What Is Pleurisy And What Causes It?

Pleurisy is a type of breathing condition that occurs when the pleura lining the lungs and chest cavity get irritated. When the pleura are inflamed, they rub against each other and make each breath hurt. This condition is characterized by chest pain that gets worse whenever individuals take a breath, sneeze, or cough. Some patients run a fever or find their shoulders and neck also hurt. In severe cases of pleurisy, fluid can build up between the layers of tissue and potentially put pressure on the lungs, triggering coughing and making it hard to breathe. Pleurisy can have many sorts of underlying causes, and being able to identify and treat the cause is the first step towards managing pleurisy.

Autoimmune Disorders

Autoimmune disorders are a category of disorders caused by a malfunctioning immune system. The immune system is supposed to protect the body by fighting off foreign microbes, but sometimes it overreacts and accidentally starts attacking healthy bodily tissue. There are a wide host of autoimmune disorders, ranging from lupus to rheumatoid arthritis, and almost any sort of autoimmune disorder can cause pleurisy. These conditions cause pleurisy because the antibodies in the immune system start to accidentally attack the pleura. These membranes lining the lungs and the cavity of the chest are supposed to smoothly glide against each other and prevent friction from happening. However, thanks to the mistaken attack of the immune system, the pleura suffer from tiny bits of damage, causing them to swell and become inflamed. This results in the characteristic pain while breathing individuals with pleurisy suffer from. Autoimmune conditions are particularly likely to cause fluid buildup between the pleura, so this condition requires careful monitoring.

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