Symptoms

As PAH progresses, you may notice the symptoms more during daily activities, and they can start to change how and what you normally do. It’s important to remember that everyone experiences PAH differently.

Common symptoms include:

• Feeling short of breath
• Feeling tired or really worn out
• Feeling dizzy
• Chest discomfort or pain
• A heartbeat that feels fast or uneven
• Feeling light-headed or fainting
• Swelling in your legs, belly or both
• Your lips or fingers are turning purple or blue.

Understanding the different levels of PAH

Your specialist doctor might talk about levels or classes of PAH. This is a way for them to see how much the disease affects your daily life. There are four levels that help doctors understand how severe your symptoms are.

• Level 1: You don’t have any symptoms when you do normal daily activities
• Level 2: You feel some symptoms when you do normal activities, and it might be harder to do active things
• Level 3: You might feel symptoms even when doing less than usual. It might also be much harder to be active
• Level 4: You might always feel symptoms, even when you’re resting.

Keep seeing your healthcare team

Because PAH can get worse over time, it’s important to see your healthcare team regularly. They can keep an eye on how you’re doing and help you manage your symptoms. When your doctor talks about treatment options with you, they should explain why they think a certain medication will help. This should include discussing the benefits, risks, and potential side effects.

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