Is it normal to have pain in the later stages of pleurisy?

Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
Updated on September 04, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pleurisy is very common in clinical settings, caused by various pathogens invading the pleural cavity, leading to an inflammatory response. Most pleurisy patients are mainly afflicted due to infections by the tuberculosis bacillus, thus pleurisy typically comes with varying degrees of effusion, leading to different degrees of adhesion in the pleural cavity. Therefore, even during the acute phase of pleurisy, patients may suffer from symptoms such as coughing, fever, chest pain, breathlessness, and difficulty breathing. Even after effective medicinal treatment of pleurisy and full recovery, patients may still experience varying degrees of chest pain later on, primarily due to various degrees of pleural adhesion. During physical exertion or coughing, this can lead to varying degrees of chest pain, a very common occurrence.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Luo Peng
Thoracic Surgery
35sec home-news-image

Can you exercise with pleurisy?

Whether or not a patient with pleurisy can exercise should be determined based on the individual's specific condition. For mild pleurisy without pleural effusion and severe pain, exercise is permissible. However, if pleural effusion is present, it should be drained or aspirated first, after which exercise can be encouraged. Exercise should be moderate, as it can help absorb the pleural effusion, which is beneficial for the patient. Additionally, if pleurisy causes severe pain, it is best to minimize movement to avoid exacerbating the pain.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
48sec home-news-image

Pleural inflammation CT manifestations

The causes of pleurisy mainly include tuberculous, purulent, bacterial, tumorous, traumatic, and rheumatic types, with the tuberculous type being the most common. Pleurisy is predominantly characterized by pleural effusion, which generally looks similar on a CT scan. CT scans cannot distinguish the cause of pleurisy. A small amount of pleurisy manifests as a minor amount of free effusion, appearing as an arc or crescent of uniform density along the posterior chest wall. As the effusion gradually increases to a moderate or large amount, it can compress lung tissue, leading to compressive atelectasis. In cases of large volume effusion, aside from causing atelectasis, it can also significantly push the mediastinum towards the healthy side.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
57sec home-news-image

The dangers of secondary recurrence of pleurisy

Pleurisy is very common in clinical settings, with most cases caused by the invasion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis into the pleural cavity, leading to inflammatory lesions. Patients generally experience pleurisy symptoms, and if their immune function is weak, some may relapse if not careful. Therefore, for patients recovering from pleurisy, it is essential to strengthen their immune system and pay attention to balancing work and rest, avoiding spicy and irritating foods, which can greatly reduce the possibility of pleurisy recurrence. If pleurisy recurs, the clinical symptoms may worsen compared to the initial infection or may present similarly to the initial symptoms. Generally, if pleurisy recurs, there might be severe complications due to adhesions in the pleural cavity, possibly leading to persistent chest pain symptoms.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
1min 3sec home-news-image

Is it normal to occasionally have chest pain with pleurisy?

Pleurisy is a very common type of disease, with many triggering factors. Most cases of pleurisy are caused by infection of the pleural cavity by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, leading to inflammatory lesions. Once pleurisy is diagnosed, patients should promptly receive anti-tuberculosis medication for effective treatment. It is commonly known that if pleurisy is not controlled promptly and effectively, it may lead to worsening symptoms such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and chest pain, so these clinical symptoms are also very common in patients with pleurisy. Therefore, it is very common for patients with pleurisy to experience chest pain. Even after complete recovery from pleurisy, there may be varying degrees of chest pain, which is considered normal. This is because pleurisy in the acute phase may involve different degrees of adhesions, hence chest pain may occur later on as well.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
51sec home-news-image

Is pleurisy without effusion serious?

Pleurisy is very common clinically and generally occurs in some males. It is mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of the pleural cavity. Some patients with pleurisy may not have obvious effusion, leading to less severe symptoms. Such patients should be treated promptly with anti-tuberculosis drugs, and generally, this does not lead to serious consequences. If pleurisy is not treated effectively with medications, it might lead to a worsening of the condition, causing different amounts of effusion in the pleural cavity. In severe cases, it can cause respiratory difficulty and cyanosis. Therefore, even without effusion, pleurisy can potentially lead to serious consequences and should be treated promptly. Generally, it can be effectively and completely cured under normal circumstances.