What position should be adopted for difficulty in breathing due to pericardial effusion?

Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
Updated on September 29, 2024
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If a patient frequently experiences difficulty in breathing, it is recommended to immediately adopt a sitting position, as this can reduce the load on the heart, thereby alleviating expansion. Currently, for the purpose of treating breathing difficulties, conditions like pericardial effusion are very serious, and puncture aspiration for examination can be chosen as a treatment. For heart failure caused by pericardial effusion, sometimes it is necessary to use some cardiotonic diuretics, thus improving the patient's breathing difficulties. Currently, symptomatic treatment is primarily adopted in therapy, mainly adopting a semi-recumbent position or dangling both legs, which can reduce the heart's afterload, thereby easing the patient's condition.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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Can tuberculous pleurisy cause pericardial effusion?

Tuberculous pleurisy can also cause pericardial effusion. Firstly, tuberculous pleurisy is actually caused by the tubercle bacillus, a type of immune response in the human body that manifests as inflammation in the serous cavity. The serous cavities include various types such as the pleura surrounding the lungs, the pericardium around the heart, and the peritoneum in the abdomen. Therefore, tuberculous inflammation can occur in multiple serous cavities, including the pleura, pericardium, and abdominal cavity. Of course, when diagnosing, one cannot solely rely on the presence of effusion in multiple serous cavities to diagnose tuberculous pleurisy. Instead, it is essential to aspirate the pleural fluid and test certain markers in it, such as adenosine deaminase and lactate dehydrogenase. Most importantly, the presence of acid-fast bacilli in the fluid should be checked. If detected, it can generally be diagnosed as tuberculous.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Is pericardial effusion related to diet?

If a patient often experiences pericardial effusion, it is recommended that they visit a hospital for a cardiac echocardiogram, as this pericardial effusion is necessarily connected to the heart. Although it is not greatly related to diet, if the patient enjoys eating salty foods, it can still have a certain impact. It is advised to choose a diet low in salt, fat, and sugar, especially limiting sodium intake, because consuming too much salt can exacerbate fluid and sodium retention, leading to pericardial effusion. Currently, treatment mainly focuses on symptomatic treatment, and early use of medications. Diuretics can be used to help alleviate the patient's current condition.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Can you exercise with pericardial effusion?

If the patient has pericardial effusion, it is acceptable to encourage them to participate in outdoor activities, but they should exercise moderately and not too vigorously, especially avoiding strenuous physical workouts. Also, aerobic exercises should be moderate, and they should not spend too long on outdoor activities. Decisions should be made based on the individual's condition. If the condition of heart failure is severe, it is advisable for the patient to rest primarily. Particularly in terms of diet, the intake of sodium should be restricted. Sometimes, excessive intake of sodium can exacerbate symptoms like palpitations, chest tightness, and breathing difficulties. These are serious symptoms that require active management and treatment.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Can you eat eggs with pericardial effusion?

If the patient has a history of pericardial effusion, it is advisable to recommend a diet high in quality protein and avoid spicy and irritating foods. However, consumption of eggs is permissible as they are rich in protein, which can supplement protein intake. During this period, supplementing with albumin can sometimes be beneficial for the absorption of inflammation and the reduction of effusion. During this period, it is still important to maintain a light diet, especially avoiding greasy and spicy foods, while also monitoring changes in the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse. If the heart rate is too fast, sometimes active management is required.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Causes of recurrent pericardial effusion

Pericardial effusion is generally seen in inflammatory responses, such as nonspecific bacterial infections, as well as tuberculosis, chlamydia, mycoplasma, rheumatic heart disease, and it can also be caused by heart failure, uremia leading to pericardial effusion. Some are caused by tumors. In general, common nonspecific infections and tuberculosis can be quickly controlled with treatment, but in cases of tumors or due to various reasons such as hypoalbuminemia, heart failure, if the cause cannot be eliminated, pericardial effusion can frequently reoccur. Therefore, individuals with recurring pericardial effusion should go to the hospital for an examination to clarify the cause and rule out malignant tumors or other reasons, and receive timely treatment.