This week in our most common conditions series, we highlight pulmonary hypertension (PH), which affects more than 215 Healthetreatment members.

This disease, also known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is characterized by high blood pressure in the the pulmonary artery (the tube that connects the lungs and the heart). Raised pressure causes the right heart to become enlarged, which is potentially fatal if left untreated. Most of our members who suffer from this illness are female, at 88 percent.

Most symptoms of pulmonary hypertension were given a rating of 4/5 for severity, with the most common being shortness of breath. Nearly 70 percent of Healthetreatment users experienced this disruption in their breathing. More than half reported suffering from heart palpitations, while others also experienced chest pain, fainting, fatigue and malaise.

Some of the most popular treatments for PH are sildenafil (also known by brand names Viagra or Revatio), bosentan (Tracleer) and warfarin (Coumadin). Other treatments that our members have reported include oxygen supplementation, Remodulin, Lasix, Fiolan and tadalafil.

PAH is the most common form of this heart disease, while the idiopathic (IPAH) and familiar (FPAH) forms are not seen as often. The latter two can be difficult to catch in the early stages, as symptoms may resemble asthma and lead to a misdiagnosis, or the patient may not exhibit any symptoms to diagnose until much later. FPAH is the only form of pulmonary hypertension that is known to be caused by genetics. Other forms can be caused by scleroderma, pulmonary embolisms or blood clots in the lungs.