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Pleurisy - symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
contents
- The pleura
- Causes of inflammation
- Dry or moist form
- symptoms
- Differences symptoms - dry or moist form
- diagnosis
- therapy
- complications
- Help from naturopathy
- Summary
The pleura
The two human lungs are covered with a very thin skin, which is supplied by vessels. The lung pleura (visceral pleura) borders the pleura (pleura parietalis) only through a very thin gap filled with fluid. This covers the chest wall, diaphragm and mid-pelvic space. Both pleura leaves are referred to together as a pleura, or just a pleura.
A pleurisy (pleurisy) requires urgent medical treatment, otherwise severe complications threaten. (Image: pixdesign123 / fotolia.com) Causes of inflammation
The most common is pleurisy resulting from pneumonia. Other causes are post-traumatic type, such as as a result of injury to the ribcage due to rib fractures. Also, thoracic surgery may cause pleurisy. Furthermore, aspiration of fluids or foreign bodies is a possible cause of the development of pleurisy.
Other triggers can be:
- tuberculosis,
- pulmonary infarction,
- lung cancer,
- Tumor of the pleura
- Autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus affecting the pleura,
- Infections caused by fungi or parasites,
- a pancreatitis (pancreatitis),
- Abscesses in the liver or kidneys.
A rarer cause of pleurisy is the presence of a viral infection. A possible cause for this is the Coxsackie B virus, trigger for the so-called Bornholm disease.
Dry or moist form
From the dry form, in which inhaling and exhaling is very painful, often develops the wet form of pleurisy. The wet form is formed by the formation of an inflammatory effusion.
symptoms
Patients suffer from pleurisy in respiratory chest pain. These can sometimes be so pronounced that those affected take a restraint. This causes a spinal curvature and a reduction in respiratory movements on the affected side.
- Other symptoms include:
- a dry cough,
- general malaise,
- fever,
- Pressure in the chest,
- and respiratory distress.
Since the pleurisy usually precedes an underlying disease, the responsible complaints are of course still added. The respiratory distress is greater, the more pronounced the pleural effusion (moist form) is.
Differences symptoms - dry or moist form
In dry pleurisy are piercing chest pain in the foreground. These intensify on inhalation and also on coughing - the affected people breathe mostly very flat. The cough associated with the disease is often a cough without sputum. Known for the dry form is the so-called "Pleurareiben". This noise is due to the rubbing of the pleural layers on each other and is perceived by listening to a stethoscope.
If the dry becomes wet form of the pleurisy, the pleura is no longer heard. Even the massive pain of breathing suddenly ceases. The coughing and breathing then causes no more complaints. This is the fault of the "educated effusion". Now other symptoms occur: a feeling of pressure in the chest and shortness of breath. Maybe those affected feel pain in the shoulder. This can happen when the effusion irritates the phrenic nerve. Other complaints with wet pleurisy include weight gain (due to the effusion) and fever.
diagnosis
First, a detailed history is needed for the diagnosis. This is followed by a physical examination in which, for example, the doctor determines the aforementioned "pleural discoloration" during auscultation. A laboratory examination detects general inflammation levels and pathogens in the blood, in the ultrasound you can visualize fluid in the chest area and an X-ray image shows, for example, if there is pneumonia and if an effusion has formed.
It is important to find out the cause of the pleurisy. These should be treated first. An effusion may be punctured to determine the pathogens by means of the punctate.
Further examination methods are MRI (magnetic resonance tomography), CT (computed tomography) or a biopsy. The latter is mainly carried out in connection with a cancer event.
Inflammation of the pleura (part of the pleura) may cause parts of the lung and pleura to fused together, requiring surgery. (Image: bilderzwerg / fotolia.com) therapy
The treatment of pleurisy depends primarily on the cause. For example, in the presence of bacterial pneumonia, it is treated with a suitable antibiotic. If treatment is given in time, the inflammation usually heals without any problems. In addition to the causal treatment of course, the pleurisy is supplied with appropriate means.
A dry pleurisy, which is often associated with massive pain, requires the administration of painkillers and possibly also cough suppressant preparations. In addition, a pleurisy basically requires rest in any case, in order to be able to cure properly. An effusion can be punctured to facilitate breathing. It may be necessary to use a chest drain to extract the secretion. This drainage can also provide the pleura with an antibiotic or other medicines can be introduced. Enzymes such as Wobenzym also have an anti-inflammatory effect and Bryonia is a proven remedy in homeopathy.
complications
If pleurisy is not treated properly or has not healed, the lung and pleura can grow together. This is referred to as the so-called pleural care. The lungs can then no longer develop properly, breathing is difficult. In an operation, the two leaves are separated again.
In case of pleurisy, accompanied by massive suppurations, surgery can also help.
Help from naturopathy
Even if the pleurisy necessarily belongs in the hands of a doctor, the properly chosen funds from natural medicine can support healing and, above all, improve the general condition.
Especially the anthroposophic medicine has very good resources ready, which can be prescribed in a pleurisy in addition to conventional medical treatment. These are injected or administered orally. What supports the defense of those affected, to cope faster with the inflammation, are high-dose vitamin C infusions. These stimulate the immune system and strengthen the entire organism.
A healthy, vitamin-rich diet completes the whole concept. It is also important that the patients take enough liquid in the form of tea and still water and above all take time for recovery.
A pleurisy manifests itself in ailments such as respiratory dependent pain, dry cough, shortness of breath and fever. If symptoms are present, a doctor should be consulted promptly. (Image: joshya / fotolia.com) Summary
A pleurisy is a condition that must be treated as quickly as possible. In respiratory pain, in combination with dry cough, shortness of breath and fever, you should see a doctor fairly quickly. The right therapy and sufficient bed rest can easily heal the inflammation. However, if not treated in time or the disease is abducted, there are certainly complications that may require surgery. (Sw)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)