Treatment For Portal Hypertension

If you have portal hypertension, you might think that there are few treatment options. In fact, there are very few portal hypertension treatments available. In most cases portal hypertension treatments are nonexistent. Instead, portal hypertension treatments focus on managing the complications that portal hypertension causes as well as preventing the complications from even occurring. One of the most common problems associated with portal hypertension is bleeding from the varices, and many portal hypertension treatments focus on preventing and managing this complication. Here are some portal hypertension treatments that are available to help manage and prevent complications.

Endoscopic Therapy

Endoscopic therapy is one portal hypertension treatment. For many portal hypertension sufferers who have bleeding of the varices, this is the first line of portal hypertension treatment. Endoscopic therapy usually consists of banding or sclerotherapy. Banding is when a gastroenterologist blocks off the blood vessel that is bleeding with rubber bands. Sclerotherapy is something that is only occasionally used and is done when the banding either does not work or cannot be used. This is when a solution is injected right into the bleeding vessels which causes them to scar and stop bleeding.

Medications

Sometimes medication is a good portal hypertension treatment, though not always. Nonselective beta blockers are sometimes prescribed by themselves or in a combination with the afore mentioned endoscopic therapy. It can help reduce pressure in the varices, which can reduce the risk of re-bleeding. These medicines are also prescribed to prevent an initial variceal bleed. This is when a patient has not yet had a varice bleed but the doctor feels that a bleed is imminent. However, some patients cannot use medicine such as beta blockers for a portal hypertension treatment. Instead, esophageal variceal banding has been used to prevent an initial bleed in patients who cannot take beta blocker medication. Some people who have to take these medicines experience confusion and other mental changes, and hypertension drug treatment with Lactulose can help.

Changes In Lifestyle

Another good portal hypertension treatment is simply changing your lifestyle. For some this might seem like an alternative hypertension treatment and, in a way, it is. Instead of using medicine or other treatment options you can try to use lifestyle changes. Do not use alcohol or street drugs. Talk to your doctor before taking any over the counter medication. Follow the diet guidelines that your doctor gives you. Keep sodium intake at an absolute bare minimum—2 milligrams a day in most cases. If you can do that then you might be able to forgo other more invasive portal hypertension treatments.