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Pericarditis is a common post-influenza complication. This disease develops as a result of being attacked by influenza and parainfluenza viruses. The pericardium is a specific sac that surrounds the heart. If there is a viral attack, inflammation can develop in the pericardium. This is how the body reacts to such an invasion. Typically, this ailment is accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath, pain behind the sternum, dry cough. This disease can be mild, leaving no damage to health, but it can also be recognized and diagnosed in a critical condition, which forces an immediate medical response. Pericarditis can be acute, recurrent or chronic.
Pericarditis – what are the causes and symptoms?
Sedemên perîkardîtê should be sought in post-influenza complications and viral attack on the body. If this attack occurs, heart pericardium becomes infected, inflammation occurs. Symptoms cardiac pericarditis they are usually associated with an elevated temperature or fever. Characteristic of this ailment is pain in the area of the sternum, which can be recognized by radiating to the back, neck and shoulders. This pain is especially noticeable in the supine position. Another significant symptom in the case of this disease is a nagging dry cough and associated bouts of shortness of breath. This, in turn, has a direct impact on heart dysfunction. Very often there is also myocarditis – with headache, muscle pain, joint pain, fever, palpitations, chest pain, feeling of weakness, fatigue. Accumulation is also a characteristic symptom of this disease fluid in the pericardial sac and recognizable when listening to the work of the heart – significant sounds, the so-called pericardial friction. Not infrequently pericarditis it is also accompanied by a metabolic imbalance in the body and the associated weight loss, and sometimes even an unwillingness to eat.
How to diagnose pericarditis?
The easiest way to recognize this disease is by performing blood tests. Here, too, the results can guide you to the correct diagnosis. There will be an increased ESR, an increased concentration of C-reactive protein, the number of white blood cells will increase above the norm. pericarditis ECG, X-ray and echocardiography are performed. Both X-ray and echocardiography will show whether pericardial sac there is fluid and will show changes in the morphology of the heart – if any. In addition, thanks to the echocardiogram, abnormalities in the functioning of this organ can be diagnosed. In turn, thanks to computed tomography, density can be assessed fluid in the pericardial sacleading to the determination of the cause of inflammation. If the ailment was caused by a bacterial invasion, the tomography will allow the diagnosis of purulent lesions. In special situations, the doctor orders a biopsy. However, this happens extremely rarely.
How to cure pericarditis?
Teşhîsa pericarditis leads to the selection of appropriate treatment. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are most commonly used. If the inflammation is bacterial, antibiotics are recommended. In the case of an acute course of the disease, colchicine is administered. This substance is also used if there is a recurrence of the disease. When these drugs do not bring the expected effect, the last solution is to prescribe the patient glucocorticoids. If pericarditis is the result of a complication after influenza, then a puncture procedure is performed pericardial sac. This solution is used in the case of significant accumulation of purulent fluid, as well as suspicion of neoplastic lesions.