What is pulmonary hypertension?
"Pulmonary" means "in the lungs," and "hypertension" means "high blood pressure." Pulmonary hypertension is an increase in blood pressure in the blood vessels that carry blood to the lungs. It is a serious health problem.
Pulmonary arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs. If these arteries narrow or become blocked or damaged, they cannot carry as much blood. This puts strain on your heart because it has to work harder to push blood through your lungs. Pressure builds up in the narrowed arteries. This results in high blood pressure in the right side of your heart and in the blood vessels that carry blood to the lungs.
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff