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Pulmonary Hypertension Symptoms
It is difficult to detect PPH in a routine medical examination.
Even when the disease has progressed, the signs and symptoms
of pulmonary hypertension may be confused with other conditions
that affect the heart and the lungs. To determine if a patient
has pulmonary hypertension, a physician may recommend a cardiac
catheterization with, perhaps, angiography. PPH is diagnosed
only after several possible causes of pulmonary hypertension
are excluded; additional tests are usually needed.
Pulmonary hypertension symptoms include shortness of breath
also called dyspnea. This shortness of breath can come about
after little or no physical exertion. Other pulmonary hypertension
symptoms include: fatigue, chest pain and anginal chest pain,
dizziness and fainting spells. PPH is a rare disorder, occurring
in about two persons per million population per year.
Initial pulmonary hypertension symptoms may be very minor,
and diagnosis may be delayed for several years until symptoms
worsen. Typical pulmonary hypertension symptoms may include:
- shortness of breath following exertion
- excessive fatigue
- dizziness, fainting, and weakness
- ankle swelling
- bluish lips and skin
- chest pain
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Diagnosis
PPH is rarely picked up in a routine medical examination.
Even in its later stages, the signs of the disease can
be confused with other conditions affecting the heart
and lungs. Thus, much time can pass between the time the
symptoms of PPH appear and a definite diagnosis is made.
PPH remains a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that
it is diagnosed only after the doctor finds pulmonary
hypertension and excludes or cannot find other reasons
for the hypertension, such as a chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (chronic bronchitis and emphysema), pulmonary
emboli, or some forms of congenital heart disease.
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