Pulmonary Vascular Disease:

What Is Pulmonary Vascular Disease?

Pulmonary vascular disease is the clinical term for disease influencing the blood vessels prompting or from the lungs. Most types of pulmonary vascular disease cause windedness. The meaning of pulmonary vascular disease is straightforward: any condition that influences the blood vessels along the course between the heart and lungs.

 This interaction constantly tops off the blood with oxygen, and leaves carbon dioxide alone breathed out. Here's the way the cycle works:

  • Oxygen-poor blood gets back from the body's tissues through the veins back to the correct side of the heart.
  • The correct heart siphons oxygen-poor blood through the pulmonary corridors into the lungs. This blood gets loaded up with oxygen.
  • The oxygen-rich blood gets back from the lungs back to one side of the heart. The left heart siphons the oxygen-rich blood into the body through the aorta and numerous different courses.
  • Any piece of the heart-lung blood circuit can get harmed or blocked, prompting pulmonary vascular disease.

Symptoms

The side effects of pulmonary vascular disease differ as per a few components:

  • The suddenness of the interaction influencing the pulmonary blood vessels
  • Which pulmonary blood vessels are influenced?
  • The amount of the pulmonary vascular system is influenced

For instance, an abrupt, huge pulmonary embolism impeding an enormous pulmonary conduit can cause extreme windedness and chest torment. Yet, an exceptionally little pulmonary embolism (hindering just a little blood vessel) may cause no recognizable manifestations.

In spite of the fact that manifestations of pulmonary vascular disease can fluctuate broadly, every one of the reasons for pulmonary vascular disease has a bunch of common side effects. These pulmonary diseases include:

  • Pulmonary blood vessel hypertension
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Pulmonary venous hypertension

Pulmonary Vascular Disease: 

The term pulmonary vascular disease is used for many disorders caused by poor (or abnormal) blood flow between your heart and lungs. As the disease gets worse, it can also affect the rest of your body.

Typically, blood travels from the right side of your heart to the lungs through your pulmonary arteries (pulmonary means “having to do with the lungs”). The arteries then split into smaller vessels and finally into networks of thin vessels called capillaries. Your lung capillaries are where your blood releases carbon dioxide and takes in oxygen. The oxygen-rich blood returns through the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart. From there it is pumped out to your body.

Types 

There are two main types of pulmonary vascular diseases: pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary embolism occurs due to blood clots which block branches of the arteries in the lungs, often following thrombosis in the veins of the leg or elsewhere.

Pulmonary hypertension is caused by high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the lungs. It can damage the right part of the heart making it unable to efficiently circulate blood around the body. It can lead to heart failure and can be fatal.

Causes 

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Increased blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries (carrying blood away from the heart to the lungs). Pulmonary arterial hypertension can be caused by lung disease, autoimmune disease, or heart failure. When there is no apparent cause, it's called idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary Venous Hypertension: Increased blood pressure in the pulmonary veins (carrying blood away from the lungs, to the heart). Pulmonary venous hypertension is most often caused by congestive heart failure. A damaged mitral valve in the heart (mitral stenosis or mitral regurgitation) may contribute to pulmonary venous hypertension.

Pulmonary Embolism: A blood clot breaks off from a deep vein (usually in the leg), travels into the right heart, and is pumped into the lungs. Rarely, the embolism can be a large bubble of air, or ball of fat, rather than a blood clot.

Symptoms 

Pulmonary embolism

People with pulmonary embolism may have no symptoms, or they may experience any of the following:

  • Breathlessness
  • Chest pain
  • Cough
  • Coughing up blood
  • Fever
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Rapid breathing
  • Fainting

Pulmonary hypertension

Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension may include:

  • Breathlessness
  • Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
  • Reduced ability to exercise
  • Chest pain
  • Coughing up blood
  • Hoarseness

Diagnosis

In addition to taking a full medical history, your physician will conduct a variety of tests to diagnose PVD, as well as determine the specific disorder.

These tests can include:

  • CT Scan
  • Echocardiogram
  • Chest X-ray
  • Right Heart Catheterization and Vasodilator Testing
  • Pulmonary Angiogram

Note: Evaluate other residuals following pulmonary embolism under the most appropriate diagnostic code, such as chronic bronchitis (DC 6600) or chronic pleural effusion or fibrosis (DC 6844), but do not combine that evaluation with any of the above evaluations.

Need help with Medical Compensation? If your disability claim is not clearly supported by your medical records along with evidence, your claim can be denied. We have helped thousands of Veterans claim the compensation they deserve.

Get More Info