What is pulmonary hypertension?

Ask the doctor

Q. I was recently diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. How is this condition different from regular high blood pressure?

A. Hypertension — the term doctors use for high blood pressure — normally affects arteries throughout the body. But a relatively uncommon disease affects only the pulmonary arteries, the vessels that transport blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The vessels narrow and thicken, tighten, or develop blood clots. These changes can severely limit blood flow, which boosts pressure in the pulmonary arteries.