Pleura forms the covering of the lungs and the internal lining of the chest cavity. Thickening of the pleura is caused by infections, exposure to allergic components, trauma, pulmonary embolism, tumors, etc. Pleural thickening leads to difficulty in breathing, chest pain, cough, fatigue, fever, respiratory failure, etc. Treatment is done for managing the symptoms.
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I feel uncomfortable on deep breath. How can I normalize my breathing?
Query: Hi doctor, I have difficulty in taking a deep breath. I feel uncomfortable. My uric acid and cholesterol levels are at a higher range than normal. What can I do to normalize my breathing? Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have gone through the attachment (attachment removed to protect patient identity). You have an LDL (low-density lipoprotein) of 161 mg/dL. You can manage it by taking tablet Atorvastatin or tablet Rosuvastatin 20 mg at night for a month and see for improvement. Also, ... Read Full »
My CT scan shows mild subpleural fibrosis in my lungs. Need help.
Query: Hi doctor, I have irregular heart beat with chest pain and my CT (computed tomography) shows mild subpleural fibrosis in lungs. I take tablet Lisinopril 15 mg. I took stress echocardiography, chest X-ray, and vascular ultrasound scan. Please help. Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. From the reports attached (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity), you have mild subpleural fibrosis and interstitial thickening due to the scarring in lungs. The thin pleural membrane can be replaced by thick fibrous tissue due to inflammation of the pleu... Read Full »
Will pleural thickening with scar spread to the entire lung?
Query: Hello doctor, I am a 51-year-old female. I have a pleural thickening condition from a previous tuberculosis (TB). I suffered from pleural effusion many years back and TB positive. Since then, this pleural thickening condition developed in my left lung. I had chest pain for two years. There is no pro... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern. According to your statement, you have been suffering from pleural thickening with chest pain for a few years. You had a history of pleural effusion and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) twice. And your pleural thickening may result from TB and p... Read Full »
My lung hurts horribly while coughing after pneumonia. Is it long-term effect of pneumonia?
Query: Hi doctor, I had pneumonia three months back. It got completely resolved by taking antibiotics. My lung hurts a little when I have any flu or cough. When temperature drops, my lungs start to hurt horribly due to cold. Before getting pneumonia, I do not have any symptoms. Will it a consequence and s... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Pneumonia is an infection affecting lung parenchyma. When this occurs, pleura gets affected. It heals by becoming thicker. This can cause problems in breathing for a prolonged period even after the resolution of pneumonia. You have pain which is an unlikely cause to occur... Read Full »
Can pleural thickening worsen as the person ages?
Query: Hi doctor,One year ago, I had a massive left-sided pleural effusion with respiratory distress. Pigtail insertion was done and it was indicative of TB. Now, my ATT is stopped. After two months of treatment, my ultrasound report said that pleural thickening is seen along the left posterolateral chest ... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Please relax. You have probably healed your TB(tuberculosis) and there is nothing to worry about right now. Pleural thickening has happened as a result of the effusion you had. It is a way of healing that the body does when effusion happens. It will not get worse with ... Read Full »
What does 'mild obscuration of left costophrenic angle' mean?
Query: Dear doctor, I had a medical record saying that "the lungs are clear, there is mild obscuration of the left costophrenic angle, which may be related to pleural thickening". What is the meaning of this report? Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Pleura is a covering membrane (a plastic cover like structure) which covers the entire lung. If the pleura gets thickened, then it causes obscuration of costophrenic angle. There are many causes of pleural thickening like: Exposure to chemicals like asbestos. Infec... Read Full »
Kindly review my chest x-ray and help me know if I have any abnormalities.
Query: Hello doctor,I did an x-ray for immigration purposes, and the panel of physicians said that my chest x-ray was abnormal. She has sent me my reports and asked me to follow up with another doctor. I wanted to know if the abnormality was a matter of concern or because of lifestyle issues.Regards. Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. As I can see, there is mention of bilateral apical pleural capping in the document shared by you (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity). It means there is a possible thickening of the covering of both lungs in the upper chest area. While this ... Read Full »
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