Pulmonary vascular disease is a condition that affects the blood vessels leading to or from the lungs. Most forms of pulmonary vascular disease cause shortness of breath. The definition of pulmonary vascular disease is simple: any condition that affects the blood vessels along the route between the heart and lungs.
Blood travels from the heart, to the lungs, and back to the heart. This process continually refills the blood with oxygen and lets carbon dioxide be exhaled. Any part of the heart-lung blood circuit can become damaged or blocked, leading to pulmonary vascular disease.
Causes of Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Pulmonary vascular disease is divided into several categories:
- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Increased blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries (carrying blood away from the heart to the lungs).
- Pulmonary Venous Hypertension: Increased blood pressure in the pulmonary veins (carrying blood away from the lungs to the heart).
- Pulmonary Embolism: A blood clot breaks off from a deep vein (usually in the leg), travels into the right heart, and is pumped into the lungs.
- Chronic Thromboembolic Disease: In rare cases, a blood clot to the lungs (pulmonary embolism) is never reabsorbed by the body. Instead, a reaction occurs in which multiple small blood vessels in the lungs also develop blood clots.
Symptoms of Pulmonary Vascular Disease
The symptoms of pulmonary vascular disease vary according to several factors:
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension: This most often causes slowly progressive shortness of breath. As the condition worsens, chest pain or fainting (syncope) with exertion can occur.
- Pulmonary embolism: A blood clot to the lungs typically occurs suddenly. Shortness of breath, chest pain (often worse with deep breaths), and a rapid heart rate are common symptoms.
- Pulmonary venous hypertension: This form of pulmonary vascular disease also causes shortness of breath due to the congestive heart failure that’s usually present. Shortness of breath may be worse while lying flat, when blood pressure is uncontrolled, or when extra fluid is present (edema).
Treatment Options for Pulmonary Vascular Disease
There are many different treatments for pulmonary vascular disease. Pulmonary vascular disease is treated according to its cause:
- Pulmonary embolism: Blood clots in the lungs are treated with blood thinners (anticoagulation). Treatments include the medicines betrixaban (BEVYXXA), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, and warfarin (Coumadin) or Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs).
- Chronic thromboembolic disease: Serious cases of thromboembolic disease may be treated with surgery to clear out the pulmonary arteries (thromboendarterectomy). Blood thinners are also used.
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension: Several medicines can lower blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries: These drugs have been best shown to improve idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
- Pulmonary venous hypertension: Because this form of pulmonary vascular disease is usually caused by congestive heart failure, these treatments for heart failure are usually appropriate:
Get Tested and Treated at Michoes Medical Centre
Don’t wait any longer to get tested and treated for pulmonary vascular disease. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced doctors.
Phone: 234-567-8900 | Location: 123 Main St, Kanyum, Uganda
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