Pleurisy Overview
Learn About Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs and chest (the pleura) that leads to chest pain when you take a breath or cough.
Pleuritis; Pleuritic chest pain
Pleurisy may develop when you have lung inflammation due to infection, such as a viral infection, pneumonia, or tuberculosis.
It may also occur with:
- Certain cancers
- Chest trauma
- Blood clot (pulmonary embolus)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus)
The main symptom of pleurisy is pain in the chest. This pain often occurs when you take a deep breath in or out, or cough. Some people feel the pain in the shoulder.
Deep breathing, coughing, and chest movement make the pain worse.
Pleurisy can cause fluid to collect inside the chest. As a result, the following symptoms can occur:
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid breathing
- Pain with deep breaths
Treatment depends on the cause of the pleurisy. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. Surgery or insertion of a tube in the chest may be needed to drain infected fluid from the lungs. Viral infections normally run their course without medicines.
Taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help reduce pain.
Austin Radiological Association
Ronald Hoelscher is a Radiologist in Austin, Texas. Dr. Hoelscher and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pleurisy. His top areas of expertise are Pleural Effusion, Pleurisy, Chronic Cough, and Vertigo. Dr. Hoelscher is currently accepting new patients.
Ipc Healthcare Services Of Texas PLLC
Maryam Ayaz is an Internal Medicine provider in Austin, Texas. Dr. Ayaz and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pleurisy. Her top areas of expertise are Pleurisy, Stroke, Sepsis, Gastrostomy, and Cardiac Ablation.
Singleton Associates PA
Marouane Bouchareb is a Radiologist and an Interventional Radiologist in Austin, Texas. Dr. Bouchareb and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pleurisy. His top areas of expertise are Visceromegaly, Ascites, Cirrhosis, Bone Marrow Aspiration, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Bouchareb is currently accepting new patients.
Recovery depends on the cause of the pleurisy and your general health condition.
Health problems that may develop from pleurisy include:
- Breathing difficulty
- Fluid buildup between chest wall and lung
- Complications from the original illness
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of pleurisy. If you have breathing difficulty or your skin turns blue (cyanosis), seek medical care right away.
Early treatment of bacterial respiratory infections can prevent pleurisy.
Summary: Hypoxemic pneumonia is a major cause of hospitalization in Pulmonology. The patient's dependency on oxygen prevents early discharge from the hospital. An automated oxygen therapy is a system that allows administration of oxygen with a flow that is automatically adjusted to the patient's saturation, which is continuously monitored. This system has proven to be particularly effective with chronic ob...
Summary: Tuberculous pleuritis (TBP) is the most common manifestation of extrapulmonary TB. Its diagnosis is challenging due to the low sensitivity of mycobacterial culture from the pleural fluid and the need for invasive pleural biopsy. Preliminary data has shown the superior sensitivity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell-free DNA (MTB cfDNA) to conventional culture and MTB polymerase chain reaction (PCR)...
Published Date: August 13, 2023
Published By: Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, MHS, Paul F. Harron, Jr. Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Fenster BE, Lee-Chiong TL, Gebhart GF, Matthay RA. Chest pain. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 38.
McCool FD. Diseases of the diaphragm, chest wall, pleura, and mediastinum. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 86.