impotence, malaise, accompanied by a depressed, depressed psychological state.
• Frequent bouts of dry cough, hoarse voice.
• Heart palpitations .It occurs as a result of a lack of oxygen in the blood. The amount of oxygen required for normal functioning, in this case, comes only with rapid breathing or an increase in heart rate.
• Intestinal disorders, , accompanied by increased gas production, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain.
• Pain sensations on the right side of the body , under the ribs. Testify about the extension of the liver and its increase in size.
• Compression pain in the chest area, often occurring during physical exertion.

Pulmonary hypertension of the 1st degree - what is it and how does its symptomatology change with the progression of the disease?

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In the later stages of pulmonary hypertension, the following symptoms appear:

• When coughing sputum is released, in which there are blood clots. This indicates the development of edema in the lungs.
• Severe pain behind the sternum, accompanied by the release of cold sweat and panic attacks. Heart rhythm abnormalities( arrhythmia).
• Tenderness in the region of the liver, resulting from the stretching of its membrane.
• Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity( ascites), heart failure, extensive swelling and blueing of the legs. These signs indicate that the right ventricle of the heart stops coping with the load.

For the terminal stage of pulmonary hypertension are characterized by:

• The formation of thrombi in pulmonary artiory, which causes suffocation, tissue destruction, infarctions.

• Acute pulmonary edema and hypertensive crises that occur usually at night. At these attacks the patient experiences a sharp shortage of air, suffocates, coughs, while expecting sputum with blood.

  The skin turns blue, the jugular vein is pulsed. At such times, the patient experiences fear and panic, he is overly excited, his movements are chaotic. Such seizures usually result in death.

Diagnosis of the disease by a cardiologist. It is necessary to consult a doctor at the first sign of the disease: severe shortness of breath at normal loads, chest pain, constant fatigue, the appearance of swelling.

Diagnosis

If you suspect a pulmonary hypertension, in addition to general examination and palpation for an enlarged liver, the doctor prescribes the following examinations:

• ECG .Reveals pathologies in the right ventricle of the heart.
• CT .It allows to determine the size of the pulmonary artery, as well as other diseases of the heart and lungs.
• Echocardiography of the .In the process of this examination, the speed of blood movement and the state of the vessels are checked.
• Measurement of pulmonary artery pressure by insertion of a catheter.
• Radiography .Detects the condition of the artery.
• Blood tests.
• Check the effect of physical exertion on the patient's condition.
• Angiopulse monograph .In the vessels are injected a colorant that shows the state of the pulmonary artery.

Only a full complex of examinations will allow to put the exact diagnosis of and determine the further treatment.

Learn about the disease more from the video:

Therapy methods

Pulmonary hypertension is quite successfully treatable if the disease has not yet passed to the terminal stage. The doctor prescribes treatment in accordance with the following tasks:

• determining the cause of the disease and its removal;
• reduction in pulmonary artery pressure;
• prevention of blood clots.

Medication

Depending on the symptomatology, the following agents are prescribed:

• Cardiac glycosides - for example, Digoxin. Improve blood circulation, reduce the likelihood of arrhythmia, favorably affect the work of the heart.
• Drugs to reduce blood viscosity - Aspirin, Heparin, Gerudin.
• Vasodilators , which relax the walls of the arteries and facilitate the flow of blood, thereby lowering the pressure in the arteries of the lung.
• Prostaglandins .Prevent vasospasms and blood clots. Diuretics .Allow to remove from the body excess fluid, thereby reducing swelling and lowering the burden on the heart.
• Mucolytics - Mucosolvin, Acetylcysteine, Bromhexine. With a strong cough, it is easier to separate mucus from the lungs.
• Calcium antagonists - Nifedipine, Verapamil. Relieve the vessels of the lungs and the walls of the bronchi.
• Thrombolytics .Dissolve the formed thrombi and prevent the formation of new, and improve the patency of blood vessels.

Operations

If the effectiveness of medical treatment of is low, the doctor asks the question of surgical intervention. Operations with pulmonary hypertension are of several types:

1. Intra-atrial fencing.
2. Lung transplantation.
3. Cardiopulmonary transplantation.

In addition to physician-appointed methods for treating pulmonary hypertension , the patient must follow certain recommendations of the for a successful recovery: completely quit smoking or narcotic drugs, reduce physical activity, do not sit in one place for more than two hours a day, exclude or minimize the amount of salt indietary intake.