What is high blood pressure in lungs?

Dear Dr. Roach: I recently was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension. I went to Boston and had the CPET (Cardio Pulmonary Exercise Test). Since being on Letairis and learning my exercise limits, I was doing much better. This week, I have had four days of complete exhaustion, was lightheaded and short of breath, andfeltpressureinmychest. The onlyway I can get relief is to lie onmy bed and rest. It has been hot and humid this week, and I’m thinking that could have made my situation worse. Can you give me any information about my illness?— P.C.

Pulmonary artery hypertension, usually just called “pulmonary hypertension,” can have several causes, including severe heart disease, chronic lung disease like COPD or recurrent blood clots in the lung. In most cases we don’t know why people get it.

In regular hypertension, the blood vessels from the heart have too high a pressure, predisposing a person to diseased blood vessels, stroke and heart disease. In pulmonary hypertension, elevated blood pressures are in the arteries of the lungs, which can damage the right side of the heart.

Without treatment, the disease is progressive, but the progression rate varies from one person to another. Ambrisentan (Letairis) is used with tadalafil (Adcirca), as a recent study on the combination showed benefit. Treatment slows progression and improves symptoms, but there is no cure, except a heart/lung transplant, which few are able to get.

Heat and humidity certainly can contribute to it. Even a mild viral infection can be the cause. It also could be something more damaging. People with significant cardiopulmonary diseases should get in touch with their doctor or nurse immediately, because it is impossible todiagnoseseverity without direct contact (and preferably an exam).