Inflammation of the pleura is a very painful disease in which the so-called pleura of the ribcage has become inflamed. The pleura is a part of the pleura of the chest. Strictly speaking, one speaks of pleuritis when the entire pleura is inflamed. In a broader sense, however, it is often generalized and is also referred to as pleuritis when the pleura is inflamed. The duration of pleurisy can vary; it depends mainly on the severity of the inflammation and the frequently existing accompanying diseases.
Duration of the disease (weeks)
How long the duration of pleurisy is cannot be answered without knowing the cause. The duration depends mainly on the severity of the pleurisy. In general it can be said that it can take up to several weeks until it is completely cured.
Even if there are no symptoms, it is advisable to wait a few days until the body is fully loaded again, as too early loading can lead to a “relapse” and prolong the healing period. For this reason, it is essential to consult a physician before reloading the body. The duration of a mild pleurisy corresponds to about 3 to 7 days.
Often the cause is a viral infection. Since virus infections generally heal “on their own”, no special antiviral medication is usually prescribed – except for very severe cases. In addition to the treatment of the otherwise still existing disease, pain therapy is applied, rest and light, vitamin-rich food is ordered and respiratory gymnastics are performed.
In order to be able to perform breathing exercises, freedom from pain must be given, so that pain therapy initially plays a superordinate role. As light respiratory gymnastics, one can take care to simply breathe deeply every 20 minutes. Special breathing techniques can be learned by the physiotherapist.
The duration of a medium severe pleurisy is about two to three weeks. Often a bacterial infection is the cause. This is treated with antibiotics in the presence of fever.
Here too, the focus is on treatment of the primary disease. In very serious cases, pleurisy can last up to several months and thus take on a chronic course. This can be the case under different circumstances.
For example, if the existing inflammation is not cured sufficiently and the patient is stressed too early, or if there is a serious underlying disease such as cancer. The latter is often treated with strong immunodeficiency drugs, which can additionally delay the healing of pleurisy. Particularly in the case of pleurisy caused by an existing lung cancer, the inflammation can last a very long time.
If a large accumulation of pleural fluid in the pleural gap (pleural effusion) occurs later on, a puncture must be performed during which the fluid is aspirated with a fine needle. The duration of the incapacity to work depends mainly on the type of underlying disease and, of course, on the type of work. It is difficult to make general statements in this regard and the commencement of activities should always be clarified with a physician.
(Heavy) physical activities, such as manual or structural work, must be avoided for up to several weeks. In addition, substances used in construction/trade can irritate the lungs and thus the pleura again. Activities that involve a lot of sitting can be resumed earlier. Sport should be avoided for a while.
