Have you ever had a sudden, stabbing pain in your chest or stomach? Or has your little one suddenly started crying and clutching their stomach? It's normal to feel anxious when these kinds of sudden pains come on. Today we're going to talk about a condition that has similar symptoms, but we may not have heard much about. That's pleurodynia.
What is Pleurodynia? Simply put...
Simply put, pleurodynia is a side effect of a viral infection that affects our muscles. It causes a sharp, stabbing pain in the muscles of your chest or abdomen. This pain can come in waves or come in the form of sudden muscle spasms. This pain usually lasts for about 15 to 30 minutes.
Surprisingly, in young children, this condition mostly affects the abdominal muscles, meaning they may experience abdominal pain. However, in adults, chest pain is the most common symptom.
It is also known by other names. Some people call it Bornholm's disease . To be more specific, people in the past also called it "devil's grip" or "grip of the phantom". This is probably because the pain can be so severe. The word "pleurodynia" comes from the Greek words "pleuro" meaning "side" and "dynia" meaning "pain". It means something like "pain in the side".
How is this different from pleurisy?
Now you might be wondering, when we talk about chest pain, there is another disease called pleurisy, are these two the same? No, these are two completely different conditions.
Consider, in pleurodynia, the pain is caused by inflammation in the muscles in your chest, or the muscles between your ribs (intercostal muscles), or your diaphragm.
However, in pleurisy, the lining around your lungs (pleurae) becomes inflamed. Then, the pain comes when those linings rub together. So the source of the pain in these two cases is different. Do you understand?
What are the main symptoms of this?
A person with pleurodynia will typically feel a sharp, stabbing pain in the chest or abdomen. This may start suddenly and last for 15 to 30 minutes. When this pain occurs,
- Your heart may beat faster .
- You can also sweat a lot .
- If you press on the painful area with your hand, you may feel a muscle ache .
In addition to these main symptoms, some people may also experience several other symptoms:
- You may get a fever .
- You may feel very tired and fatigued .
- You may get a headache .
- You may get a sore throat .
The most important thing is that these symptoms start suddenly. Also, you can live normally when there is no pain. But it is difficult when the pain comes back.
Why does pleurodynia occur? What is the cause?
As we mentioned earlier, the main cause of this is a viral infection. This virus causes inflammation in the muscles in your chest or diaphragm. This means that the muscles become swollen, red, and painful.
The virus responsible for this is often the Coxsackie B virus. This is the most common cause. In addition, Coxsackie A virus and some types of Echoviruses can also cause this condition. These are viruses that are commonly found in our environment and can sometimes enter our bodies without us knowing.
Is this a contagious disease? How does it spread?
Yes, the viruses that cause pleurodynia are contagious. This means that the virus can spread from one person to another. Sometimes, several people in the same family or several children in the same school can get it at the same time. We call this epidemic pleurodynia .
Now let's see how this virus spreads:
- It is mainly spread through contact with the feces, saliva, or mucus from the nose of an infected person .
- By having close contact with someone who is sick: for example, shaking hands or hugging.
- By touching surfaces that have the virus on them: Imagine if someone who is sick touches something like a doorknob, telephone, or table, the virus could be on it. Then if you touch it and touch your eyes, nose, or mouth without washing your hands, you could also get the virus.
- Not washing hands properly after changing the diapers of an infected person. It is essential to wash hands thoroughly after changing the diapers of young children.
- By drinking dirty, contaminated water.
Imagine, children playing together on a playground, touching the same toys, sometimes unknowingly coming into contact with each other's saliva and mucus. This is where this virus can easily spread.
How does a doctor recognize this?
A doctor will usually suspect pleurodynia based on your symptoms. However, chest pain can also be a symptom of more serious conditions, such as heart disease, so you may need to do some tests to rule out other serious conditions.
Such tests are:
- Chest X-ray: This is done to check for other conditions that may be causing the pain in the heart or lungs. Pleurodynia usually doesn't show any significant changes on the X-ray.
- Blood tests: Check for signs of infection.
- Stool tests: To find out if there are specific viruses, bacteria, or other causes that are causing symptoms.
After these tests, your doctor can determine if there is no other serious cause and if your symptoms are consistent with pleurodynia.
How to cure pleurodynia? What are the treatments?
There are currently no antiviral medications specifically for this. But there is nothing to worry about, as this usually gets better on its own within a few days. All we have to do is manage the symptoms. Here are some things you can do at home:
- Using pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications. For example, you can take Paracetamol . Or you can take a type of pain reliever called NSAIDs on medical advice. These can be purchased at the pharmacy.
- Applying heat packs to sore muscles can help relax the muscles and reduce pain.
You will feel better when you do these things. Remember, this is a virus, so antibiotics won't help.
How long will this problem last?
Pleurodynia usually gets better within a few days. However, it can sometimes take two to three weeks to fully recover. In most cases, it resolves on its own without causing any serious complications. So there is nothing to worry about.
When should I see a doctor? When should I go to the Emergency Department (ETU) ?
If you have already been diagnosed with pleurodynia by a doctor, ask him or her when you should see him or her again. If you don't feel better after a few days, or if you develop new symptoms, be sure to see a doctor again.
However, chest pain can sometimes be very serious. If you experience severe chest pain, do not ignore it and go to the nearest hospital emergency room (ER) immediately. It is important to quickly determine whether it is pleurodynia or another serious condition.
What are the important questions to ask the doctor?
When you go to see a doctor, it might be helpful to ask yourself some questions like these:
- What can I do to manage my symptoms?
- When should I see you again?
- How long will it take for me to fully recover?
- What new or worsening symptoms should I watch for?
When you know the answers to these questions, you will feel relieved.
Can this be prevented from happening?
The best way to prevent pleurodynia is to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly. It is especially important to wash your hands before eating, after using the toilet, and after changing diapers for young children.
These other things can also help reduce the spread of this virus:
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean water. Wash, peel, or cook fruits and vegetables before eating.
- If you are in doubt about the purity of the water you drink or cook with, use bottled water.
- Teach children how to wash their hands properly from a young age. Make sure to wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating.
- Minimize close contact (such as hugging, kissing, shaking hands) with someone who has a contagious illness as much as possible.
By following these simple health habits, we can protect ourselves from not only pleurodynia, but also many other infectious diseases.
Things we need to remember (Take-Home Message)
Finally, never ignore chest pain. It's always something to see a doctor for.
If a doctor diagnoses you with pleurodynia, the pain can usually be controlled with over-the-counter painkillers. It also usually gets better on its own within a few days.
Never hesitate to ask your doctor about any questions or concerns you may have. Ask them about the best way to manage your symptoms until you are fully recovered. Stay healthy!
` Pleurodynia, chest pain, abdominal pain, viral infection, Coxsackie virus, infectious diseases, muscle pain
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න