Pleurisy (흉막염, 늑막염)

Before the discovery of oxygen, the lungs' function stumped physicians. Until the Renaissance, it was believed that they regulated body temperature. Since then, researchers have come a long way in learning about the lungs' anatomy and their role in oxygen transfer. For instance, they now know that each lung is encased in a thin, double-layered membrane called the pleura. When this covering becomes inflamed , that's known as pleurisy.

 

이 질병은 수많은 문제들에 의해 야기된 것이다. 바이러스 감염, 폐렴, 자가면역 문제 혹은 결핵 등이 흉막에 염증이 생기게끔 한 원인일 수 있다. 흉막염의 초기 단계에서, 흡기하는 중에 두 막이 대개 두장의 satin (새틴, 공단) 처럼 서로 미끄러져 움직이는데, 이것이 마치 사포처럼 고통스럽게 맞비벼지게 된다. 숨쉬는 동안의 흉통 이외에도, 마른기침과 발열, 한기 등이 증상에 포함될 수 있다. 질환의 막바지 단계에서는 막들이 액체를 과도하게 생산하게 되는데, 이것이 쌓이면 폐들에 압박을 줄 수 있다. 만약 액체에 감염이 되면 이는 농흉으로 알려지게 되는 증상이 된다.

 

To cure pleurisy, a doctor must first address the underlying issue. If a blood screening reveals that bacterial pneumonia is to blame, antibiotics will be prescribed. But if the pleurisy is caused by a virus, the most common treatment is waiting for the infection to run its course. In the meantime, over-the-counter painkillers and a prescription cough syrup with codeine can help keep the pain and symptoms under control. In rare cases, a large amount of fluid buildup requires that the fluid is drained out of the chest through a tube.

 

 

 

During Shakespearean times, the word pleurisy was often used in literature to mean a "fullness of blood."

 

The pressure in the pleural cavity between the two membranes is less than the atmospheric pressure, which helps keep the lungs expanded.