MedicineNet.com
About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
January 8, 2009
  MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living Health news and views MedTerms medical dictionary  
Font Size
A
A
A

Pericarditis (cont.)

What are the symptoms of pericarditis?

Chest pain is the most common symptom of pericarditis.

  • The pain is usually sharp and stabbing.

  • It can arise slowly or suddenly and can radiate directly to the back, to the neck or to the arm.

  • If there is associated irritation of the diaphragm (the flat muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen), the pain can radiate to the shoulder blade.

  • The pain can be made worse with deep breaths (pleuritic).

  • The pain is frequently positional and made worse when lying flat and better when leaning forward.

These pain characteristics may help the doctor distinguish between pain from pericardial inflammation around the heart and angina (the pain from heart muscle that doesn't get enough blood supply because of narrowed blood vessels).

The heart sits is the mediastinum, a space that exists in the middle of the chest between the lungs. The trachea, the breathing tube from the mouth to the lungs and the esophagus, the swallowing tube from the mouth to the stomach are also located in the mediastinum. Some symptoms may depend upon where the inflammation may be in the heart lining.

  • There may be pain with deep breaths and shortness of breath because of that pain, if there is inflammation in the pericardium near lung tissue.

  • Pain may occur with swallowing if the inflammation is near the esophagus.

  • Other symptoms depend upon the specific cause of the pericarditis. For example, infections may present with fever, chills and other non-specific symptoms such as muscle aches and general malaise.


Next: How is pericarditis diagnosed? »

Pericarditis - Describe Your Experience

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

Please describe your experience with pericarditis.

Anonymously share your comment to help others. Patient Discussions FAQs
See 12 Viewer Comments

Submit Your Comment


Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


space Related health and medical articles From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com MedicineNet Doctors recommend space
space
MedicineNet Doctors Recommend
  • CT Scan - CAT Scan / CT Scan (Computerized Axial Tomography) information. Learn what a CAT Scan is, why it is performed, risks, and how to prepare for a CAT scan Source:MedicineNet
  • Ultrasound - Learn about the ultrasound imaging examination, purpose of the procedure, preparation and results on MedicineNet.com Source:MedicineNet
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) - Read about the Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG) procedure to test the electrical activity of the heart. Source:MedicineNet
  • Read 53 more Pericarditis related articles ...
Latest Medical News
space

Heart Health

Get the latest treatment options.




Symptoms & Signs A-Z List Pinpoint Your Symptoms - Start Now Symptoms & Signs A-Z List Symptoms & Signs by Female Body Region Symptoms & Signs by Male Body Region

Topics Related to Pericarditis


Pericarditis
RSS FeedSpecialty RSS       Add to My Yahoo! What is this?

At Risk for Heart Disease?At Risk for Heart Disease?
Thanks to new technology, in just 15 seconds you can tell if you’re at risk for heart disease. Learn about this new tool. See more WebMD Videos »












Health categories:

Slideshows | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | News & Views | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Search Help | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

HON Code We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.

©1996-2009 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.