PH Kids

A place for kids with pulmonary hypertension

Pulmo-what?

Pulmonary hypertension: two big words for talking about a disease that can affect even the smallest people.

Pulmonary is a word that means having to do with the lungs. The lungs are  the organ that provides the rest of your body with the oxygen that it needs to function properly.

Hypertension is a word that means high blood pressure.

Kids with pulmonary hypertension (PH) have unusually small blood vessels that travel from the heart to the lungs, leading to the high pressure seen in the lungs. This means that the heart needs to beat harder to pump blood through the lungs to pick up the oxygen that your body needs. Because the heart has to work harder, it can start to become more tired especially when you are active. As a result, kids with PH may often find themselves out of breath, tired or dizzy.

As doctors and researchers learn more about PH, they’re discovering better medicines and ways of treating it. While there’s no cure yet, many children feel much better once they start taking a medication to fight symptoms of PH. Because of these new treatments, many children of all ages lead pretty normal lives despite their PH. They dance, rollerblade and even slam their bedroom doors!

Explore the PH Kids site!

Being a kid with PH isn’t always easy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! Read about how other kids with PH are making the most of school, sports and hospital visits.

Read about kids with PH

Get tips about school, sports and making hospital visits fun

Discover PH puzzles and activities for kids