The Silent Symptoms
With pulmonary hypertension, you won’t notice the signs right away because of how slowly they develop. It could take years for you to notice any signs or symptoms of this illness and symptoms usually worsen as the disease progresses. Though you may not notice the symptoms at first, here are the usual symptoms of this disease:
- Pain and pressure in your chest
- Shortness of breath
- Blue skin and lips
- Swelling in the ankles, legs and abdomen
Other symptoms that may occur are fainting spells and dizziness, fatigue, pounding heartbeat and a fast pulse.
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How This Could Lead To Drastic Health Changes
There are many future complications that can occur when pulmonary hypertension develops in the body. You can start to see bleeding in your lungs, and begin to cough up blood, which is a life-threatening change that can occur.
You can also experience a change in your heartbeat. With pulmonary hypertension, you can experience irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), which can also be life-threatening. This disease can also cause the risk of blood clots. These blood clots will begin to form in the small arteries of your lungs.
Another drastic health change that can occur is heart failure and right-side heart enlargement. The heart’s right lower chamber becomes enlarged and now has to pump harder than it normally does to move blood through the now blocked or narrowed pulmonary arteries. This then leads to thickening of the walls in the heart and an enlarged right ventricle. These changes cause strain on the heart, which leads to failure.
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What To Do When You Notice The Signs
When you notice that something isn’t right, the first thing you want to do is make notice of your symptoms. Be on the lookout to see if your symptoms are getting better or worsening.
If you notice a drastic change and your symptoms do not get better, seek a medical opinion as soon as possible. The faster you visit a medical professional, the lower the risk becomes of the disease worsening. It’s important to stay on top of your health and listen to your body, it could save your life.