What are the causes and symptoms of pulmonary hypertension?
While the cause of primary pulmonary hypertension is uncertain, researchers think that in most people who develop the disease, the blood vessels are sensitive to certain factors that cause them to narrow. Diet suppressants, cocaine, and pregnancy are some of the factors that are thought to trigger constriction or narrowing of the pulmonary artery. In about 6–10% of cases, primary pulmonary hypertension is inherited. Secondary pulmonary hypertension can be associated with breathing disorders such as emphysema and bronchitis, or diseases such as scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or congenital heart disease involving heart valves, and pulmonary thromboembolism. Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, general fatigue, dizziness, and fainting. Swelling of the ankles, bluish lips and skin, and chest pain are among other symptoms of the disease. Source: The Gale Group.
