living with paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea

As well as shortness of breath and tiredness, heart failure can also cause: Untreated pulmonary hypertension can lead to heart failure, which is when your heart muscle is struggling to pump blood around your body. If you are feeling low and want to talk to someone, you can contact Breathing Space. When pulmonary hypertension begins to affect your everyday life, this can have a negative impact on your quality of life and can lead to depression. As your condition progresses, you may find it difficult to carry out even everyday activities. Symptoms can become worse when you exercise, which may limit your ability to take part in physical activities. People with a particular type known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may not experience any symptoms until their condition is already quite advanced. Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include: The course of the disease will depend on how quickly your condition is diagnosed, how advanced your symptoms are, and whether you have an underlying health condition. Now new medicines mean that people may be able to survive much longer. In the 1980s, people lived for an average of less than three years after being diagnosed with PAH. In some cases, this can prevent permanent damage to your pulmonary arteries. If you already have an underlying condition, which is causing your pulmonary hypertension, this should be treated first. It's important that you start treatment as soon as possible to improve your symptoms. Symptoms such as breathlessness can significantly affect your quality of life, as you may be unable to continue with your regular activities. There may be a delay in getting a diagnosis, as the symptoms can be quite general. Pulmonary hypertension is a serious condition that usually gets progressively worse. More about the causes of pulmonary hypertension Outlook One type of pulmonary hypertension, called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is more common in women and affects two to four people in every million each year. Generally, pulmonary hypertension can affect people of almost any age, although some types are more common in young women and some in people aged over 40.

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Pulmonary hypertension may be more common in people with: There are many different types of pulmonary hypertension and some are associated with underlying health conditions, particularly conditions affecting the heart or lungs. If it is not treated, pulmonary hypertension can cause heart failure, which is when the heart muscle struggles to pump enough blood around the body. It is a serious medical condition as it results in damage to the right-hand side of the heart muscle, making the heart muscle less efficient at pumping blood and oxygen around the body. Pulmonary hypertension is high pressure inside the pulmonary arteries, which are the vessels carrying blood from the right-hand side of the heart to the lungs.

Living with paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea