What should I do if I have pleurisy?

Chest tightness and palpitations may be caused by heart disease, while chest pain with a stabbing sensation is one of the manifestations of pleurisy. Pleurisy is very unfamiliar to people because the incidence of this disease is low, but once it occurs, it may cause serious consequences and make the patient suffer unbearable pain. So, what should you do if you have pleurisy? Here are some treatment methods for you.

The main clinical manifestations of this disease are chest pain, cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and even difficulty breathing. When infectious pleurisy or pleural effusion is secondary to infection, there may be chills and fever. Mild cases may be asymptomatic. Pleurisy caused by different etiologies may be accompanied by clinical manifestations of the corresponding diseases.

1. Antibiotics

Anti-tuberculosis drug therapy is suitable for the treatment of tuberculous (dry or exudative) pleurisy. Isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin are used alternately, with a total course of treatment of 6 to 9 months. Non-tuberculous pleurisy should be treated with appropriate drugs based on the primary disease (such as infection, tumor, etc.). Patients with purulent pleurisy or tuberculous empyema with infection are treated with penicillin.

2. Relieve Pain

Take aspirin, indomethacin, or codeine orally, but the side effects of the drugs are obvious, so pay attention to the dosage when taking the drugs.

3. Thoracentesis

It is suitable for patients with exudative pleurisy with large amounts of pleural effusion, obvious breathing difficulties or effusion that is not absorbed after long-term treatment. The amount of fluid drawn each time should not exceed 1000 ml, 2 to 3 times a week.

4. Hormone therapy

Used in combination with anti-tuberculosis drugs, it has a positive therapeutic effect on eliminating systemic toxic symptoms, promoting absorption of effusion, and preventing pleural thickening and adhesion. Prednisone can be taken orally. When systemic symptoms improve and the effusion is significantly absorbed, the dosage can be gradually reduced and the medication should be used for 4 to 6 weeks.