Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a general diagnosis that means you have high blood pressure in your pulmonary arteries. These are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-poor blood from your heart to your lungs.

Pulmonary hypertension has many different causes. It’s usually a complication of heart disease or lung disease. But many other diseases and environmental factors can raise your risk for PH.

Pulmonary hypertension is dangerous because it disrupts the flow of blood through your heart and lungs. High blood pressure in your pulmonary arteries causes these arteries to become narrow. As a result, your heart must work harder to pump oxygen-poor blood to your lungs.

Over time, PH damages your heart and causes problems throughout your body. It can be fatal without treatment.