Pulmonary hypertension care

Pulmonary hypertension specialists at Ascension Seton deliver care for adults with high blood pressure in their lungs.

Care for pulmonary hypertension in Austin

Pulmonary hypertension specialists at Ascension Seton deliver care for adults with high blood pressure in their lungs.

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Why choose us

When you choose Ascension Seton Heart Specialty Care and Transplant Center for your heart care, your doctor is part of the first Pulmonary Hypertension Association-accredited Center of Comprehensive Care program in Austin, Texas, with integrated specialists, like pulmonologists, cardiologists, and cardiac surgeons, working together to provide personalized care for heart disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Understanding pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), also known as high blood pressure in your lungs, affects children and adults. It can be caused from problems with the blood vessels in the lungs, congenital heart disease, connective tissue disease, liver disease, blood clots to the lungs, and chronic lung diseases. Pulmonary hypertension can cause the arteries in your lungs to narrow, which leads to symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pressure or pain, dizziness, leg swelling, bloating, or lower levels of oxygen in your blood. Specialists at Ascension Seton in Central Texas, specialize in diagnosing and treating pulmonary hypertension.

Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension

Common symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include:

Shortness of breath, when exercising and eventually at rest
Fatigue
Dizziness or fainting
Chest pressure or pain
Swelling in ankles, legs and possibly in abdomen
Bluish color to lips and skin
Racing pulse or heart palpitations

How we diagnose pulmonary hypertension

We start by listening to you, to better understand you and your symptoms. Then, we work with you to create a care plan that’s right for you. The right care starts with the right diagnosis.

Tests to diagnose pulmonary hypertension may include:

A blood test is a lab analysis of things that may be found in your blood. You may have blood tests to keep track of how well you are managing a condition, such as diabetes or high cholesterol. You may also have them for routine checkups or when you are ill.

In this test, the healthcare provider passes a hollow tube through a large tube (catheter) in a vein in the neck, groin or arm. They thread the tube through the right side of the heart and into the pulmonary artery. This is the only test that directly measures the pressure inside the pulmonary arteries.

This is a type of imaging test that uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed pictures of the inside of your chest. These images are better than regular X-rays. They can give more details about injuries or diseases of the chest organs. This test can assess lung tissue and blood flow.

A chest X-ray is a quick, noninvasive imaging test that provides a detailed picture of the inside of your chest, helping your care team detect signs of a heart condition.

It's used to check the heart's function and structures. During the procedure, a transducer (like a microphone) sends out sound waves at a frequency too high to be heard. When the transducer is placed on the chest at certain locations and angles, the sound waves move through the skin and other body tissues to the heart tissues. The waves bounce or "echo" off the heart structures. These sound waves are sent to a computer that can create moving images on the screen of the heart walls and valves.

This test records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias), and can sometimes detect heart muscle damage.

This is a type of nuclear radiology test. A small amount of a radioactive substance is used to help find changes in the arteries leading to the lungs and blood flow within the lungs. This scan can also be used to check lung function.

These are diagnostic tests that help to measure the lungs’ ability to move air into and out of the lungs. The tests are often done with special machines you breathe into.

How we treat pulmonary hypertension

There is no cure for primary pulmonary hypertension. Treatment helps manage symptoms and may include one or more of the following:

Anticoagulants: These are blood thinners used to make the blood less likely to clot and help it flow more freely.
Calcium channel blockers: These help decrease blood pressure and are used on some people if specific testing shows a benefit to use these medicines.
Diuretics: Called water pills, these are used to decrease the amount of fluid in the body. They help reduce swelling and the amount of work the heart has to do.
Vasodilators: These are medicines that work directly to lower the blood pressure in the lungs, which can be given orally or in intravenous form.
Other medications: These may be used to help lower blood pressure in the lungs. They can also help the heart beat stronger and pump more blood.

Some people need supplemental oxygen delivered through nasal prongs or a mask if breathing becomes difficult.

This may be a treatment option for people with severe disease.

You can do certain things that will help you stay as healthy as possible, such as not smoking and exercising.

How to get care

stethoscope

Your primary care doctor or another specialist may refer you to a pulmonary hypertension sub-specialist at the Ascension Seton Heart Specialty Care and Transplant Center. This doctor specializes in heart and lung care. Our pulmonary hypertension sub-specialists can help initiate and manage your therapy if you live nearby or help coordinate your care near your home if you live far away.