Pulmonary Artery Hypertension (PAH) is blood pressure in the arteries that go to the lungs. With PAH, you will experience shortness of breath, wheezing, dizziness, nausea, and other kinds of breathing troubles. Apart from medications, here are some lifestyle changes that can help with managing PAH.

1. Reduce your sodium consumption
Sodium causes water retention in the body, and this worsens breathing issues. A lot of people learn to add less salt to the food they cook. However, they forget the amount of salt added in packed foods, snacks, and preserves like pickles. All these are sodium-rich and need to be avoided to help the condition.

2. Check and manage iron levels
Studies prove that the symptoms of PAH worsen when you don’t have enough iron in the body. Iron is needed to carry oxygen-rich RBCs to different body parts. When the lungs are already struggling with a lack of blood flow, a low RBC count will aggravate the condition. One of the very effective lifestyle changes that help with PAH is to increase your iron intake. In case tests show you are anemic, consider taking iron supplements under the supervision of the doctor.

3. Quit smoking
There are no two ways about this. If you have PAH, you have to immediately stop smoking. Smoking harms healthy lungs. When your lungs are already struggling with a lack of oxygen, smoking worsens the symptoms and aggravates the condition.

4. Avoid staying in high altitudes
When you are doing everything to prevent strain on your lungs, you should also check your geographical location. There is less oxygen available in higher altitudes, and even people with healthy lungs struggle with breathing issues when they travel higher up from the sea level. One of the lifestyle changes that help with PAH and have a better quality of life is to not stay in places at higher altitudes and travel down to sea level. You will find a tremendous difference in the extent of symptoms.

5. Get help for mental health issues
Problems like stress, anxiety, and depression are common in people who are trying to handle a condition like PAH. The problem is that these mental health issues make PAH worse by aggravating breathing difficulties. Take help from a mental health counselor and stay relaxed. A relaxed body and mind will handle the condition better.

6. Exercise with caution
If you have been a rigorous workout person, you may need to start working out with caution to prevent putting strain on the lungs.

All these lifestyle changes that help with PAH can be practiced slowly to see results. Do not skip your medications and get in touch with your doctor if you notice newer symptoms or discomforts.