Pleurisy
Pleurisy is
an
inflammation
of the pleura, a serous membrane which envelopes the
lungs and also
lines
the inside of the chest. It may be acute or chronic,
and mild or
severe,
the disease may be limited to one side of the chest or
it may include
both
sides.
This
disease can
attack people
of all ages, from children right through to the very
elderly. Like any
other viral infection, pleurisy can occur in small
epidemics.
The
membranes
that cover
the lung are called pleura. The outer membrane,
known as partial
pleura,
is applied to the inner wall of the thorax, and the
inner membrane,
known
as the viscerall pleura, covers the substance of the
lungs.
There is a
capillary space
between the two membranes which is filled with
fluid. This fluid enables
the lungs to move freely in the chest.
The
parietall
membrane is
reflected from the chest wall to cover the upper
surface of the
diaphragm,
and in the midline, it covers the mediastinum, the
partition which
separates
the two sides of the chest and contains the heart,
great vessels and
other
structures which run through the thorax.
Symptoms
The onset
of
pleurisy is
generally marked by a sharp and stabbing pain, which
may be felt in any
part
of the chest wall or over the diaphragm. Deep
breathing or coughing
increases
the pain. In many cases, the disease begins with a
chill, followed by
congestion
of the pleura and later by fever. The degree of the
fever determines
the
severity of the disease. The inflammation destroys
the tissues and
chokes
the circulation within the tissues. Breathing
becomes difficult due to
the clogging of the circulation, and by pain and
swelling within the
chest.
Later a liquid effusion escapes from the pleura,
filling the open spaces
in the chest cavity until the effect of the
distension becomes
oppressive.
After absorption takes place or after the drainage
of the effusion, the
pressure is lowered, the pain is reduced and the
patient feels
relieved.
It is sometimes dry pleurisy, a form where there is
little or no
effusion
or the effusion may be circumscribed. The effusion
may become
gangrenous,
or become mixed with blood, or be of a dirty brown
color with an
offensive
odor, leading to great suffering.
Causes
Catching a
cold
followed
by congestion and swelling of the pleurall membrane.
It is a disease
that
is not caused by germs. There will be germs of
putrefaction later in
the
ooze of serum from the tissue the disease may be a
complication of
pneumonia,
or pneumonia may be a complication of pleurisy. In a
few cases, the
diseases
may also occur in rheumatic fever, uraemia and other
conditions.
Treatment
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