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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Hypertension
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Hypertension
by Street, Jul 20, 2001 12:00AM
I just have a question about Pulmonary hypertension. I have been having shortness of breath recently with exertion. I know of someone with PPH. I had an echocardiogram and nothing was alarming. Would an echo show if i had PPH? My priamary care indicated that this could be asthma due to wheezing and cough but recommended an echo and a pulmonary doctor who has scheduled me for pulmonary tests for asthma. I will be given a substance to try and induce an asthma attack. Would these tests rule out PPH if i do have a reaction to the substance? i'm 32 years old
Thanks
Thanks
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-CRC, Jul 20, 2001 12:00AM
Dear roger,
There is a saying in medicine that when one hears hoofbeats look for horses first (common things) and not zebras (rare - at least in Boston where most medical sayings originated). Asthma is a horse and primary pulmonary hypertension is a zebra. Sure it could be either asthma or PPH but the first step is to rule out asthma and a lot of other things that could be causing shortness of breath. A echocardiogram can give valuable clues as to the presence of PPH but the gold standard is a right heart cath. The pulmonologist should be able to give you more info about the various tests that can be done to get to the root of your symptoms and hopefully give you some relief.
There is a saying in medicine that when one hears hoofbeats look for horses first (common things) and not zebras (rare - at least in Boston where most medical sayings originated). Asthma is a horse and primary pulmonary hypertension is a zebra. Sure it could be either asthma or PPH but the first step is to rule out asthma and a lot of other things that could be causing shortness of breath. A echocardiogram can give valuable clues as to the presence of PPH but the gold standard is a right heart cath. The pulmonologist should be able to give you more info about the various tests that can be done to get to the root of your symptoms and hopefully give you some relief.
