Is pericardial effusion hereditary?

Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
Updated on December 19, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pericardial effusion is not hereditary. Pericardial effusion is not a genetic disease, and the causes of pericardial effusion are often acquired factors. For example, tuberculosis infection can cause tuberculous pericarditis, leading to pericardial effusion. Symptoms often include unexplained low-grade fever, cough, and night sweats, with a PPD test often showing a rigid change. Pericardial effusion caused by heart failure often presents with repeated exertional dyspnea, accompanied by limb edema. Cardiac ultrasound often reveals changes in the heart structure, such as cardiac enlargement and reduced cardiac pumping function. Additionally, hypoalbuminemia and tumors can also cause pericardial effusion, but these factors are not related to genetics.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
53sec home-news-image

What should I do if pericardial effusion prevents me from lying down?

If pericardial effusion occurs and the patient cannot lie flat, it indicates that this heart failure has not been timely corrected. The patient should immediately go to the hospital to use medications, especially cardiovascular and diuretic drugs, to improve cardiac function and alleviate the current condition of the patient. Generally, it is still recommended that patients primarily adopt a semi-recumbent position to reduce the load on the heart muscle, thereby improving symptoms. If the patient cannot lie flat, do not force it; a semi-recumbent position will suffice as it makes no significant difference. With aggressive internal medicine treatment, pericardial effusion can be alleviated, and the patient's symptoms will improve. However, during this period, it is still necessary to monitor changes in the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse, and to address any issues promptly.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
45sec home-news-image

Why does pericardial effusion reduce the pulse pressure difference?

Pericardial effusion can result in reduced pulse pressure differences between systolic and diastolic pressures. This occurs because pericardial effusion can compromise the heart's pumping function, leading to decreased myocardial contractility, which in turn may lead to excessive vascular pressure and a decrease in pulse pressure. This is a pathological change caused by pericardial effusion. Currently, in treatment, medication can be chosen to improve patient's cardiac function and thereby increase cardiac output. It is also important to actively treat the pericardial effusion, which may involve pericardiocentesis to drain the fluid and check pressures, as this can also alleviate reduced pulse pressure issues.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
45sec home-news-image

What position should be adopted for difficulty in breathing due to pericardial effusion?

If a patient frequently experiences difficulty in breathing, it is recommended to immediately adopt a sitting position, as this can reduce the load on the heart, thereby alleviating expansion. Currently, for the purpose of treating breathing difficulties, conditions like pericardial effusion are very serious, and puncture aspiration for examination can be chosen as a treatment. For heart failure caused by pericardial effusion, sometimes it is necessary to use some cardiotonic diuretics, thus improving the patient's breathing difficulties. Currently, symptomatic treatment is primarily adopted in therapy, mainly adopting a semi-recumbent position or dangling both legs, which can reduce the heart's afterload, thereby easing the patient's condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
50sec home-news-image

Can pericardial effusion cause chest pain?

Pericardial effusion can cause chest pain because patients with pericardial effusion have limited cardiac diastolic expansion, resulting in a restricted blood volume during the cardiac diastolic phase. This ultimately causes reduced cardiac pumping, leading to symptoms of ischemia and hypoxia, such as chest tightness or chest pain. Furthermore, as the amount of pericardial effusion decreases, for example from moderate or large volumes to a small amount, chest pain symptoms can also occur. This is because when the volume of pericardial effusion significantly reduces, there can often be friction between the visceral and parietal layers of the pericardium, thereby triggering chest pain. This condition is often accompanied by a pericardial friction rub, which can be felt by touching the precordial area.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
57sec home-news-image

Why does pericardial effusion cause difficulty in breathing?

Pericardial effusion primarily manifests as palpitations, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Sometimes, pericardial effusion can exacerbate heart failure. Once heart failure is alleviated, these symptoms can also subside. Currently, it appears that pericardial effusion mainly presents as palpitations, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing, which are related to diet and fatigue, especially after exercise. This increase in myocardial oxygen consumption can lead to heart failure, resulting in difficulty breathing, particularly exertional dyspnea. At this point, it is necessary to provide low-flow oxygen inhalation and improve the patient's cardiopulmonary function, which is also helpful. It is still necessary to actively treat pericardial effusion. The treatment mainly involves diagnostic aspiration of the fluid. If the pericardial effusion is caused by inflammation, it can be treated with antibiotics.