How to Treat Pulmonary Heart Disease

Lung damage can cause an increase in pressure in the arteries that connect the heart to the lungs. When you have pulmonary heart disease, it is impossible for the heart to get enough oxygen, and the patient begins to feel many symptoms. You may feel shortness of breath. Many patients complain that this symptom becomes worse at night, making sleep difficult. You may also feel weak as your muscles and tissues are not getting enough oxygen. You may also have chest pain that upon exertion. You may also have related chest pain such as Angina because your heart is receiving a supply of reduced oxygen. If your heart is working very hard to pump blood, the ventricles can enlarge. This enlargement makes the heart unable to function properly.

Pulmonary heart disease can be misdiagnosed because patients of both heart disease and pulmonary disease suffer from shortness of breath. It is critical that it be treated as early as possible, because late stages of pulmonary heart disease have a poor survival rate. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with pulmonary heart disease, here are some treatments that are often used.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Supplemental oxygen

1. High blood pressure is controlled with medications.

2. Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. The best thing that you can do for your heart and lungs is to abstain from all use of tobacco. Ask your physician for assistance if you can not quit on your own. Quitting smoking may be extremely difficult for you, but it will improve your quality of life is you can overcome this obstacle.

3. Do not drink alcohol.

4. Supplemental oxygen may help those with shortness of breath.

5. If your condition can tolerate it, try to be active. Some people who have pulmonary heart disease can not exercise at all. Consult with your physician and discuss what activities that you can do safely.

6. It is highly advised that you get plenty of rest. Patients that have pulmonary diseases are frequently fatigued.

7. Monitor your diet and limit your fat intake.

8. Manage your stress. It is easier said than done in our frantic fast-paced world. It is beneficial to learn meditation exercises and yoga.

9. You must realize that you are not alone in your battle with pulmonary heart disease. There are others like you that face the same symptoms that you must deal with on a daily basis. It helps if you can speak with other people that are going through the same thing that you are.

10. Avoid becoming pregnant. Women should understand that they put their own life and that of their unborn child at great risk if they have pulmonary heart disease.

Tips & Warnings

• While this is a difficult disease to treat, you should never give up hope.
• New treatments have increased the chances of survival for many patients.