How to Recognize the Symptoms of Pleurisy

The walls of your lungs are covered with a thin tissue. When those tissues swell or become inflamed, that is known as a condition called pleurisy. There are many health related issues that can cause pleurisy, however, pleurisy alone can be treated. The symptoms can be painful and can range from mild to severe. Knowing the symptoms can be helpful for you when talking to your doctor. Here you will learn how to recognize them.

Things You'll Need

• Health Care Provider

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Instructions

How to Recognize the Symptoms of Pleurisy

• 1

  See your doctor if you experience any chest pain or difficulty with your breathing. Chest pain usually comes on very suddenly when associated with pleurisy. There are many health conditions that can cause these same symptoms so it's important to talk to your health care professional if you experience them so they can do what is needed to determine what is causing yours.

• 2

  Visit your doctor if in addition to chest pain, you experience any shoulder or belly pain. There are times when the chest pain you are experiencing due to pleurisy will actually extend to the shoulder or stomach area. These pains should be addressed by your doctor as soon as possible.

• 3

  Report to your doctor any pain or discomfort that is a result of sneezing or coughing. Even if it seems normal, there may be an underlying cause for it. When dealing with pleurisy, the pain that is associated with it tends to become sharp or worsen when the sufferer coughs or sneezes. This sharp pain may be in addition to a consistent pain that sticks around in the chest area. Make sure to let your health care provider know if this applies to you, even if it does not occur every time you sneeze or cough.

• 4

  Go to your doctor is you develop a persistent fever. One of the causes of pleurisy is an infection and a fever is your body's way of trying to fight it off. Be prepared to tell your doctor when the fever started and what the temperature has been. If your fever is high and your physician is unavailable, go to the nearest emergency room.

• 5

  Tell your doctor about any muscle aches or headaches you experience. Both are a sign of infection and can be caused by pleurisy. Especially notice if these aches are accompanied by any pain in the chest, shoulder or stomach area as these are also the symptoms you may experience if you develop pleurisy.