Question 1

what should i do about pleural effusion?

Accepted Answer

Determine cause: Pleural effusions, or fluid build-up around the lungs, is not normal.  Pleural effusions can arise from infection, heart failure, liver failure, malignancies or trauma.  The treatment will depend on the cause.  Your doctor will need to run some tests and may need to sample some of the fluid to characterize it.  If there is a lot of fluid and you are symptomatic, thoracentesis may be required.

Question 2

what are the key symptoms of pleural effusion?

Accepted Answer

Depends: What you feel depends on what is causing the effusion to begin with. An effusion may occur because of cardiac, pulmonary or pleural problems. The main symptom is varying degrees of shortness of breath. How much you are short of breath depends on how good your heart, and lung function was before it happened and the event causing the effusion.

Question 3

which is the best way to treat pleural effusion?

Accepted Answer

Treat the cause: Treat the cause, as in congestive heart failure,  effusions due to cancers could only be managed, if cancers are cured will disappears.

Question 4

what is the cause of pain after a pleural effusion?

Accepted Answer

Inflammation : The potential space between chest wall and lungs has thin lining--- the pleura , chest wall lining  the parietal pleura is very sensitive any inflammation will cause severe pain, effusion is the result of inflammation on the pleura.

Question 5

if a person has a pleural effusion, what does that mean?

Accepted Answer

Fluid around lung: Fluids around the lung can be reactive to many things including pancreatitis, heart or kidney failure, reactive to spread of diseases such as cancer, or infections such as TB or even asbestosis, or frank pus called empyema. It  means the cells there are producing fluid faster than can be resorbed.

Question 6

when a person has a pleural effusion, what is the prognosis?

Accepted Answer

Underlying Cause: There are many disease processes that can cause a pleural effusion. Therefore, the prognosis would ultimately depend on what the cause of the effusion was.

Question 7

pleural effusion is this contagious?

Accepted Answer

Basically no: A pleural effusion is fluid between the chest wall and the lung.  There are many causes of pleural effusions ranging from cancer to infection to inflammatory conditions and many other reasons.  Infections can be contagious, but pleural effusions are not passed on from one person to another.

Question 8

is pleural effusion serious in fetus?

Accepted Answer

Can be.: If fetus has pleural effusion, can affect development of the lungs. If mother has pleural effusion, can affect mom's breathing and getting oxygen to the fetus.

Question 9

is renal dysfunction can cause pleural effusion?

Accepted Answer

Possible...: It is possible for kidney disease to cause a pleural effusion. If fluid builds up in the body due to renal failure, then it is possible for a pleural effusion to develop. There are many treatments, depending on the cause of the renal failure, severity, etc.

Question 10

pleural plaques and pleural effusion, what is this?

Accepted Answer

Thickening and fluid: Pleural effusion is fluid around the lung.  Pleural plaques are thickening of the lining of the lung and chest wall.  Both can be due to numerous reasons including infection, heart failure, exposure to asbestos and cancer.

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What should i do about pleural effusion?

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What is the cause of pain after a pleural effusion?

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If a person has a pleural effusion, what does that mean?

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When a person has a pleural effusion, what is the prognosis?

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Pleural effusion is this contagious?

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Is pleural effusion serious in fetus?

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Is renal dysfunction can cause pleural effusion?

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Pleural plaques and pleural effusion, what is this?

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