Symptoms And Causes Of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Men, you need to keep your blood pressure under control. This means blood pressure meds! Treatment is even more important if you've got pulmonary hypertension. Meds for hypertension mean blood thinners and calcium channel blockers. But men, you need more weapons in your arsenal, like oxygen therapy and CPAP machines. The biggest treatment? The cure for pulmonary hypertension? Many, many men face a lung or heart transplant! So what causes it? What are the symptoms? Find out now.

Sleep Apnea

Men, how well do you sleep at night? If you've got obstructive sleep apnea, chances are the answer is not very well. You'll stop breathing many, many times during the night. Yes, even if you don't notice it! Your throat muscles are relaxing, that's why this happens. Men, this will make your blood pressure increase! Your heart and lungs have to work harder and harder to push oxygen and blood through your body. As your blood pressure climbs, so does your risk of ending up with pulmonary hypertension. So if you've got sleep apnea? Talk to a doctor and get treatment fast!

Gene Mutations And Family History

Men, your genetics and family history play a huge role, a huge role, in if you get pulmonary hypertension or not. They do! If you've got certain gene mutations, your risk is higher. The mutations cause cell overgrowth, triggering vessel narrowing. And everyone knows, narrow vessels means higher blood pressure!

Mutations run in families, but there's more! Men, blood clots run in families too. If you've got relatives with clots, you're more likely to get them too! Clots block blood from flowing normally. They trigger more force, making blood pressure rise. All of this means pulmonary hypertension is a real concern.

High Altitudes

The higher the altitude, the more likely you'll get pulmonary hypertension, men. Watch out when you're hiking! When you climb higher, the air gets thinner. Thin air means there's less oxygen in it. And guess what? Less oxygen in the air means the arteries get smaller. Everyone knows smaller arteries means the lungs have to work hard, so hard, to get limited oxygen throughout the body. You've got to keep breathing, men! You have to! But the lungs working harder means the heart is going to be working hard. This triggers rises in blood pressure! It's clear by now: rising blood pressure means men are at a higher, much higher risk of pulmonary hypertension.

Eisenmenger Syndrome

Men, you can be born at risk of pulmonary hypertension! Don't forget this! It's because of Eisenmenger syndrome, a heart condition. What's this mean? Men, you've got a hole in your heart, between the 2 lower ventricles. The hole compromises the circulation of blood. Not good! Oxygen-rich blood will mix with oxygen-poor blood, returning blood to the lungs. Blood clots are on the rise now, and blood pressure increases. When this happens, men, your risk of pulmonary hypertension skyrockets. It skyrockets! You know what you need to do if you've got this heart condition. Talk to a doctor and stay in regular contact! Treatment is key, so key!

Scleroderma

Scleroderma tightens the skin and connective tissue. Men, you're going to have shiny, shiny skin because it keeps getting tighter! Your movement will be limited too, and your fingers and toes'll turn blue and get very cold. They'll go numb. In many, many cases, scleroderma means your blood vessels are going to tighten, just like your skin! Men, you know what this means. The tight vessels are narrowed as well, and your blood pressure is now on the rise. If it stays high, men, you're going to get pulmonary hypertension. So make a doctor's appointment and get this sorted. Sort it out now!