What's the typical life expectancy for someone diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension?
The life expectancy for someone with (secondary) pulmonary hypertension is favorable if they get the proper treatment. Pulmonary hypertension develops because a person has some underlying medical problem that somehow effected the blood vessels in the lungs, causing the blood pressure in those vessels to rise. Many lung and heart conditions can lead to this, as can smoking. Since your husband is still smoking and not following the advice of his doctor, you realize he is not helping his condition. I understand that you are angry and frustrated that he doesn't want to take care of himself. My advice:
- Don't nag him. It will not make him want to listen to you. It will shut him down more.
- Really listen to him. Has he ever said why he cannot stop smoking? Has he said the meds make him feel bad or have side effects he doesn't like? Has he discussed any of these problems with his doctor?
- Get help for yourself. You are angry because you think he doesn't care about you enough to take care of himself. Perhaps it would help you to talk with a counselor or join a support group. You need to deal with your feelings, or you may end up getting ill yourself!
In all my experience as a nurse, one thing I do know is that you cannot make anyone do something that they do not want to do themselves. I know that it is hard, and understand that I know how frustrating this must be for you. I don' think your husband even realizes that his is hurting you. I believe he is trying to deal with his illness in his own way, and really doesn't know what to do. So, his defense mechanism is to not do anything at all.
I would also recommend contacting his physician's office to see if they have any further advice on how to deal with this. They may even be able to direct you to a support group in your area that might help you. I wish you luck!
I was hoping to find out the answer to the above question regarding the lifespan of a PPH patient so have posed it again; although a little different circumstances. What is the estimated lifespan of a 29 year old female with primary pulmonary hypertension stage 4 taking flowlan? Thank-you
Life expectancy is a basic concern, so I would like to have seen that part of the question addressed, rather than tossed off. If there is no data on life expectancy, write that. If SPH doesn't necessarily shorten a life--unlike PPH--that would be at least a partial answer. The rest of the answer helps the wife to cope. I came here searching for the same answers about my SPH, so I'll go back to the google indexes.
For Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, The average is three years. We must remember that there is a lot bringing that average down due to not ever knowing they had the disease. My friend died after just six months of diagnoses. so you never know.
I was diagnosed with IPAH as a stage4 case in my early 20's. I lived for a little over 5 years with the disease. Then I needed a lung transplant. I know people who've lived with it for 13 years before they need one, but some people need it sooner.
This was very frustrating. I am so tired of needing real answers and getting the run around. This is too important of a question to be handled this way. The question was "What is the life expectancy of someone with pulmonary hypertension?" I know there are many variables, but those could be discussed in the article. Again, it feels like someone has played a cruel joke on me. No the article was not in any way helpful, and actually it was hurtful. First of all, do no harm!
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5925986_life-expectancy-primary-pulmonary-hypertension.html
here it states untreated the life expectancy is about 3 yrs, treated is 10+ years. there is no exact time frame. as with many sicknesses there are to many variables to give an exact time frame. so the best answer is about 3 years with no treatment.
check out the link i posted, its a short article but i found it helpful.
I see a nurse practisioner, she told me that she did not feel comfortable enough to treat this, so she is referring me to a cardiologist, if she won't treat me; I will see a pulmonologist. Go see the cardiologist first and see what they say. If they can't help, then ask to be referred to a pulmonologist. Okay? Until then, keep your cool.
WITH REGARDS TO HOW LONG YOU HAVE IT CAN RANGE FROM 6 MONTHS TO 3-10 YEARS IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT STAGE YOUR IN WHEN YOU FIND OUT AND HOW BAD THE DAMAGE ALREADY IS. IN MY CASE I WAS ALREADY IN STAGE 3 BY THE TIME I FINALLY FOUND OUT WHAT I HAD BY THAT TIME IT HAD ALREADY INVOLVED BOTH LUNGS AND RIGHT SIDE OF MY HEART. AS FOR TREATMENTS, WELL THEY ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THE DOCTORS COULD THINK OF. ALL IT DID WAS MAKE ME SICK ALL THE TIME, AND REALLY MESS WITH MY QUALITY OF LIVING, SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE QUALITY OR TIME I TRIED TO BALANCE BOTH WHICH WORKED FOR SOMETIME, BUT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO HOW YOU WANT SPEND YOUR TIME. IN MY CASE THE DOCTORS SAID I WOULD NEED A HEART LUNG TRANSPLANT AND IN OCT 2011 I WAS FINALLY PUT ON THE LIST, BUT BY THAT TIME ALL MY OTHER ORGANS, MAINLY MY LIVER WAS DYING I SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL DOCTORS AND THEY SAY ABOUT THE SAME THING THAT NOW I'M IN THE LAST STAGE 4 AND I NEED GET MY FAMILY READY. EVEN BEFORE TALKING TO THE DOCS I ALREADY KNEW I WAS GETTING CLOSE THEY TELL ME I WILL BE LUCKY TO MAKE IT 2012 WELL WE WILL SEE I HAVE 2 SONS AND 3 GRANDCHILDREN AND I HAVE FOUND THAT THEY JUST DO NOT WANT TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I'M NOT GOING TO BE AROUND MUCH LONGER, MY YOUNGEST GRANDSON WHOM I SPEND THE MOST TIME WITH KNOWS I'M SICK, AND HE SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND MORE AND ACCEPT IT MORE THEN ANYONE ELSE, AND HE'S ONLY 7 BUT HE HAS ALREADY LOST 3 GRANDPARENTS AND HE THE ONE WHO TELLS ME IT'S GOING TO BE OK. I THINK THAT'S THE HARDEST PART WHEN YOU KNOW YOU ONLY HAVE A SHORT TIME LEFT KNOWING THAT YOU WON'T BE THERE FOR THEM. I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE SOMEWHERE
