Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure that affects the lungs and the right side of the heart. The symptoms usually show up slowly and get steadily worse over time. There are several different symptoms of pulmonary hypertension. They can be shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness or fainting spells, and chest pressure or pain. Plus, swelling of the legs and ankles, racing pulse or heart palpitations, and pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. Risk factors include:

1. Family history
This kind of pulmonary hypertension is called heritable pulmonary hypertension. It is caused by a genetic mutation that has been passed down from other family members. Some disorders are genetic that can lead to this type of pulmonary hypertension such as down syndrome and Gaucher disease.

2. Being overweight
Being overweight, which is being obese, can lead to heart disease and problems with lung functions. The level of adiponectin will decrease as a person gains weight. The more weight a person gains the lower the level. These low levels are said to be linked to the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

3. Blood-clotting disorders
Blood-clotting disorders are passed down through family history. Most of the time it is chronic blood clots in the lungs. Blood clots can dissolve some of the time on their own. Other times it takes the use of medications. Blood clots can be anywhere in the body and can break loose and travel to the lungs.

4. Exposure to asbestos
Pulmonary hypertension develops when a person is exposed to asbestos fibers. The asbestos fibers cause the entire pulmonary system to deteriorate. This causes the blood vessels in the lungs to begin to narrow and become progressively resistant to the blood flow of the pulmonary artery. The cardiovascular effects like high blood pressure begin to develop when the blood flow that goes to the lungs starts to decrease.

5. Genetic disorders
Congenital heart disease has two different types of problems. There is VSD, ventricular septal defect, and ASD, atrial septal defect. A ventricular septal defect is when there is a hole in the wall of the heart that separates the lower chambers of the heart. An atrial septal defect is a hole in the wall of the heart that separates the two upper chambers of the heart.

6. Living at high altitudes
This type of pulmonary hypertension is called high altitude pulmonary This type of pulmonary hypertension affects the people that live at the higher altitudes, 2,500 meters (8202 feet) or higher. It affects a part of the people that live at the higher altitudes but not all of them. Therefore, it is thought to be a genetic factor that plays an important part in it.