Pulmonární hypertension.
Pulmonary hypertension signs and symptoms include:
- Blue lips and skin (cyanosis)
- Chest pressure or pain.
- Dizziness or fainting spells (syncope)
- Fast pulse or pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
- Fatigue.
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea), initially while exercising and eventually while at rest.
Symptoms
You may not notice any symptoms for a while. The main one is shortness of breath when you're active. It usually starts slowly and gets worse as time goes on. You may notice that you can't do some of the things you used to without getting winded. Other symptoms include:- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Passing out
- Swelling in your ankles and legs
Getting a Diagnosis
If you have shortness of breath and see your doctor, they will ask you about your medical history. They may also ask you:- Do you smoke?
- Does anyone in your family have heart or lung disease?
- When did your symptoms start?
- What makes your symptoms better or worse?
- Do your symptoms ever go away?
Your doctor may order tests, including:
Echocardiogram: This ultrasound picture of the beating heart can check blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. CT scan: This can show enlarged pulmonary arteries. A CT scan can also spot other problems in the lungs that could cause shortness of breath.- The doctor places a catheter into a large vein, most often the jugular vein in your neck or femoral vein in your leg, and then threads it into the right side of your heart.
- A monitor records the pressures in the right side of the heart and in the pulmonary arteries.
- The doctor may also inject medicines into the catheter to see if the pulmonary arteries are stiff. This is called a vasoreactivity test.
