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Question:
I've been diagnosed with mild pulmonary hypertension. How is this treated?
Hello...I had an echo done due to chest x-ray at ER because of possible enlarged heart. Due to severe anemia 4.5, I had transfusions of blood and I am on iron therapy for 3 months now. The symptoms that sent me to ER were racing heart...I could not walk without having to stop and let my heart calm down...I had pitting edema in front of lower legs, but that has been present since my 20's...but I started swelling in feet and ankles. Since treatment, I can walk miles with no fast heart rate, no more swelling even in lower legs..my echo showed moderate mitral regurgitation, mild tricuspid regurgitation, left atrial mildly enlarged, with an RSVP of 37...mild pulmonary hypertension. All valves are normal in size...no stenosis, and no pericardial effusion, no pleural effusion...EF of 55%-60%. Everything else normal. My cardiologist is having me back in 3 months. He did not give me any blood pressure medicine - nothing...just monitoring. Is this normal or even safe with mild pulmonary hypertension? Is it possible I don't have it? And can it be reversed or treated if it is secondary to mitral valve regurg? Been worried sick!
submitted by Teresa from Middletown, Ohio on 11/08/2014
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Roberto Lufschanowski, MD
Do not worry. Your cardiologist is correct. You do not need treatment for pulmonary hypertension.
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Updated November 2014
