“I started to feel that something was not right, I was short of breath, I had palpitations at rest, and one day, going up the steps I fainted,” shared Laura Mora, a 26-year-old girl from Zarcero, Alajuela, who was diagnosed. with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) in 2022.
“I was swimming, I was training because I wanted to compete (…) one day I started to feel drowned, it was harder for me to walk, but I didn’t pay attention to it. Then I started to feel palpitations at rest (…) I took my blood pressure and it was normal. It was weird. What I felt was not normal,” Mora added.
After fainting, they took her to the hospital, but the x-rays did not reveal the cause of her symptoms. Laura’s family took her to a specialist for a second opinion and there she was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension.
Laura was lucky enough to have an early diagnosis, after two months of symptoms, but she is the exception to the rule because for the vast majority it is very different.
When the World Health Organization (WHO) meeting on “primary pulmonary hypertension” was held in Geneva in 1973, this entity was considered an orphan disease and, in the absence of effective medical treatments, its diagnosis constituted a death sentence for most patients.
It is now generally recognized that pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common disorder, affecting around 1% of the world’s population and up to 10% of those over 65 years of age.
Dr. Adriana Valverde, pulmonologist at the Calderón Guardia Hospital in Costa Rica, assured that on average the diagnosis can last almost 3 years.
“Pulmonary hypertension is a disease that is difficult to suspect clinically. It can take an average of 2.8 years to diagnose it,” he stated.
The symptoms of PH are shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain, they are often confused with signs of other less serious diseases, which can lead to inappropriate treatments and a worsening of the patient’s health status.
Early detection through methods such as echocardiogram, pulmonary function tests and imaging studies can mean the difference between life and death.
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a serious disease that affects the blood vessels of the lungs and the heart, it remains a poorly understood condition and often underdiagnosed or diagnosed late, despite its increasing incidence worldwide.
“What we are working on with primary care doctors is that if there is a patient with shortness of breath that is not explained, that is out of proportion or that does not respond quickly to treatment, let the light bulb go on, as we say, and send it to us immediately to the Pulmonology services,” added the specialist.
PH is a condition that can be devastating, not only for those who suffer from it, but also for their families and loved ones. When diagnosed late, treatment options are limited and the chances of survival are partially reduced.
For this reason, it is essential that both health professionals and patients be alert to the initial symptoms and act quickly.
“We are committed to improving public health. Therefore, we urge the medical community and the general public to recognize the importance of early diagnosis to combat the mortality rates associated with this potentially fatal disease,” said Carlo Chaverri, Hospital Franchise Senior Manager, Ferrer.
Within the framework of World Pulmonary Hypertension Day, the Spanish pharmacist Ferrer invites awareness about this condition to educate the population about the symptoms and seek professional help as early as possible.
For more information on Pulmonary Hypertension you can visit the official site https://worldphday.org. Together we can reduce premature deaths related to PH through education, early diagnosis and access to appropriate treatments.
Fountain. Ferrer
