Aug 25 2008
About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Medical Treatment
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is characterized by a continual increase of blood pressure in the pulmonary artery to over 25 mmHg at rest, while the normal count is around 14 mmHg. In the basic terminology, when someone is having pulmonary arterial hypertension, it means his or her muscles present in the pulmonary artery are becoming tightened up. This, in turn, creates the internal passage of the artery narrower.
While pulmonary arteries are responsible for carrying oxygenated blood from right ventricle in the heart to the small arteries in the lungs, this blood transmission process gets disrupted as a result of becoming narrower. A small clot of blood may create blockage to the passage, and eventually creates life-threatening condition or mortality.
Scope of the Treatment
Thanks to modern science, there are various types of pulmonary arterial hypertension medical treatment available today. These treatments can effectively help in prolonging life. The most common treatment methodologies may involve – medications, oxygen supply and lung transplantation. Depending on the severity of the problem, patients are suggested to under either or in combination of these three pulmonary arterial hypertension medical treatments. Scientists have not yet been successful in finding out the exact cause behind the development of PAH.
Types of Medicines
In the medical treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, there are primarily two types of medicines used. The first one is approved by FDA and this category involves the following types of medicines – Phosphodiesterase Type-5 Inhibitor, Prostanoids, and Endothelin Antagonists. On the other hand, the second category includes the names of the supplementary medicines and here are the names of the types belonging to this category: Anticoagulants, Calcium Channel Blockers, Diuretics and Cardiac Glycoside.
A Brief Overview on Medicines Used
The medicines used in the medical treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension may be associated with adverse side effects, which cause different types of health complications in the patient concerned. Anticoagulants are used to reduce the ability of blood clotting. Since the threat comes from the formation of blood clots in the artery, anticoagulants are used to minimize the risk. However, a persistent intake of medication may pose other health risks such as unusual bleeding, chills and fever.
Calcium channel blockers are used to relax the muscles of blood vessels, while increasing the quantity of oxygenated blood moving into heart. This, quite obviously, allows heart to put less effort in pumping blood throughout the body. Side effects of calcium channel blockers may involve coughing, shortness of breath, swelling in feet, etc. Cardiac glycosides are used to give strength to the heart, while including specific side effects like vomiting, loss of appetite, etc. Unfortunately yet there is no cure for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, medical treatment still exists and the sector has been dramatically improved in recent decades.
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