Treatment options for pleurisy depend on the underlying cause. Pain relievers are used to treat pain and antibiotics are used for infections. If a virus is the cause, then it is allowed to run its course. Corticosteroids may be prescribed if an autoimmune disorder, like lupus, is the cause. Cough suppressants are not used as coughing is essential to keep lungs inflated and to prevent collapse. Pressure - as from pressing a pillow to the chest or lying on the side experiencing pain - also helps relieve pain.
Pleurisy
Also known as the Devil's fingers, pleurisy is a painful condition that you feel whenever you breathe in or out. Usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection of the pleural membranes, they become inflamed and rub or lose their lubricating capacity. Treatment may consist of anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and even restriction of lungs by binding the outside of the chest to prevent deep breathing and consequent pain.
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Reston Hospital Center answeredSee All 3 AnswersPleurisy is a lung condition where the lining of your lungs and chest cavity are inflamed. The lung and chest cavity lining is called the pleura. Pleurisy causes sharp chest pains when you cough or breathe. It can be caused by a variety of conditions, including infection, cancer, or chest trauma. The condition should be medically assessed and treated as needed. -
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RealAge answeredPleurisy can usually be treated successfully by treating the underlying cause, but there are several possible causes and some are more complex than others. Pleural effusion, for example, is usually caused by heart failure; while the pleurisy can be treated by removing the fluid with a needle or tube, the heart failure itself will need more long-term treatment. Viral pleuritis, usually caused by the coxsackie B virus, will often clear up on its own. Sometimes a treatment may itself have a complication; for example, draining pus or fluid may cause a collapsed lung. Diuretics used to remove excess fluid from the body may cause side effects like hyponatremia (abnormally low sodium). Effects like these generally occur during treatment, while your condition is being monitored closely, and thus can be addressed right away. -
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Reston Hospital Center answeredSee All 2 Answers
The most notable symptom of pleurisy is chest pain that occurs when you breathe, cough, sneeze, or move your chest in other ways. You may also experience shoulder pain, breathing difficulties, fever, chills, unexplained weight loss, and coughing as a result of the condition. Treatment for pleurisy will help relieve these uncomfortable symptoms.
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Reston Hospital Center answeredSome people believe that alternative treatments can help treat pleurisy. Acupuncture and herbal treatments have been suggested as treatments for pain, inflammation, breathing trouble, mucus buildup, and infection. Herbs that some people believe to be effective include pleurisy root, mullein, elecampane, licorice, ribwort, boneset, catnip, feverfew, goldenrod, and echinacea. Chinese herbs, aromatherapy, diet, nutritional supplements, and hydrotherapy have also been suggested as alternative treatments. Homeopathic treatments may include belladonna, arnica, arsenicum, or sulphur. You should talk to your doctor about any alternative pleurisy treatment you are considering.
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Reston Hospital Center answeredPleurisy is not a contagious condition. However, sometimes the condition that leads to pleurisy is contagious. Infections such as influenza, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, which are the main cause of pleurisy, are all contagious conditions. If you come into contact with someone who has pleurisy because of a viral infection, it may be a good idea to limit your physical contact and to wash your hands afterward.
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Reston Hospital Center answeredPleurisy is caused by other medical conditions, most commonly viral infections that can inflame your lungs like pneumonia. Other conditions that can cause pleurisy include bacterial infections like tuberculosis; some cancers (lung cancer, lymphoma, mesothelioma); pulmonary embolism; rheumatic diseases; asbestos-related diseases; chest injury; autoimmune disorders; heart or chest surgery; lung diseases; and inflammatory bowel disease. It is these underlying causes that must be treated to relieve pleurisy.
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Reston Hospital Center answeredSince pleurisy is a complication of other medical conditions, your risk for pleurisy increases if you have any of the conditions that can cause pleurisy. Viral infections like pneumonia, bacterial infections like tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism, cancer, autoimmune disorders, heart surgery or other chest surgery, and lung disease are some of the conditions that can inflame your lungs and cause pleurisy. Treating these possible causes will decrease your risk for pleurisy.
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Reston Hospital Center answered
Pleurisy affects the tissues that line your lungs and chest cavity called the pleura. The pleura cover the outside of the lungs and the inside of the chest wall, and a small amount of fluid between the tissue membranes keeps them from scraping against each other. When the pleura become inflamed from any of the many conditions that may lead to pleurisy, such as tuberculosis or lung cancer, they scrape against each other, which causes the main symptom of the condition, chest pain.
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Reston Hospital Center answered
Yes, you should talk to your doctor about your pleurisy symptoms. You should talk to your doctor not only because the symptoms like persistent chest pain and shortness of breath are uncomfortable, but also because pleurisy is the complication of other medical conditions that can be very serious, such as infection, disease, and cancer. Untreated pleurisy may continue to worsen. If you have trouble breathing or your skin takes on a bluish tone, see a doctor right away.