Things You Should Know About Pericarditis- Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Pericarditis, also called pericardial disease is inflammation of any layers of the pericardium, which is a thin tissue sac that surrounds the ticker and consists of visceral pericardium (an inner layer that envelopes the entire ticker), a middle fluid layer to prevent friction between the visceral pericardium and parietal pericardium, and parietal pericardium (an outer layer made of fibrous tissue).

Pericarditis Causes:

Infections, heart surgery, heart attack, trauma, tumors, cancer, radiation, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis- are some of the causes of pericarditis. No cause can be found for some people. Pericarditis can be chronic (long-standing) or acute (occurring suddenly).

Symptoms:

When present, pericarditis symptoms may include increased heart rate, low-grade fever and chest pain (the pain is frequently sharp and located in the center of the chest, and may radiate to the neck and shoulders, and occasionally, the arms and back).

Diagnosis:

Your healthcare provider can diagnose pericarditis based on physical exam, cardiac MRI, electrocardiogram results, echocardiogram, reported symptoms. Other tests may also be performed to determine the cause.

Treatment For Pericarditis:

Treatment is based on the cause and may include antibiotics (if pericarditis is due to infection), steroids (used occasionally for severe attacks), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents to decrease inflammation and pain and colchicine (especially if symptoms last for several weeks or occur on a repetitive basis). It should be noted that most patients recover from pericarditis in two to four weeks.

Constrictive Pericarditis- It occurs when the pericardium becomes thickened and scarred, which can make it difficult for the ticker to expand with blood. The symptoms are the same as pericarditis with the addition of shortness of breath, fatigue, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), heart failure (HF) symptoms such as swelling of legs and feet, unexplained weight gain.

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Constrictive Pericarditis:

The same tests used to diagnose pericarditis are used to diagnose this. Echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, MRI, CT scan- are other diagnostic tests used for constrictive pericarditis.

Treatment may include Pericardiectomy (the surgical removal of the stiff pericardium from the heart); diuretics to treat HF symptoms; antiarrhythmics to treat any abnormal heart rhythms like AFib; analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents to treat pain or inflammation.

Get trained in the life-saving CPR procedure and face out-of-hospital cardiac emergencies efficiently. The procedure comprises chest compressions and rescue breaths. Proper application of the procedure can revive the life of a cardiac arrest victim. Select a certified training center for acquiring training, such as the AHA certified CPR Indianapolis. Both theoretical and practical training are imparted to the students. Become certified at the end of the training classes after successfully passing a skills test and written exam.