About Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is a condition in which there is high blood pressure in the lungs, requiring the right side of the heart to pump harder than usual. Pulmonary hypertension is a chronic condition which can lead to failure of the right side of your heart if untreated. Because the pressure in the lungs cannot be directly measured, there is often a delay in identifying patients with pulmonary hypertension until they develop symptoms.
Symptoms of Pulmonary Hypertension
Patients with pulmonary hypertension can experience a variety of symptoms. Common symptoms are shortness of breath, particularly with activity, and fatigue. Other symptoms that patients can experience include swelling of the feet and ankles, heart-racing or -pounding, light-headedness or even passing out. Symptoms generally become more severe as the disease progresses.
Causes of Pulmonary Hypertension
High blood pressure in the lungs may be caused by chronic lung disease, blood clots in the lungs, damaged valves on the left side of the heart, a weak left heart, and exposure to toxins, among several other causes. In some instances, high blood pressure in the lungs is due to thickening and narrowing of the blood vessels in the lungs; this condition is called "pulmonary arterial hypertension."
Diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension
The blood pressure in your lungs can be estimated by echocardiogram, or an ultrasound of the heart. A right heart catheterization procedure is the only way to directly measure the blood pressure in your lungs. Once it is determined that pulmonary hypertension is present, it is very important to determine the cause of the high blood pressure in the lungs. The choice of treatment for each patient depends on the cause of his/her pulmonary hypertension.
Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension
Should any of the conditions listed above that can cause pulmonary hypertension be identified, they must first be treated. If there is still high blood pressure in the lungs following treatment of those conditions, then patients are treated with medications designed specifically to lower the blood pressure in the lungs. The medications may come as pills, or breathing treatments, or intravenous infusions.
About the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic
Our Clinic Philosophy
Every patient with pulmonary hypertension is unique in terms of what is causing their pulmonary hypertension, what type of treatment they require for their pulmonary hypertension, and how they respond to treatment. Our clinic is committed to providing each patient with individualized attention and developing personalized treatment plans.
California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center
California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center is supported by one of the best heart hospital/center networks in the USA, offering quality, comprehensive patient-centered cardiovascular care by a team of top heart surgeons and physicians with leading-edge technology. Serving the entire San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco and Marin County, as well as the entire Northern California region, our team has many of the best cardiovascular surgeons and physicians in California and the United States.