November 2011 is Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month

Floor Speech

* Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, November is Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month 2011 in the Second Congressional District of South Carolina. Pulmonary Hypertension, PH, is the condition of continuous high blood pressure in the arteries or veins of the lungs which can result in an enlarged heart, causing it to lose its ability to pump. PH symptoms are similar to common respiratory and cardiac ailments and is therefore difficult to properly diagnose. It often leads to life-threatening delays in treatment. Although there is no cure for the disease, there is hope. Unfortunately, the medications can be expensive and invasive, with some patients requiring continuous infusion pumps and oxygen.

* The Pulmonary Hypertension Association, PHA, a patient support charity group, raises funds for research, promotes awareness, and proves educational and emotional support to the estimated 30,000 diagnosed patients in the United States. It has helped to establish 235 patient support groups throughout the nation, including four groups in South Carolina that serve over 150 patients, caregivers and family members across the state.

* On behalf of the Pulmonary Hypertension patients in the Second Congressional District of South Carolina, I would like to bring awareness to their cause by citing November 2011 as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month.

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