Viagra, manufactured by leading pharmaceutical company Pfizer, is well known as the leading treatment available to treat patients suffering with erectile dysfunction. The ability of Viagra to induce an erection in those who cannot achieve one themselves has been well document but the other uses of Viagra, particular its life saving properties, is not so well know.



The case which this article speaks of is that of two year old Oliver Sherwood, a toddler who takes daily doses of Viagra to ensure his continued survival. He suffers from a rare condition, known as pulmonary hypertension which if untreated can cause the pulmonary artery and veins to potentially burst, which could be life threatening.

This child takes four doses of Viagra everyday which helps to open his veins and capillaries and aid blood circulation in the body. Viagra normally increases blood circulation in areas around penis to treat erectile dysfunction in men.

The mother of the child who is a part-time nurse, said, "We joke when we pick up his drugs that it would be Christmas come early for most people. Obviously the dose isn’t high enough to have the effect it would on adults."

She further said, "Viagra is an expensive drug but it’s actually one of the cheapest to treat pulmonary hypertension. We’re just hoping it’ll continue to work as he grows a bit older."

What is pulmonary hypertension?

It is a condition, which causes the rise of blood pressure in arteries of the lungs resulting in straining the heart. It also reduces the oxygen levels in the blood causing breathlessness and exhaustion among patients.

The symptoms of pulmonary hypertension are coughing, breathing problems, constant nose bleeding, dizziness, and chest pain. This condition affects nearly 4000 people in the UK and results in heart failure in most of the cases.

This condition is very rare among children and there are hardly five cases in a year in the UK. The survival rate of these types of children is around five years including the cases such as Oliver, who is two years old and takes one crushed tablet of Viagra making its four 5 ml dosages in a day. The increase in dosage may depend on the doctors who monitor his condition.

A spokesman for NICE said, "Our review of the evidence suggests that Sildenafil is both clinically effective and cost-effective in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension." Sildenafil is the generic name of Viagra.