PPH, or primary pulmonary hypertension, is a rare but very serious problem. Lately, there seem to be more people who are presenting to doctors with the symptoms of PPH, and this upward trend in cases is troubling. Another unfortunate issue with this disease is that the most common patient is a woman between twenty and forty years old.
Still, however, only about 500 to 1000 cases of PPH are seen in the United States each year, meaning that the number of people who get this disease remains very small. For those who do develop PPH, however, the prognosis can be quite variable. Some people go on to live good, long lives, and others do not. Much of this depends on the severity of the PPH and also on the length of time the person has had it before he or she is diagnosed with it.
For people who are diagnosed quickly, there are many medications, which are available and can be used to treat the disease. Most of these dilate the blood vessels in the lungs so that they get better oxygen flow to the heart and then to the rest of the body. There are other medications, however, which can also be used to improve functioning.
Some people are put on oxygen or given intravenous medications through the use of a pump, which they must wear. Most people with PPH find that they first notice that they are tired all the time. They think that they are just out of shape, so they do not worry too much about the issue. They try to ignore it. From that point, though, they may become short of breath and as the disease progresses they can have chest pain and have trouble breathing even at rest.
Their daily activities are severely restricted from PPH, and if they wait until that point to seek help it may be too late for medication to help them. Some of these people will need heart and lung or just lung transplants in order to be returned to a normal level of functioning, and some PPH patients will die from the disease.
Despite the rarity of the disease, it is still very unfortunately that the people who do get PPH often face a very uncertain future. PPH affects everyone differently, and it progresses in everyone differently, as well. When people have PPH, they tend to also experience anxiety and depression because of the limitations of their condition.
Author Resource:-
Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma, and Avandia. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com
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