Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is blood pressure in the arteries that go from the heart to the lungs. The blood flow across the lungs slows down due to constricted arteries, and the blood pressure rises in people with the condition. This forces the heart to work overtime to pump blood through the lungs, weakening the heart muscles and eventually causing heart failure. This article discusses a few effective treatment options for PAH.

1. Medications
Different medicines can work in different ways. Some help relax the muscles that control the arteries to lower blood pressure, while others enable the lungs and the heart to work better. Medications are the most common treatment options for PAH and can be breathed in or administered as pills, through the skin, or intravenously. Commonly prescribed medications for PAH include the following:

• Vasodilators
  Blood vessel dilators or vasodilators can help open up narrowed or blocked blood vessels. They help improve oxygen and blood flow and relieve symptoms like shortness of breath.
• Calcium channel blockers
  These medications help reduce blood pressure by relaxing the muscles that are responsible for controlling the arteries. Before prescription, a medical expert will analyze how well these medicines work on an individual’s blood vessels with a vasodilator test.
• Digoxin
  This medication is available in the form of a pill, and it makes the heart beat stronger and helps the organ pump more blood. It helps people with arrhythmias if that is what’s causing PAH.
• Diuretics
  Also known as water pills, diuretics can help eliminate excess fluids from the body. This can help the heart and lungs work better, which alleviates PAH symptoms. That said, people on diuretics need to be monitored for dehydration, kidney issues, and low blood pressure.
• Sildenafil (Revatio) and tadalafil (Adcirca)
  These pills work to open up blood vessels and lower blood pressure, allowing the lungs to function more efficiently.
• Warfarin (Coumadin)
  This medicine works like a blood thinner and prevents the buildup of clots that tend to aggravate PAH. On the flip side, they can cause easy bruising and bleeding.

2. Surgery
Surgery is a less commonly prescribed treatment and is only recommended for people who do not find medications effective. Surgical treatments for PAH include the following:

• Atrial septostomy
  This surgical procedure involves a surgeon making an opening between the upper left and right chambers of the heart to lower the pressure on one side. This treatment option for PAH can cause serious side effects.
• Lung or heart transplant
  In people with severe PAH, a doctor may recommend a transplant if medications fail to provide the desired results. It significantly improves patients’ lives, but they  usually need to be on continuous medications to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ if they get a transplant.