Medical experts feel that pulmonary hypertension and other unknown diseases impact lives worldwide. Misdiagnosis is too common for people living with Pulmonary Hypertension. On an average, it takes more than 2.5 years for the correct diagnosis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
Dr Subroto Mandal and Dr Parag Sharma addressed a workshop held on the occasion of World Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Day, here on Saturday by lN Medical College.
“If more people knew about the symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension and doctors were more familiar with the warning signs, more people would get treatment sooner and fewer would die,” said Dr Mandal, adding that most people have never heard of pulmonary hypertension, so they are unlikely to take the necessary steps to get diagnosed and ultimately treated.
He further stated that pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening disease, but with certain lifestyle changes many patients continue to lead active and fulfilling lives. PH affects people of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds.
Dr Parag Sharma, MD (Pulmonologist) told, “While it can be difficult to imagine in the days and months following diagnosis, many patients develop strategies to cope with the physical and emotional aspects of living with PH and lead happy, fulfilling lives.”
With a bit of patience, planning, and flexibility, many people affected by PH find ways to work, travel, exercise, and do the things they loved before they were diagnosed, he added.
Notably, PH is a rare, under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed disease that can strike people at any time, affecting newborns to the elderly or anyone in between. PH is caused by high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs that can lead to heart failure, and is often misdiagnosed as asthma, congestive heart disease or chronic bronchitis.