Pericarditis is irritation and inflammation of the layerthin, pouch-shaped lining of the heart (pericardium). Pericardium function to keeps the heart from shifting position, and protects the heart from frictionorspread of infection from other tissues.
Diseases that cause symptoms in the form of chest pain can occur at any age. However, most cases of pericarditis occur at the age of 20 to 50 years, especially in men.
Pericarditis Symptoms
There are several symptoms that are commonly felt by people with pericarditis, including:
- Chest pain, such as a stabbing in the middle or left side.
- Shortness of breath, especially when lying down.
- Weak and tired.
- Heart beat.
- Legs or stomach
- Fever.
- Cough.
Symptoms of pericarditis may last for less than 3 weeks, or become chronic if they last more than 3 months.
When to go to the doctor
Symptoms of pericarditis are similar to those of other lung and heart diseases. Therefore, when experiencing the above symptoms, immediately go to a cardiologist or cardiologist to get a diagnosis so that it can be treated appropriately.
See your doctor right away if you have a stabbing pain in your chest, and the symptoms get worse when you breathe in or lie down. Especially if these symptoms appear after you are exposed to a viral infection, such as the flu or a sore throat.
Causes of Pericarditis
Most cases of pericarditis have no known cause, but there are several things that are suspected to be the cause of pericarditis, namely:
- Bacterial infection.
- viral infection.
- Cancer from other organs that spreads to the pericardium.
- Heart attack.
- Injury to the chest.
- After heart surgery.
- Inflammatory diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Radiation exposure in radiotherapy, especially in the treatment of breast cancer and lung cancer.
Pericarditis Diagnosis
The diagnosis of pericarditis is established based on symptoms, results of physical examination, and results of supporting examinations. From physical examination, pericarditis is characterized by abnormal heart sounds, which are additional heart sounds that sound like paper scraping.
In addition, there are several supporting tests performed to confirm pericarditis and its causes, including:
- blood testBlood tests will need to be done to check for infection or inflammation.
- Inspection Photo X-ray chestChest X-ray is done to see the condition of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. If there is a pericardial effusion that occurs in pericarditis, the heart will appear enlarged.
- Heart echoA cardiac echo is performed using sound waves to get an image of the heart and see if fluid has accumulated in the pericardial space.
- ECG (electrocardiogram)ECG aims to detect and record the electrical activity of the heart that can change during pericarditis.
- CT scanThis X-ray scan is done to get a more detailed picture of the heart.
- MRIThis procedure is done to get a detailed picture of the heart, using magnetic wave media. From the results of the examination, it can be seen if there is thickening, inflammation, or other changes in the pericardium.
Pericarditis Treatment
Patients with mild pericarditis can recover only by resting and taking pain relievers. During the healing period, sufferers need to avoid excessive physical activity because it can trigger a relapse.
In addition to pain medication, your doctor may also give you:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs serves to reduce inflammation of the pericardium and relieve chest pain. Drugs that can be given are ibuprofen and aspirin.
- ColchicineColchicine serves to reduce inflammation by killing certain inflammatory cells. This drug can be combined with NSAIDs, or given as an alternative to NSAIDs.
- KortiksteroidsCorticosteroid drugs are only given if pericarditis does not improve with NSAIDs and colchicine. One of the example is prednisone.
- AntibioticsAntibiotics are only given if the pericarditis is caused by a bacterial infection.
Patients with pericarditis who are classified as severe and have complications need to be hospitalized. Some actions that doctors can take to treat this condition are:
- Pericardiocentesis
Pericardiocentesis performed to remove the accumulated fluid from the pericardial space. In this procedure, the fluid will be suctioned using a needle and a small tube.
- Pericardiectomy
This surgical procedure is necessary if the pericardium is rigid. Pericardiectomy aims to take the rigid part, so that the heart pump can return to normal.
Pericarditis Complications
There are two complications that can arise from pericarditis, namely:
- tamponade jantung (cardiac tamponade)This condition occurs when there is too much fluid in the pericardial sac, which puts pressure on the heart and blocks blood flow to the heart. Cardiac tamponade can be fatal if not treated immediately.
- Pericarditis krestrictiveInflammation of the pericardium that lasts a long time and comes and goes will cause the formation of scar tissue in the pericardium. This scar tissue makes the pericardium stiff and unable to stretch normally, thereby blocking the movement of the heart and impeding heart function.