Pulmonary hypertension is a kind of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and heart. It causes one side of the heart to work harder than the other. As a result, it is challenging for the heart to draw blood to the lungs, and the muscle debilitates, causing heart failure. The symptoms of the disease are shortness of breath, racing heartbeat, dizziness, or blacking out. The treatment for this condition aims to help the affected person breathe better and live longer.

The causes and risk factors for pulmonary hypertension include:

1. Family history
If anyone from your family has pulmonary hypertension, especially if your parent, sibling, or children have the disease, it increases the causes/risk factors for pulmonary hypertension.

2. Obesity and sleep apnea
Obesity forces the heart to work harder to draw blood to the lungs for oxygen. However, if obesity is combined with sleep apnea, a condition where the oxygen levels drop while asleep, it becomes one of the causes/risk factors for pulmonary hypertension.

3. Toxins and medications
A few diets and medications, such as methamphetamine, raise pulmonary pressure and could be one of the major causes/risk factors for pulmonary hypertension.

4. Pregnancy
For some women, pregnancy could be one of the causes/risk factors for pulmonary hypertension. Women with pulmonary hypertension should consult their doctors if they plan on having children, as the doctor could check the risk factors and provide precautionary treatments.

5. Altitude
High elevation or high altitude areas could be one of the major causes/risk factors for pulmonary hypertension. This condition can be reversed if the person moves to sea level.

6. Age and gender
Though pulmonary hypertension can strike at any age, it is only found in grown-ups. The most widely recognized causes/risk factors for pulmonary hypertension is being in the age group of 20 and 60 years.

7. Other diseases
Diseases that affect the flow of blood and result in backflow, raise pulmonary venous pressures leading to pulmonary hypertension. Other diseases such as congenital heart disease, liver disease, and tissue disorders are primary causes/risk factors for pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure that occurs particularly in the blood vessels of the lungs. The condition is generally caused due to another condition but, sometimes, it could have no apparent cause. Evaluating the incidence of the different types of pulmonary hypertension is difficult as they are associated with several varied conditions. Primary pulmonary hypertension appears as a major problem due to the risk factors associated with it, such as cardiovascular diseases and valvular abnormalities.

Detecting this condition earlier can help with adequate care. Moreover, it is essential to consult a specialist regularly as the treatment could be different depending on the cause. Pulmonary hypertension is best managed by a team of healthcare workers.