My chest hurts like a needle prick.

Chest pain is usually caused by inflammation in the chest or lesions in some organs. If it is a woman, mastitis should also be considered. The cause discussed in this article is pleurisy. Patients with pleurisy will have symptoms of chest pain, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. It is also a more serious inflammation. Because it is located in the chest cavity, it is easy to cause secondary infection of the lungs. The editor will introduce the relevant situation in detail below.

Introduction to pleurisy

Pleurisy refers to inflammation of the pleura caused by pathogenic factors (usually viruses or bacteria) irritating the pleura, also known as "pleurisy". There may be fluid accumulation in the chest cavity (exudative pleurisy) or no fluid accumulation (dry pleurisy). After the inflammation is controlled, the pleura may return to normal, or the two layers of pleura may adhere to each other. The main clinical manifestations are chest pain, cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and even difficulty breathing. It is more common in young people and children.

treat

General treatment

Exudative pleurisy is often accompanied by fever, and the patient should lie down to rest, lying on the affected side so that the healthy lung can fully play its compensatory role. Strengthen nutrition, increase appetite, and provide high-protein, high-calorie, multivitamin and easily digestible diet. For patients with high fever, physical cooling should be used and antipyretics should be given when necessary

antibiotic

Anti-tuberculosis drug therapy is suitable for the treatment of tuberculous (dry or exudative) pleurisy. The principle of anti-tuberculosis treatment is early treatment, sufficient medication and long-term use. Isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin are used alternately, with a total course of treatment of 6 to 9 months. Tuberculous pleurisy is often treated with a combination of streptomycin and isoniazid. During the use of streptomycin, the patient should be observed for toxic reactions such as numbness of the lips, tinnitus, and deafness. If these reactions occur, the drug should be discontinued immediately. The hearing impairment caused by streptomycin is permanent, so we must be vigilant and be more cautious when using the drug on children. Isoniazid has a strong bactericidal effect and can penetrate tissues and cross the blood-brain barrier. It can be dripped into the trachea or administered into the chest cavity. Long-term use of isoniazid should monitor liver damage, conduct regular liver function tests, and promptly add liver-protecting drugs. If central nervous system reactions such as dizziness, insomnia or convulsions occur, vitamin B6 can be added for symptomatic treatment. Non-tuberculous pleurisy should be treated with appropriate drugs based on the primary disease (such as infection, tumor, etc.). Patients with purulent pleurisy or tuberculous empyema with infection are treated with penicillin.