Ya, that makes sense, that is a sign of water around the heart. Hope that has gone down. Or your on some medication to help that.
But having a pulmonologist will help you with your emphysema. Just so you know with COPD when we do get SOB our heart rat tents to go up, tachycardia is very common with us.
The pulmonologist will be able to define any lung issues that is causing your SOB.
Breathe Ez......
You don't have a pulmonologist? An echocardiogram can't tell what is going on in your lungs. Do you have high blood pressure?
The heart and lungs both work together so one can cause issues with the other. It is usually the other way around the pulmonologist sends you to a cardiologist to have it checked out. That is how it works with me last year.
I have pulmnary hypertension and I also have off the charts high blood pressure in spite of taking 4 bp medications. Did you know that pulmonary hypertension and high blood pressure are two entirely different thing? The blood pressure medication you will be taking will be just for blood pressure and if you take water pills THAT would be for the pulmonary hypertension @A MyCOPDTeam Member
I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension when I was diagnosed with COPD. I was prescribed high blood pressure medication .
Just an FYI tidbit....
Pulmonary HTN can usually be diagnosed with echocardiogram. It is calculated with the velocity/pressure of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) ( tricuspid valve is in the right heart between the the Right Atrium and Right Ventricle.) A TR pressure is normally below 30 mmHg. (some will say 35 mmHg or below)
There are other indicators by Echo tgat can also indicate Pulmonary HTN if the TR velocity cannot be calculated ( flattening of ventricular septum, reduced or absent IVC compression, RV enlargement)