Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is high blood pressure in the arteries (blood vessels) of your lungs. The blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs become hard stiff and narrow.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is high blood pressure in the arteries (blood vessels) of your lungs. The blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs become hard stiff and narrow.
There are many possible causes of PAH. It can be passed down from your parents (inherited). It can also be caused by conditions such as scleroderma, lupus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and birth defects of the heart. PAH can also develop without a reason.
The symptoms for all types of PAH may be similar, and symptoms are usually more severe as the disease progresses. Symptoms of PAH may include:
In advanced stages of pulmonary hypertension, minimal activity may produce some or all of these symptoms. Patients in advanced stages may experience irregular heartbeat, a racing pulse, passing out and difficulty breathing at rest.Sometimes these symptoms mean you have another condition, but sometimes, these symptoms mean you have pulmonary hypertension.
PAH has no cure. However, treatment may help relieve symptoms and slow progression of the disease. Treatment includes medications that relax the blood vessels in your lungs so that more blood can flow through them. It can also include medications that reduce excess cell growth in the blood vessels.
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