Pulmonary Hypertension

Though I am not currently doing a lot of lung surgery personally, Pulmonary Hypertension is one lung-related condition that does affect the heart.  Also referred to as PH, Pulmonary Hypertension is both complex and often misunderstood. It means there is high blood pressure in the lungs.  In this condition the blood vessels of the lungs can become stiff, narrow or damaged. This means that the right side of the heart will have to work harder in order to do its job of pumping blood.

Forms of PH

There are many different forms of PH so it is important that patients consult with a specialist to find the underlying cause of the condition.  Some of the forms of PH include:

  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
  • Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Left Heart Disease
  • Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Lung Disease
  • Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Chronic Blood Clots in the Lungs
  • Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Unknown Causes

All forms of PH are serious because, if left untreated, they can lead to heart failure and ultimately death. PH often is caused because of an underlying disease, so it needs to be treated accordingly.

Symptoms

During the early stages of PH, the symptoms may be mild or even unnoticeable. This can go on for months or even years sometimes. The symptoms will become worse, though, as time progresses.

Symptoms include:

  • Chest Pain or pressure
  • Shortness of breath (dyspnea), starting with exertion, but then eventually even at rest
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness or fainting spells (syncope)
  • Swelling (edema) ankles, legs and eventually in the abdomen (ascites)
  • Bluish color to lips and skin (cyanosis)
  • Racing pulse or heart palpitations

Causes and Risk Factors

  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • Family History of this disease
  • Drugs: illegal Drugs (cocaine in particular) and certain appetite-suppressant medication
  • People Living in High Altitudes
  • Congenital causes:
    • Eisenmenger Syndrome
    • Congenital heart disease
    • Gene mutations
  • Various Conditions and diseases, including by not limited to:
    • Congestive heart failure
    • Blood Clots
    • Scleroderma
    • HIV
    • Liver disease such as cirrhosis
    • Lung disease such as emphysema
    • Pulmonary emboli
    • Pulmonary fibrosis
    • Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension
    • Heart and valve disease
    • Sleep apnea
    • Blood disorders
    • Sarcoidosis
    • Metabolic disorders
    • Tumors pressing the pulmonary arteries
    • Autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Treatment

There are many treatment and therapies available. Some will help alleviate symptoms, improve the quality of life and even slow down the progression of the disease. Other treatments will address the underlying issues. Sometimes the condition calls for surgery to remove clots, but there are also therapies available to deal with the clots if surgery isn’t an option.

Some treatments include:

  • Oxygen Therapy
  • Blood Thinners
  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Medications
  • Inhalers
  • IV Drugs
  • Surgery for clots or other procedures that could include a lung transplant or atrial septostomy

Complications

As though PH was not challenging enough, there are certain complications this disease can cause:

  • Cor Pulmonle (right-sided heart enlargement)
  • Blood Clots
  • Arrhythmia
  • Bleeding

As with any heart-related condition, it is important that this disease not be allowed to run unchecked.

Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer patients used to have to endure very long and complex procedures that were fraught with complications and the need for a very long recovery time.  Today, many patients are able to go home after only a few days in the hospital.  This allows them to recover more quickly and are thus better prepared to receive the often necessary chemotherapy or radiation to help cure them of this challenging disease.

My own mother had lung cancer.  She was 85 years old when she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.  Doctors told my mother that she only had 8-15 months to live.  Minimally invasive lung cancer surgery saved her life and she was able to live many, full and active years after – cancer free!

Gertrude Lederer Singer, Lung Cancer Survivor 

Gertrude Lederer Singer, Lung Cancer Survivor 

Source Material and Further Reading:
https://phassociation.org/patients/aboutph/
https://phassociation.org/types-pulmonary-hypertension-groups/
https://www.webmd.com/lung/pulmonary-arterial-hypertension#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-hypertension/symptoms-causes/syc-20350697