Symptoms and Signs of Pleurisy

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. There are two kinds of pancreatitis, acute and chronic. The primary causes of pancreatitis are alcohol and gallstones. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include nausea, fever, dehydration, and rapid heartbeat. Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis include bleeding from anemia, jaundice and other liver problems, weight loss, and diabetes. Treatment of individuals with pancreatitis caused by alcohol abuse is stopping all alcohol use. Examples of other treatments may include gallbladder removal, antibiotics, or change in diet (high carbohydrate low-fat diet).

Blood is supposed to clot to help repair a blood vessel that is injured. Clots or thrombi become a problem when they form inappropriately. There are a variety of illnesses and risk factors that can lead to blood clot formation such as atrial fibrillation, heart attack, strokes, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and more. Diagnosis and treatment of blood clots depends on the cause and severity of the clot.

Chest pain has a variety of noncardiac and cardiac causes, some of which can be very serious. Signs and symptoms of chest pain may include burning, squeezing, or heaviness in the chest. Atherosclerosis, angina, lung tumors, chest trauma, abdominal pain, and gastric reflux are just a few potential causes of chest pain. Chest pain is diagnosed by taking the patient history and performing a physical exam. Blood work, imaging tests, and an exercise stress test may be ordered. The treatment and prognosis of chest pain depends on the underlying cause.

Chest X-ray is a common procedure ordered to diagnose certain diseases and conditions such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure, emphysema, lung masses or nodules, tuberculosis, pleurisy, fractures, aortic aneurysms, or enlarged heart. Chest X-ray is a non-invasive and safe diagnostic procedure.

A collapsed lung or pneumothorax is a condition in which the space between the wall of the chest cavity, the as a result all or a portion of the lung collapses. Types of pneumothorax include tension and simple. Causes of pneumothorax include spontaneous, traumatic, disease and related. Pneumothorax is a life-threatening emergency. Medical care should be sought immediately.

A cough is a symptom of an underlying disease or condition. A chronic or persistent cough may signal certain lung conditions that should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Common causes of coughs include infection, allergies, lung disease, medications, and GERD (reflux). Acute coughs are categorized as infectious or non-infectious. Chronic cough (persistent cough) have a variety of causes and should be evaluated by physician. Treatment of cough, acute cough, chronic or persistent cough depends on the cause of the cough.

A fever is a body temperature of 100.4 F or greater. A fever may be caused by a virus, bacteria, fungus, blood clot, tumor, drug, or the environment. Treatment of fever in adults usually involves ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or aspirin.

Fever is defined as a rectal temperature over 100.4 F or 38 C. Fever isn't life-threatening unless it is persistently high - greater than a 107 F rectal temperature. Fever is usually caused by an infection. Treatment focuses on controlling the temperature, preventing dehydration, and monitoring for serious illness.

HIV has killed about 25 million individuals, and approximately 40 million people are currently living with the disease. Symptoms and signs of HIV include fever, headache, tiredness, and enlarged lymph nodes. Infections that happen with AIDS are called opportunistic infections. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. Treatment usually involves a combination of at least three drugs to suppress the virus from replicating and boost the immune system.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Symptoms and signs include coughing up blood, chest pain, wheezing, and chronic respiratory infections. Treatment depends upon the tumor stage, type of lung cancer, and the patient's overall physical condition.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by periods of remission and relapse (flares). Symptoms and signs include fatigue, fever, rash, abdominal pain, depression, and muscle pain. Treatment involves using high SPF lotion to prevent sun-induced rashes and may involve taking medications such as hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, antidepressants, or heparin.

Mesothelioma refers to malignant, or cancerous, tumors of the mesothelial cells. Asbestos exposure is the main risk factor for developing pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of mesothelioma include difficulty breathing, chest pain and discomfort, cough, fever, weight loss, and easy fatigability. Treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD or peripheral artery disease) refers to any disease or disorder of the circulatory system outside of the brain and heart. Common causes of peripheral vascular disease include blood clots, diabetes, inflammation of the arteries, infection, structural defects, and injury. Symptoms of peripheral artery disease include buttock pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs, burning or aching pain in the feet or toes while resting, a sore on a leg or a foot that will not heal, one or both legs or feet feel cold or change color (pale, bluish, dark reddish), loss of hair on the legs, and impotence. Tests are used to diagnose peripheral vascular disease. Treatment guidelines include medication, lifestyle changes, and if necessary, surgical intervention.

Pneumonia is inflammation of one or both lungs with consolidation. Pneumonia is frequently but not always caused by infection. The infection may be bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic. Symptoms may include fever, chills, cough with sputum production, chest pain, and shortness of breath. The pandemic COVID-19 coronavirus causes viral pneumonia in a percentage of people who contract the virus.

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot in the lung. The clot typically comes from other areas of the body and travels to the lung, where it becomes lodged. Pulmonary embolism can cause serious problems, from shortness of breath to instantaneous death, depending on the nature of the clot.

Rheumatoid arthritis (often called RA) is a chronic (long-standing) disease that damages the joints of the body. Symptoms and signs of rheumatoid arthritis include joint pain, swelling, inflammation, stiffness, warmth, muscle aches, weakness, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and malaise. Treatment may involve physical therapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, heat and cold treatments, joint replacements, and medications.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection, typically of the lungs, that is caused by either bacteria or fungus. Though treatments have have greatly evolved over the years, TB is still a major health problem worldwide.