If you can’t be physically active without feeling short of breath or fatigued, it may be a warning sign of pulmonary hypertension. At LungDocs, pulmonary specialist Rajesh Shetty, MD, offers diagnostic testing services onsite to confirm pulmonary hypertension. Customized treatment plans are also available to lower the blood pressure in your lungs and reduce your risk for serious lung damage. Call the New Braunfels or Kyle, Texas, office to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for symptoms of pulmonary hypertension, or book an appointment online today.
Pulmonary hypertension describes high blood pressure in the arteries in your lungs and the right side of your heart.
Your blood pressure can rise in these arteries because of poor circulation. Your blood may not be able to move efficiently because of cell changes that thicken the vessels and make them stiff.
Risk factors for pulmonary hypertension can include:
The use of certain medications and illegal drugs can also increase the blood pressure in your lungs and contribute to pulmonary hypertension.
Without treatment, blood pressure in the arteries of your lungs can lead to serious complications like arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), bleeding in the lungs, and heart failure.
Typically, pulmonary hypertension symptoms develop gradually and worsen as the disease progresses. You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at LungDocs if you have symptoms of pulmonary hypertension, such as:
LungDocs offers pulmonary function tests and other diagnostic testing services to confirm pulmonary hypertension. While there’s no cure for this type of high blood pressure, the providers customize a treatment plan to prevent your condition from worsening.
Your treatment plan for pulmonary hypertension may include one or more therapies that improve blood flow through your arteries, such as medications and oxygen therapy.
If you have an underlying heart condition that contributes to pulmonary hypertension, you may need additional treatments or a referral to a cardiologist.
The LungDocs providers can also recommend lifestyle and diet changes that improve your heart and lung function. You should get daily exercise, eat a low-fat diet, and maintain a healthy body weight. If you smoke, the providers offer resources to help you quit for good.
If these strategies aren’t working well to ease your symptoms, you may need surgery to improve blood flow and relieve pressure on your heart. In advanced cases, a lung transplant surgery may be necessary to prevent lung failure.
Call the LungDocs office near you to schedule diagnostic testing for symptoms of pulmonary hypertension, or book an appointment online today.