«PAH (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension) is a very hard disease to diagnose. The reason is that the symptoms are diffuse and commonly mistaken for symptoms of less serious problems like obesity, astma, etc. Common symptoms for PAH are shortness of breath, dry cough, fatigue, swelling in ankles, etc. As this serious and chronic disease progresses, the life expectancy and quality of life is greatly reduced. The only cure for PAH is a lung transplant. Early diagnosis is in other words crucial.

The most effective way to get patients diagnosed easy, is to raise the awareness and knowledge about the disease among both health care professionals and the general public. This can be achieve by running awareness campaigns. This is why PHA Europe strongly supports and encourages the national associations to run numerous and effective awareness campaigns. This type of work is one of the most important tasks of an association and should be strongly supported by all.

Hall Skaara
Staff member, PHA Europe»