Guide to Understand and Treat Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
The condition in which the high blood pressure condition affects the patient’s right side of the heart and the lungs is known as Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. The blood flow through the lungs can completely stop or become restricted because of a narrowing or blockage of pulmonary arterioles. As the blood flow is restricted through the pulmonary arteries, this puts pressure on the right heart chamber causing it to pump more blood thereby exerting more pressure on it.
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension can be different types some of which are progressively degenerative and some of which can be treated to some extent.
What are the causes of the Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?
The human heart has four chambers which are two lower chambers and two upper chambers. The chamber which pumps blood through the lungs is the right lower chamber which pumps the blood through the pulmonary artery. When all the systems are working fine, the pressure of the lungs is normal. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension causes a change in the cells of the pulmonary arteries. Because of the changes, the arteries get thickened, and inflammation of the cells occurs. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension is subdivided into five categories, based on what causes it.
Diagnosis and treatment
Once a confirmed diagnosis has been made, depending on the severity of the disease, the doctor can classify it into four subcategories. People suffering from class I Hypertension have no symptoms of the condition while they are performing a normal activity. Those who are diagnosed with class II of the disease do not display any symptoms at rest. However, they suffer from breathlessness and fatigue while doing normal activity. In class III, the symptoms become evident when the person is physically active. Patients of class IV pulmonary Arterial Hypertension have symptoms while being at rest and also while performing a normal activity.
For the treatment, vasodilators like the Flolan and Veletri are used. The vasodilators can provide relief from the symptoms. To allow for better blood flow through the lungs and relieve the pressure sometimes Revatio and Cialis are also used. However, these drugs do have some side effects such as blurred vision.
