Pleurisy and pleuritic pain
goodtoknow says: Pleurisy is a painful, but often harmless viral chest infection that you can get when you have a cold or flu. You'll have sharp, stabbing pains in your chest that get worse when you breathe in heavily or cough. Often it's due to a virus and clears within a few days without treatment, although painkillers can help. Other, more serious things can cause pleurisy type chest pains such as pneumonia, a blood clot or a tumour. See your GP, particularly if you become breathless or cough up blood.
For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of pleurisy from patient.co.uk, read on.
Pleurisy is often caused by viral infection. In these cases the pain can be severe, but soon goes. Various other lung disorders can also cause a 'pleuritic pain' (a chest pain which is made worse when you breathe in or cough).
What is the pleura?
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 acts like lubricating oil between the lungs and the chest wall as they move when you breathe.
- Next: What is pleurisy?
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