You may feel a pleuritic chest pain anywhere in the chest, depending on the site of the inflammation, or problem with the pleura. The pain is made worse by breathing in or by coughing, as this causes the two parts of the inflamed pleura to rub over each other. The pleura is a thin membrane with two layers. One layer lines the inside of the chest wall.
The other layer covers the lungs. Between the two layers of pleura the pleural cavity is a tiny amount of fluid. This helps the lungs and chest wall to move smoothly when you breathe. Give yourself a check-up with a general blood profile, now available in Patient Access. If the inflammation of your pleura is caused by a more serious cause you are likely to have other symptoms. See a doctor if any of the following occur with a pleuritic chest pain:.
The most important thing when diagnosing the cause of a pleuritic pain is for a doctor to talk to you about your symptoms and to examine you. Most of the causes of the more serious causes of pleuritic pain will have other symptoms apart from the pain, as mentioned above. Pleurisy Pleurisy occurs when the pleura — a membrane consisting of a layer of tissue that lines the chest cavity and a layer of tissue that surrounds the lungs — becomes inflamed, causing chest pain. Share on: Facebook Twitter.
Show references Pleural disorders. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed Dec. Ferri FF. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Elsevier; Viral pleuritis. Merck Manual Professional Version. The outcome of pleurisy treatment depends on the seriousness of the underlying disease. If the condition that caused pleurisy is diagnosed and treated early, a full recovery is typical.
You're likely to start by seeing your family doctor. However, when you call to set up your appointment, you might be urged to seek immediate medical care if you are experiencing severe, unexplained chest pain. You may want to bring a family member or friend along, if possible, to help you remember questions to ask and what your doctor said. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
Your doctor will ask additional questions based on your responses, symptoms and needs. Preparing and anticipating questions will help you make the most of your time with the doctor. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.
This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis Your doctor will start by asking about your medical history and doing a physical exam, including examining your chest with a stethoscope. Sometimes the pain is also felt in the shoulder. The pain may be worse when you cough, sneeze or move around, and it may be relieved by taking shallow breaths. Other symptoms can include shortness of breath and a dry cough. Visit your GP if you experience the above symptoms.
Seek immediate medical help if your chest pain is severe, particularly if you also have other symptoms, such as coughing up blood, nausea or sweating. Pleurisy can usually be diagnosed by studying your symptoms. Your GP can listen to your chest to check for the distinctive dry, crunching sound that suggests you may have pleurisy. Further tests may be needed to identify the underlying cause of your pleurisy and to assess how severe it is. These can include:. Most cases are the result of a viral infection such as the flu or a bacterial infection such as pneumonia.
In rarer cases, pleurisy can be caused by conditions such as a blood clot blocking the flow of blood into the lungs pulmonary embolism or lung cancer. Pleurisy can affect people of all ages, but people of 65 years and over are most at risk, because they're more likely to develop a chest infection. Read more about the causes of pleurisy. For example, pleurisy caused by a viral infection will often resolve itself without treatment.
However, pleurisy caused by a bacterial infection is usually treated with antibiotics , and people who are frail or already in poor health may be admitted to hospital. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen , are often used to relieve the chest pain associated with pleurisy.
If excess fluid builds up between the pleural layers, it may be necessary to drain the fluid to prevent breathing difficulties. Read more about treating pleurisy.
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