People with Pulmonary Hypertension experience a range of symptoms that vary in intensity depending on the severity of their condition, however the most common symptom is
breathlessness:
shortness of breath (dyspnoea) with no obvious cause during exertion or even at rest.
Patients may also experience some of the following symptoms1:
- Excessive fatigue
- Dizziness especially climbing stairs
- Fainting (syncope), weakness upon physical exertion
- Chest pain, especially during physical activity
- Palpitations
- Swollen legs and ankles
- Cough
These symptoms can occur at rest or more frequently during periods of mild exercise, or simply walking around.
As the right heart fails; symptom severity increases:
- Worsening breathlessness
- Worsening Fatigue
- Marked ankle oedema
- Throbbing sensation felt in the neck
- Feeling of fullness in the abdomen (ascites)
- Lips and fingernails may take on a bluish tint (Cyanosis)
Reviewed by Prof. Simon J Gibbs
Last medical update: 05/30/2020
Sources
- “What Is Pulmonary Hypertension? – NHLBI, NIH“. NHLBI. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.