ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Pericarditis

What is Pericarditis?

13:06 - 9 April , 2021

Disease

It consists of the inflammation of an area that covers the heart called the pericardium, which produces a sudden and intense pain in the chest area. Depending on its duration, pericarditis can be classified as acute, chronic, or recurrent, although in most cases, the symptoms do not last too long, and disappear on their own. Pericarditis generally occurs more frequently in young adults between the ages of 20 and 50.

Signs and symptoms Pericarditis

  • Discomfort or sudden and intense pain in the chest.
  • Sensation of tightness in the sternum area that can radiate towards the neck and shoulder.
  • Fever.
  • Coughing up and difficulty breathing.
  • Palpitations.
  • Nausea.
  • Swollen legs.
  • Tiredness and muscle weakness.

Main causes:

Its true cause is not yet known, it is considered the effect of a virus, fungal, or bacterial infection associated with some comorbidity such as:

  • Being HIV carrier or having AIDS. 
  • Having some type of cancer.
  • Tuberculosis.
  • Kidney failure.
  • Autoimmune diseases.
  • Hypothyroidism.
  • History of heart attacks or surgeries.

If you have any of these diseases or experience any symptoms, go to your ABC doctor to assess your health, since, if detected early and with proper treatment, would take less than a month to recover from pericarditis.

Prevention:

If you change your habits and adopt a healthy lifestyle, it is possible to prevent it:

  • Quit smoking.
  • Monitor your glucose level.
  • Exercise daily.
  • Check your blood pressure.
  • Lower your cholesterol.
  • Refrain from eating fatty foods.
  • Avoid alcohol.

Diagnosis and treatment Pericarditis

It is usually not necessary to carry out complementary studies, since the disease usually regresses on its own, and without major complications. However, your ABC doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatories and pain relievers. If the discomfort does not subside, you may have a cardiac ultrasound to check your heart.

At the Cardiovascular Center we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of you through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.

Fuentes: 

  • sociedad española de cardiología
  • fundación mexicana del corazón
  • texasheart.org
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medigraphic.org
  • Adler Y, Charron P, Imazio M, Badano L, Barón-Esquivias G, Bogaert J, et al. 2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. Eur Heart J. 2015;36(42):2921–64. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehv318
  • Imazio M. Acute pericarditis: Treatment and prognosis [Internet]. Uptodate. 2019 [consultado 2021 Enero 26]. Disponible en: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/acute-pericarditis-treatment-and-prognosis
  • Hoit B. Etiology of pericardial disease [Internet]. Uptodate. 2019 [consultado 2021 Enero 26]. Disponible en: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/etiology-of-pericardial-disease
  • Sandoval LDF, Vásquez JMS, Murillo SJA. Abordaje de pericarditis aguda y recurrente. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2020;5(08):1-10.

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.