One Family’s Pulmonary Hypertension Story: An Inspiring Journey
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare lung disease that refers to an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. These are the arteries that carry deoxygenated blood from a person’s heart to the lungs to pick up oxygen.
Find out more about pulmonary hypertension as explained clearly here.
Unfortunately, PH affects anyone, no matter what age, gender or race. In this article, we meet a family who is fighting pulmonary hypertension together.
Erica Huntzinger, currently a pulmonary hypertension (PH) activist and advocate, remembers when her mother, Susan, began to experience PH symptoms in her mid-30s but went undiagnosed for more than a quarter century. During this period, Susan suffered two respiratory failures, a heart attack, and as many as five emergency room visits a year for shortness of breath.
But why is PH so hard to diagnose? Part of the reason PH has historically been a neglected disease relative to, say, cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, is doubtless due to PH onset often being vague and insidious. In fact, PH is often misdiagnosed as asthma.
Pulmonary Hypertension News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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