Pleurisy

What is pleurisy?

• The pleura (PLOOR-ah) are thin layers of tissue that form a two-layered lining around the lungs. One layer of the pleura rests directly on the lungs. The other layer rests on the chest wall. Between these layers, there is a small amount of pleural (PLOO-ral) fluid. This fluid helps your lungs move easily when you breathe.
  
  
• Pleurisy (PLOOR-i-see) happens when the lining of the lungs becomes inflamed (irritated and swollen). This causes the two layers of pleura to rub together when the lungs move during breathing. Sometimes extra fluid collects in the space between the pleural layers. When there is too much fluid between the layers that line the lungs, it is called a pleural effusion (e-FU-zhun). Pleurisy can happen with or without pleural effusion.

What causes pleurisy?

Many different things can cause pleurisy. Infections (in-FECK-shuns) such as pneumonia (noo-MOH-nyah) or tuberculosis (TB) may cause pleurisy. Autoimmune (aw-toh-i-MUN) diseases such as lupus (LOO-pus) or rheumatoid (ROO-ma-toid) arthritis may cause pleurisy. Other causes may include cancer, a chest injury, or other heart and lung problems. Certain problems with other organs in your chest and abdomen (belly), such as pancreatitis (payn-kree-ah-TEYE-tis), may cause pleurisy. Sometimes caregivers cannot tell for sure what is causing your pleurisy.

What are the signs and symptoms of pleurisy?

• The most common sign of pleurisy is chest pain that starts or gets worse when you breathe in. The pain is usually at its worst when you take a deep breath or cough. Moving your upper body a certain way may also worsen the pain. The pain is usually in one area of your chest wall. Sometimes pleurisy pain is felt on one side of your back, shoulder, or neck.
  
  
• Pleurisy pain can range from mild to severe (very bad). The pain may feel sharp, stabbing, burning, or dull. Some people describe the pain as a "catch" or a "stitch" when taking a breath. The pain may be decreased by putting pressure over the painful area of your chest wall with your hand. You may find one comfortable position and not want to move much. You may take smaller breaths in order to decrease your pain. This may cause you to feel short of breath. You may also have other symptoms, such as a cough or fever.

How is pleurisy diagnosed?

Your caregiver may ask you many questions about your signs and symptoms. Tell your caregiver if you have been around any sick people or if you have traveled recently. Your caregiver will examine you and listen to your heart and lungs through a stethoscope (STETH-oh-skohp). With pleurisy, your caregiver may hear a rubbing or squeaking sound in your chest when you breathe. You may need tests such as blood tests, a chest x-ray, or an ultrasound of the chest. Ask your caregiver for more information about any other tests you may need.

How is pleurisy treated?

The treatment you receive may depend on what is causing your pleurisy and how bad your symptoms are. You may need medicines such as antibiotics (an-ti-bi-AH-tiks) if your pleurisy is caused by a bacterial (bak-TEE-ree-al) infection. Steroids and other kinds of medicines may be given to decrease inflammation. You may need medicines for pain. Most of the time, rest and medicine is all that is needed to help your pleurisy get better. If your pleurisy causes too much fluid in the pleural space, you may need to have the fluid removed. This is called a thoracentesis (thohr-ah-sen-TEE-sis). During a thoracentesis, a needle is used to remove fluid from the pleural space. This fluid may be sent to the lab for tests. A thoracentesis may help you breathe easier, and help your caregiver find the best way to treat you.

Risks:

Pleurisy usually gets better without causing any long-term problems. Pleurisy may cause or worsen a lung infection, such as pneumonia. You may get too much fluid in your pleural space. This fluid may get infected or cause trouble with breathing. Sometimes pleurisy causes scarring (permanent damage) of the tissues as it heals. These are called adhesions (ad-HEE-zhuns). Rarely, adhesions can cause permanent (life-long) trouble breathing.

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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