Pericardial effusion is a buildup of fluid in the space around the heart. It can happen for a wide range of reasons, including infections, injuries or other medical conditions. If the buildup is severe or happens quickly, it can compress your heart and cause cardiac tamponade, a life-threatening medical emergency.
If there is only a small amount of extra fluid in your pericardium, you may not need treatment. The extra fluid may go away on its own.
Pericardiocentesis is a procedure done to remove fluid that has built up in the sac around the heart (pericardium). It's done using a needle and small catheter to drain excess fluid. A fibrous sac known as the pericardium surrounds the heart.
This condition can come on quickly, sometimes in less than a week. In chronic cases, it can last for more than 3 months.
Just to be clear, pericardial effusion and/or pericarditis are not the same as congestive heart failure, which people sometimes mistakenly describe as “fluid around the heart.” In congestive heart failure, fluid builds up in the lungs, causing the lungs to be heavy and making it difficult to breathe; in pericardial ...
In heart failure, your heart muscle has dysfunction that might be due to weak contraction or stiffness. This can allow fluid to back up in yout lungs, creating a condition called pulmonary edema. Your body coughs persistently in an effort to eliminate the excess fluid.
Causes of Pericardial Effusion
Certain prescription drugs, such as hydralazine, a medication for high blood pressure; isoniazid, a tuberculosis drug; and phenytoin, a medication for epileptic seizures. Chemotherapy drugs, such as doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. Blockage of the flow of pericardial fluids.
An echocardiogram shows the heart chambers and how well the heart is pumping blood. The test can help determine the amount of fluid between the two layers of the pericardium. An echocardiogram may also show decreased heart function due to pressure on the heart (tamponade).
Lung cancer is the most common cause of malignant pericardial effusion. Trauma: Blunt, penetrating, and iatrogenic injury to the myocardium, aorta, or coronary vessels can lead to the accumulation of blood within the pericardial sac.
If you have pericarditis, the most common symptom is chest pain. This chest pain may: feel sharp or stabbing (however some people have dull, pressure-like chest-pain) be felt on the left-hand side of the chest or behind your breastbone.
Breathing exercises (shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure). Meditation (also shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure). Finding ways to lessen pain when lying down, such as elevating your head and chest using a wedge under your mattress or using an adjustable bed.
Stress cardiomyopathy (CMP) has been described as a complication of post-myocardial infarction pericarditis (Dressler syndrome). Stress CMP can also be complicated by pericarditis. We describe the novel observation where idiopathic pericarditis is the primary disease, which precipitated stress CMP.
If shortness of breath happens when you're clearly not exerting yourself, when you're doing something you normally could do without feeling winded, or comes on suddenly, those are warning signs that a heart issue could potentially be to blame.
The cause of pericarditis is often unknown, though viral infections are a common reason. Pericarditis may occur after a respiratory or digestive system infection. Chronic and recurring pericarditis may be caused by autoimmune disorders such as lupus, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis.
Chronic coughing or wheezing - Fluid congestion (a buildup of fluid in the lungs) is common with heart failure, and is the reason why doctors often refer to it as "congestive heart failure" (CHF). This congestion can make you wheeze and cough. Some people cough up mucous or phlegm.
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
Fluid around the lung (pleural effusion) is a potentially dangerous condition that can masquerade as something less worrisome. What may seem like chest pain or coughing due to a bad cold could actually have serious health ramifications. It's not that rare, either.
What does a congestive heart failure cough sound like? A cough due to congestive heart fluid often sounds “wet.” Healthcare professionals describe a wet cough as one that produces rales, or crackles, when they listen to it with a stethoscope. Crackles sound like rattling or popping.
Your provider may recommend a low-salt diet if you have constrictive pericarditis. Avoid saturated fats, alcohol, and sugars, which can increase inflammation and weaken your immune system.
For mild pericarditis, rest and over-the-counter pain medications — taken as directed by your care provider — may be all that's needed. While you recover, avoid strenuous physical activity and competitive sports. Such activity can trigger pericarditis symptoms.
Pericarditis pain usually occurs behind the breastbone or on the left side of the chest. The pain may: Spread to the left shoulder and neck. Get worse when coughing, lying down or taking a deep breath.
Some experts have suggested maintaining heart rates below 100 beats per minute in patients with pericarditis, and a role has been proposed for using cardiac MRI to monitor disease activity in order to guide the resumption of exercise.
Symptoms of pulmonary edema may include: Coughing up blood or bloody froth. Difficulty breathing when lying down (orthopnea) Feeling of "air hunger" or "drowning" (This feeling is called "paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea" if it causes you to wake up 1 to 2 hours after falling asleep and struggle to catch your breath.)