Pulmonary Hypertension

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Medical Author: Siamak Nabili, MD, MPH
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What are pulmonary arteries?
• What is pulmonary hypertension?
• What are primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension?
• What causes pulmonary hypertension?
• What causes primary pulmonary hypertension?
• How common is pulmonary hypertension?
• What are the signs and symptoms of pulmonary hypertension?
• How is pulmonary hypertension diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for pulmonary hypertension?
• What is the prognosis for pulmonary hypertension?
• Related pulmonary hypertension article:
  Pulmonary Hypertension - on eMedicineHealth
• Patient Discussions: Pulmonary Hypertension - Describe Your Symptoms

Featured pulmonary hypertension patient discussions on symptoms experienced "I was diagnosed in August 2007 with primary pulmonary hypertension. I have been doing very good. I do have my good days, my breathing is normal, and I can function with my daily activities. I like to go to concerts and hang out with my friends. But then I have my bad days, where I am exceptionally tired and have to sleep for a day or so just to keep up with my work or kids. I do work full-time and for the most part, I am at work about 90% of the time. I am on FMLA (family medical leave act) so that keeps my job secure for when I am out sick. I am living with PPH and surviving. I will say try to go to support groups, they do help out a lot. They keep you sane. Good luck to everyone out there and God bless." "I have pulmonary hypertension. Mine is the result from taking diet pills. For the past week, my feet and legs have been swelling, and my big toe hurts. Yesterday, when I took my shoes off, I had this clear fluid run out from under my toenail." Read All Comments on Pulmonary Hypertension » Top Searched Pulmonary Hypertension Terms: symptoms, marijuana, epidural, prognosis, downs syndrome, treatment, rubella, shunts, echocardiogram, ekg, Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, or treatment. See the disclaimer at the bottom of the comments page.

What are pulmonary arteries?

The human body has two major sets of blood vessels that distribute blood from the heart to the body. One set pumps blood from the right heart to the lungs and the other from the left heart to the rest of the body.

• The portion of the circulation that distributes oxygen-rich blood from the left side of the heart, throughout the body, is referred to as the systemic circulation.
  
  
• The blood then returns from the body to the right side of the heart and passes through the lungs to replenish oxygen.
  
  
• It then returns to the left side of the heart for another round through the systemic circulation.
  
  
• The portion of the circulation that distributes the blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs is referred to as the pulmonary (lung) circulation.
  
  
• The pulmonary arteries are the major blood vessels that carry blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs.

The left ventricle of the heart pumps oxygenated blood (blood that has been reloaded with oxygen in the lungs) from the lungs into the systemic circulation. When a doctor or a nurse measures the blood pressure on a person's arm, he/she is measuring the pressures in the systemic circulation. When these pressures are abnormally high, the person is diagnosed as having high blood pressure (hypertension).

What is pulmonary hypertension?

The right ventricle pumps blood returning from the body into the pulmonary arteries to the lungs to receive oxygen. The pressures in the lung arteries (pulmonary arteries) are normally significantly lower than the pressures in the systemic circulation. When pressure in the pulmonary circulation becomes abnormally elevated, it is referred to as pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary artery hypertension, or PAH.

Pulmonary hypertension generally results from constriction, or stiffening, of the pulmonary arteries that supply blood to the lungs. Consequently, it becomes more difficult for the heart to pump blood forward through the lungs. This stress on the heart leads to enlargement of the right heart and eventually fluid can build up in the liver and other tissues, such as the in the legs.

Pulmonary Hypertension - Describe Your Symptoms

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