Pulmonary Venous Hypertension Treatment in India

Pari Williams, a 58-year-old former elementary...

Pari Williams, a 58-year-old former elementary school teacher and avid gardener, had been struggling for over a year. Her once-easy walks with her dog became impossible due to crushing fatigue and breathlessness. Simple tasks like making the bed left her gasping. She developed a persistent dry cough and noticed her ankles were often swollen. After multiple visits to her GP for what was thought to be asthma or anxiety, a persistent feeling of dizziness and near-fainting during a gardening club meeting sent her to the ER. There, an echocardiogram suggested heart strain, leading to a referral to pulmonologist Dr. Chen. Dr. Chen, suspecting Pulmonary Venous Hypertension (PVH), explained that the high blood pressure was in the vessels between her lungs and heart, often linked to left heart disease. He recommended a right heart catheterization, the gold-standard test, to confirm the diagnosis and measure the precise pressures. The procedure, done under mild sedation, was anxiety-inducing but painless. The diagnosis of PVH was confirmed. Post-procedure, Pari began a tailored treatment plan including diuretics to reduce fluid, specific medications to ease her heart's workload, and supervised cardiac rehabilitation. Six months later, while not cured, Pari has regained significant function. She can garden in short bursts, walk her dog around the block, and has re-joined her book club. Emotionally, she moved from frustration and fear of the unknown to a place of determined management. She grieved her old energy but now focuses on celebrating small victories and adapting her passions to her new normal, feeling empowered by understanding her condition.