Pericarditis and Its Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Pericarditis is a disease characterized by the inflammation of the pericardium. The pericardium is a very thin layer of tissue covering the heart’s outer surface. Its main job is to make sure that the heart stays in place by preventing it from moving so much when it does its normal functions and when the body moves. The pericardium also safeguards the heart from different infections. It defends the heart from tumors and stops them from spreading. It also prevents the heart from enlarging.

Causes of Pericarditis
The main causes of pericarditis are infections in the body. Kidney infections and other metastic diseases are the most common culprits. Kidney problems would cause toxins in the body to build up because wastes are not properly excreted. People who have had a history of heart attacks are at a higher risk of developing pericarditis. Those with rheumatoid arthritis are also prone to acquiring it. Tuberculosis is another disease that could eventually lead to this disease.

Some medical procedures could also cause pericarditis. Radiation therapies, more particularly the ones used on a patient who has cancer, are the most common examples of the ones coming from this type. Several drugs that are used to cure tuberculosis and hypertension could also trigger it. Examples of these drugs are isoniazid, hydralazine, penicillin, procainamide, and phenytoin.

Symptoms of Pericarditis
Patients suffering from pericarditis experience severe pain in and around their chest area. They also find it difficult to breathe because the pain worsens when the lungs and the heart moves. It is also becomes uncomfortable to lie down because the position makes it hard for the heart to perform its job.

There would also be noticeable fluid accumulation in the body. Swelling will be observable in the legs and the arms. Pericarditis is harmful to the heart because it could compress the heart’s four chambers together. It is then mandatory for patients who experience any recurring pains in their chests to consult their doctor immediately.

Diagnosing Perdicarditis
To accurately detect this disease, doctors first request for a complete medical history from their patient. Doctors would usually focus on the pain felt by the patient, as to when it usually happens and how often. The patient’s other symptoms are also checked and addressed.

And once the doctor has the health background of the patient, he would proceed to perform a full physical examination. The doctor would listen to the patient’s heart and would try to listen for any scratchy sounds that could indicate a pericardial rub. A pericardial rub is the sound produced when the heart muscles rub against an inflamed pericardium.

And to further confirm the disease, doctors would ask the patient to undergo echocardiogram. This medical device will produce an image of the heart with the use of sound waves. Under normal conditions, the pericardium is not detected by an echocardiogram. However, when it is dilated or inflamed, its image will be visible in the test results.

strong>The Treatment for Pericarditis
Pericarditis is not a fatal disease in itself. But if it is left untreated, the complications associated to it may lead to a highly critical health condition. To cure it drugs should be sufficient. The drugs usually prescribed as the ones that can reduce the inflammation. Taking the right dose of aspirin is considered an effective initial therapy. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs are also prescribed. Examples of these drugs are ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen. NSAIDs can also reduce the pains associated to the disease.

If these common drugs don’t help, stronger ones, such as steroids may be given. Doctors usually instruct the patient to take this medicine for a few weeks with its dosage reducing slowly as the therapy progresses. Some patients respond well to this therapy but not so much in some as the disease recurs in them.