ABOUT PH  
     
  What is PH?  
 
Pulmonary hypertension is a rare blood vessel disorder of the lung in which the pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs) rises above normal levels and may become life threatening.

Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, fatigue, chest pain, dizzy spells and fainting. When pulmonary hypertension occurs in the absence of a known cause, it is referred to as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). This term should not be construed to mean that because it has a single name it is a single disease. There are likely many unknown causes of PPH. PPH is extremely rare, occurring in about two persons per million population per year.

Secondary pulmonary hypertension (SPH) means the cause is known. A common cause of SPH are the breathing disorders emphysema and bronchitis.
 

Other less frequent causes are the inflammatory or collagen vascular diseases such as scleroderma, CREST syndrome or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Congenital heart diseases that cause shunting of extra blood through the lungs like ventricular and atrial septal defects, chronic pulmonary thromboembolism (old blood clots in the pulmonary artery), HIV infection, liver disease and diet drugs like fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine are also causes of pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is frequently misdiagnosed and has often progressed to late stage by the time it is accurately diagnosed. Pulmonary hypertension has been historically chronic and incurable with a poor survival rate. However, new treatments are available which have significantly improved prognosis.

Recent data indicate that the length of survival is continuing to improve, with some patients able to manage the disorder for 15 to 20 years or longer.
 
     
 
Symptoms of Pulmonary Hypertension
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 Chest pain, especially during physical activity
•
 Coughing
•
 Shortness of breath
•
 Edema (swollen legs and ankles)
•
 Fainting
•
 Light-headedness, especially when climbing stairs or upon standing up
 
     
  PH is:  
 
•
 Misunderstood
 
The severity of PH is not recognised by many insurance companies, employers, or others who associate PH with the more common systematic high blood pressure instead of a distinct grave illness.
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Misdiagnosed & Under-diagnosed
 
PH is often misdiagnosed as asthma, congestive heart disease, or chronic bronchitis. PH patients visit an average of three doctors before being correctly diagnosed with PH.
•
Costly
 
PH is expensive to treat.
•
Life-Altering
 
PH affects people in the prime of their lives. The typical profile of a PH patient is a woman in her childbearing years though the illness can affect people of any gender or age.
•
 Chronic
 
An estimated 50% of patients survive five years from diagnosis. There is no cure for PH.
 
     
  Click here for an informative PH brochure