An atypical increase in the blood pressure of the arteries of the lungs is known as pulmonary arterial hypertension. According to D.H. Whitford's article titled, "What is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension," under normal circumstances, the pressure of pulmonary arteries is at an average of 14mmHg. However, if the arterial pressure increases to more than 25mmHg the condition is termed as pulmonary arterial hypertension and has proven to be fatal in some instances, says Whitford.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension happens when the diameter of pulmonary arteries throughout the lungs is contracted to a relatively narrower diameter. The U.S. National Library of Medecine says the blood flowing through the arteries faces a greater frictional value imposed by the arterial walls which in turn increases the pressure in pulmonary arteries.
Factors Affecting Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe disorder of the pulmonary vessels. Moreover, it could be an indication of some other ailment of the human body. A few causes of this augmented pressure in pulmonary arteries are:
- Diseases of heart that affect the outflow of blood from the heart to the body. When blood will not flow out from the heart, then blood in the arteries and veins will try to flow back, exerting force on the walls of the vessels in the lungs and resulting in a state referred to as pulmonary arterial hypertension.
- If the lungs of a person are infected with parasites or any other form of organisms using the human body as a host, the blood vessels in the lungs might get blocked and cause pulmonary arterial hypertension.
- Another cause of arterial hypertension in the lungs may be due to an abnormal growth of tissue inside the blood vessels. This would obviously cause hypertension in pulmonary arteries.
Symptoms of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
The symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension are slow to develop and can easily be overlooked by the patient, confusing them with exhaustion and fatigue from exercise. In their article, "Pulmonary Hypertension" authors Schiffman & Nabili say this can result in a delayed diagnosis of the disorder which consequently endangers the patient. Common symptoms of this disorder include:
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Tightness in chest
- Laziness
- Angina
- Syncope
Treating Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
The treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension differs from the treatment of venous or hypoxic hypertension. If pulmonary arterial hypertension is caused by an underlying cause, then that cause is primarily targeted for treatment rather than focusing on arterial hypertension of the lungs, which in this scenario is a symptom rather than a disorder.
However, if there is no underlying cause to the disorder, then the patient undergoes special therapies and drug treatments. These drugs act by targeting either the walls of the arteries, forcing them to expand or by averting unnecessary development of surplus tissue within the arteries. According to Schiffman & Nabili, these drugs include Prostaglandins, Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and Endothelium antagonists.
Sources
- Schiffman, G., & Nabili, S. T. (n.d.). Pulmonary Hypertension. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from MedicineNet Inc.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine®. (2011, April 14). Pulmonary arterial hypertension. Retrieved April 4, 2011, from Genetics Home.
- Whitford, D. H. (n.d.). What is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension? Retrieved April 4, 2011, from PHA Australia.
Junaid Ali - Junaid Ali got his start in the writing business as an academic writer in the freelance commerce. After realizing that the field was too ...
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