Pleurisy

What is pleurisy?

Pleurisy is a type of chest pain you may have when the internal lining of your chest wall, called the pleura, is inflamed. The pleura is the thin, two-layered membrane that covers the lungs as well as the inside of the chest wall. Pleurisy is also called pleuritis.

Sometimes, if you have a lot of inflammation, fluid collects in the pleural space between the lungs and chest wall. This is called pleural effusion.

How does it occur?

Pleurisy is a symptom that occurs with many different diseases. It may happen when:

• The pleura is irritated by an infection, such as a cold, flu, pneumonia, or tuberculosis.
• Your chest wall is injured.
• Part or all of one of your lungs collapses (a pneumothorax).
• You have a blood clot in a lung.
• You have arthritis, heart failure, or cancer.

The most common cause is a viral infection, such as a cold or flu.

You are at greater risk of having pleurisy if you smoke.

What are the symptoms?

Pleurisy causes sudden, sharp chest pain when you breathe (especially when you breathe deeply), or when you cough, sneeze, or laugh. You may feel short of breath because it hurts to breathe.

How is it diagnosed?

Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and give you a physical exam. Using a stethoscope on your chest, your provider will listen for a rubbing sound when you breathe. You may have one or more of these tests:

• chest x-ray
• blood tests
• thoracentesis, which is a procedure for getting and testing a sample of fluid from your lungs, if you have pleural effusion.

You may have to spend some time in the hospital while you are being diagnosed.

How is it treated?

Your health care provider may prescribe:

• medicine for the pain and inflammation, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, narcotics, steroids, or a combination of these medicines
• medicine to inhale to help open the airways so you can breathe more easily
• an antibiotic if you have a bacterial infection
• other medicines or procedures, depending on the cause of the pleurisy.

The treatment that is right for you will depend on what is causing the inflammation. Your health care provider may want you to return for a checkup and another chest x-ray to make sure the problem has been successfully treated.

How long will the effects last?

How long the effects last depends on the cause of the pleurisy. If the inflammation is caused by a viral infection, the symptoms will usually be gone in a week or two.

How can I take care of myself?

It is very important to breathe deeply several times an hour when you have pleurisy. When you don't breathe deeply, the lower parts of your lungs can collapse like a tire with a slow leak. When the lungs collapse, you are more likely to develop pneumonia. For example, a good rule of thumb is to take a couple of deep breaths every time a commercial comes on if you're watching TV. You won't be able to breathe deeply if your pain is very severe, so work with your health care provider to get good pain control.

What can I do to help prevent pleurisy?

Some cases of pleurisy can be prevented by preventing or immediately treating the conditions that cause it, such as colds or flu.