Pleurisy

Recently I had developed chest pain during coughing and my doctor said I had pleurisy. What exactly is this disorder?

Many patients present to the ER with complains of chest pain but nothing is ever found. The blood work and x-rays are normal. The patient’s chest is often tender to touch in some cases. In such scenarios, doctors make a diagnosis of pleurisy. In simple terms- pleurisy is inflammation of the lining of the chest wall. It may be caused by a virus but in most cases we have no idea. You may have pain when you cough or take a deep breath. Most people develop pleurisy after a common cold. The good thing is that the condition can be easily treated with ibuprofen and rest. Unfortunately, pleurisy does not disappear immediately and in most cases it may take 7-21 days to resolve. I would highly recommend discontinuation of smoking.