How to Diagnose Pleurisy

Pleurisy is a lung disease which involves the pleura. The pleura is a double membrane which lines the chest cavity and covers both lungs. When this double membrane becomes inflamed, the membrane layers rub against each other. Read on to learn how to diagnose pleurisy.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Know that pleurisy usually begins suddenly with intense, stabbing pain. The person can usually point to an exact location in the chest area. He often describes the pain as feeling like "being stabbed with a butcher knife." The pain gets worse when she moves around.

2. Notice rapid, shallow breathing to diagnose pleurisy. Because the pleura layers rubbing against each other cause such intense pain, it becomes difficult to breathe. With each inhale or exhale, the pain will cause the person to try to catch his breath. Shortness of breath develops quickly in cases of pleurisy.

3. Listen with a stethoscope to the chest. To diagnose pleurisy, you'll hear what some describe as a "squeaky, rubbing sound" or a "friction rub." Of course, a doctor will listen for this sound if pleurisy is suspected.

4. Look for fever and chills to develop when you are trying to diagnose pleurisy. If symptoms advance to this stage, it's definitely time to visit the doctor.

5. Prepare for a dry cough to develop in some cases. Pleurisy can be either "dry" (no fluid build up) or "wet" (fluid build up between the layers of the membrane). If coughing develops, the pain usually intensifies.

6. Check to see if the pain is spreading. In some cases, the pain will radiate out to the shoulders, neck or upper abdominal area. Pain can be experienced in a combination of these areas. Sometimes the pain associated with pleurisy is constant, but it may come and go.

Tips & Warnings

• See your doctor if symptoms of pleurisy linger. Sometimes it will go away on its own, but it can be a sign of serious illness. An X-ray may be required to check for pneumonia or other serious conditions.