Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a threatening health issue that many people face which makes living a normal life very difficult. The symptoms and causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension are directly interrelated. One needs to be aware of the symptoms of this disease and find out the reason behind it to properly decide on what course of treatment to pursue.

Causes of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
There are two main chambers in the heart that perform the duty of pumping blood and thereby oxygen and carbon dioxide all over the body. The lower chambers are the ventricles and the upper chambers are called the atria. The lower right ventricle pumps the blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs when the blood moves through the heart. The blood picks up oxygen from the lungs in exchange for carbon dioxide and travels with it to the left chambers of the heart. Normally this system faces no problems, but in the case of some people, the arteries taking the blood from the heart to the lungs have high pressure. This condition is called pulmonary arterial hypertension.

There are certain symptoms and causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension that help the researchers to understand the disease better. However, in some cases, the doctors cannot discover any reason why a patient has been diagnosed with it. In some of these cases, the affected person might have a genetic disposition to it, like an ancestor being affected by it before. Other causes include blood clots inside the lungs, heart problems from birth or were previously affected by lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis or chronic bronchitis. A person who has autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or even HIV is more susceptible to getting this condition. Excessive use of some prescription drugs or illegal drugs like cocaine can lead to heart issues. Sleep apnea and liver diseases are some of the other possible causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Symptoms of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
The symptoms and causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension are very hard to diagnose in the initial stages. Sometimes it takes a month or more to catch the disease, with it appearing subtly in the beginning and getting worse with time. The symptoms are as follows:-

• Pressure in the chest

With the increased pressure of blood on the arterial walls, the heart muscles grow weak causing chest pains.

• Difficulty in breathing

One of the main symptoms and causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension is a problem in breathing due to arterial pressure. The systematic to and fro of the oxygen-carrying blood between the lungs and the heart causes breathing. With this condition, the arteries are blocked which makes breathing laborious.

• Fatigue and fainting spells

Due to less oxygen which does not reach the brain properly, the patient feels tired easily and is prone to passing out.

• Skin and lips turning blue

The skins and lips turn blue due to low oxygen levels.

• Swelling of body parts

People get edema or swelling up of feet, legs, and ankles. Kidney malfunctions are also noticed in very advanced cases, resulting in the abdomen looking inflated.

In conclusion, the symptoms and causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension are co-related. Understanding the two can help in treating the patient.