Cor Pulmonal: which is, causes and treatment
Pulmonary horn is an alteration of the right ventricle due to lung disease The right ventricle is a structure belonging to the cardiovascular system responsible for transporting blood from the heart to the lungs and which, due to lung diseases, mainly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can undergo structural and therefore functional changes.Learn how to identify and treat COPD.
The pulmonary heart can be classified as acute or chronic
Diagnosis is made based on laboratory and imaging symptoms and tests, such as echocardiography, in which real-time cardiac structures are observed, in which case a structural alteration of the right ventricle is visualized.
In the presence of lung disease, it is difficult for blood to pass through the pulmonary veins and arteries, characterizing pulmonary hypertension, causing overload of the heart structures, especially the right ventricle.
Pulmonary hypertension and therefore the pulmonary heart can be caused by:
Additionally, changes in vascularity and increased viscosity of the blood can lead to pulmonary hypertension. Learn more about pulmonary hypertension.
Initially, the lung heart is asymptomatic, but nonspecific symptoms may occur, such as:
Diagnosis is made by evaluating symptoms and tests such as laboratory tests, such as arterial gasometry and blood formula counting, such as electrocardiogram and echocardiogram, which are performed to evaluate in real time the structures of the heart, which can be perceived through which they examine the change in the right ventricle.Understand how the echocardiogram is performed.
In addition, other tests may be prescribed to confirm the diagnosis, such as chest tomography, pulmonary biopsy, and pulmonary venous angiotomography.Look what angiotomography is for.
Treatment of the pulmonary heart is based on the associated lung disease and is generally recommended to improve oxygenation, decrease water retention, control lung disease, and improve right ventricular function.
The community may recommend medications that improve circulation and reduce pressure in the lungs, such as antihypertensives and anticoagulants, for example.In more severe cases, however, a heart or lung transplant may be needed to resolve the lung heart.