TAKING ACTION
Taking action now may help you be more active with family and friends
Be ready to ask about checking for PH.
Because PH can appear at any time, it’s up to you to:
- Ask your doctor about using your current ILD tests to check for PH
- Tell your doctor about any new or worsening symptoms
- Understand that if clinical signs/symptoms and routine tests indicate PH, but the echo shows no PH, your doctor may need to take an additional step to rule out PH
Be vigilant about having your doctor check for PH at every appointment, as PH can appear at any time.
A delay in detecting PH can impact your health, so get started at your very next appointment.
Every appointment is an opportunity to advocate for your health
It’s important to prepare yourself to have a productive discussion about being checked for PH.
Raise questions like these to discuss PH with your doctor:
- Are we checking for PH at this appointment?
- Could my ILD symptoms be PH?
- Can my blood panel include an NT-proBNP or BNP test?
- Does my need for supplemental oxygen mean I should be checked for PH?
- If I need more supplemental oxygen, should I be checked for PH?
- Has my exercise test shown a decline?
- Are there signs of PH in my lung function test results, like DLCO <40%?
- Does my echo show any sign of PH?
- How can we confirm I don’t have PH?
- If I do have PH-ILD, what can be done?
KEEP LEARNING TO HELP GET ALL YOU CAN OUT OF EVERY DAY
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BNP=B-type natriuretic peptide; DLCO=diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide; ILD=interstitial lung disease; NT-proBNP=N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide; PH=pulmonary hypertension.
