For Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) will continue the tradition of spreading pulmonary hypertension (PH) awareness, resources and activities for everyone to participate in and share throughout November.

This year’s theme, “Live PHearlessly,” showcases empowering and inspiring stories from our community of individuals with PH through quotes and tips on how they “Live PHearlessly” in the face of a PH diagnosis. We encourage the PH community to share these resources and stories with friends, family, media, elected officials and the public so they can learn about living with PH, risk factors, symptoms and diagnosis.

Throughout November, we will focus on various types of PH to raise awareness of this complex and life-threatening disease. Some highlights of the month include:

  • Join us in raising CTEPH awareness on CTEPH Awareness Day on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
  • For our Day of Action, Nov. 15, we encourage the PH community to join our campaign to pass legislation addressing the challenges associated with supplemental oxygen. For more ways to get involved, visit PHA’s Action Center.
  • Check out our toolkit for a customizable press release, social media profile and cover images, infographics, downloadable fact sheets and flyers, and other elements you can use to raise awareness throughout November.
  • On Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. EST, PHA will host the first installment of the two-part webinar series, “Hope Through Research in Pulmonary Hypertension: Emerging Developments.” Simulcast in English and Spanish, this webinar will address developments in PH research and PHA’s investment in the clinical trial process. The second webinar, “Hope Through Research in Pulmonary Hypertension: Clinical Trails,” is Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. EDT. Both webinars were developed in partnership with Fundación Contra la Hipertensión Pulmonar, a pulmonary hypertension organization in Spain.
  • Be sure to check the Live PHearlessly page for inspiring stories and quotes from people with PH sharing how they “Live PHearlessly,” defying the constraints of their diagnosis.

What is pulmonary hypertension?

PH is a progressive lung disease in which patients experience high blood pressure in the lungs. Arteries in the lungs of people with PH can become damaged, narrowed or stiff, putting pressure on the right side of the heart and causing it to work extra hard to push blood through those arteries. This in turn can cause right heart failure and death.

Pulmonary hypertension quick facts

PH affects people of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds. Although anyone can get PH, there are risk factors that make some people more likely to develop the disease.

The symptoms of PH can be mistaken for other diseases. The most common symptoms of PH also can be caused by other more common medical problems, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People who think they may have PH should get a diagnosis from a PH specialist.

Not all PH is the same. There are five groups of PH based on different causes. People with PH can experience shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, heart palpitations or edema (swelling). Common symptoms associated with all types of PH (the numbers below are reported for pulmonary arterial hypertension) include:

Brown LM, et al. Chest. 2011;140(1):19-26

There is no cure for PH but there are treatments that can manage PH and help patients feel better. In the following video, Javier Jimenez, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, shares how pulmonary hypertension can be treated.

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