Pericarditis treatment

Posted by admin on August 29th, 2008 at 11:30pm

Pain medications are called analgesics, which include the medicines such as aspirin and morphine, moreover anti-inflammatory drugs are to be used to relieve the pain or to decrease the inflammatory reaction in case of acute pericarditis. In pericarditis caused due to viral infection no more treatment is necessary, generally it gets clear by itself within a few days or few weeks. If any underlying cause for the pericarditis is found then the foster treatment is to be done in order to treat the underlying cause.

In case of pericarditis caused due to bacterial infection or tuberculosis then various antibiotics are to be used for the pericarditis treatment, whereas different steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly known as NSAIDs such as indomethacin is to be used in other type of cases. Steroids are also to be taken in order to decrease the inflammation in pericarditis which is followed by heart attack. Different types of diuretics are to be taken and low sodium diet is also recommended in the condition of pericarditis.

Though the pericarditis caused due to viral infection gets resolved by itself but sometimes people having pericarditis are to be admitted to the hospital for the observation, especially if there is any chance of getting the condition more serious depending on the symptoms or if there is presence of any type of evidence of a accumulation of the fluid in the pericardial sac in large amount. Sometimes viruses that are responsible for the causation of pericarditis can make attack on the cardiac muscle and so, there is also the development of the heart-rhythm abnormalities or the heart failure.

In most of the people who have developed the pericarditis due to viral infection or idiopathic pericarditis, for them the disease may be a temporary type of botheration which is then forgotten after it gets resolved. However in about one-fourth of people suffering from this type of pericarditis may develop the subsequent episodes of pericarditis, which can reoccur at the intervals of weeks or of months. Usually in such people, anti-inflammatory drugs can be used in order to control the symptoms.

Even these types of cases are seen where there is excessive development of the pericardial fluid that does not allow the hearts to beat properly. In these types of cases, there must be the removal of the fluid as a pericarditis treatment by a cardiothoracic surgeon or an experienced cardiologist.

In rare cases, the development of chronic scarring of the pericardium is also seen, which can be proved as a grievous for keeping the heart from the normal expanding in between heart beats. Thus the heart is unable to fill enough, the ability of the heart of blood supply to the body decreases slowly as the pitting gets more worsen. This type of case is called as constrictive pericarditis and sometime it needs surgery to clean the pericardium and hence to obtain pericarditis treatment.

If you are taking some blood thinners then it is important to discuss it with your physician, so that they are able to prescribe you proper treatment. 

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