Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung condition characterized by the abnormal accumulation of surfactant—a substance that normally helps keep the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs open—within the alveolar spaces. This buildup interferes with normal gas exchange, leading…
## What Causes Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)? Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, or LAM for short, is a rare lung disease that mostly affects women, especially during their childbearing years. It’s a condition where abnormal muscle-like cells grow out of control in the lungs, leading to…
Cystic lung disease refers to a group of disorders characterized by the presence of cysts—thin-walled, air-filled spaces—in the lungs. These cysts can vary in size, number, and distribution and may cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, or recurrent…
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung condition that primarily affects newborns, especially those born prematurely or with very low birth weight. It develops as a result of injury to the lungs during a critical period of lung development. To…
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a serious condition where blood clots block or narrow the arteries in the lungs over a long period, causing high blood pressure in these vessels. This leads to strain on the right side of…
Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a condition where the blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs becomes abnormally high without an identifiable cause. This means that despite thorough medical evaluation, doctors cannot…
Pulmonary hypertension is a serious condition where the blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs becomes abnormally high. This increased pressure causes the heart, especially the right side, to work much harder than…
Tricuspid regurgitation, often called tricuspid insufficiency, is a condition where the tricuspid valve in the heart doesn’t close properly. This allows blood to leak backward from the right ventricle into the right atrium each time the heart beats. To understand…
Aortic regurgitation (AR) is a condition where the aortic valve in the heart does not close properly, causing blood to flow backward from the aorta into the left ventricle. Treating this condition depends on its severity, symptoms, and the underlying…
Aortic stenosis is caused primarily by the narrowing of the aortic valve opening, which restricts blood flow from the left ventricle of the heart to the aorta and onward to the rest of the body. This narrowing happens when the…