The heart is the main organ of the human body, the so-called motor. His proper work is very important. Everyone is trying to avoid heart disease. The work of this body depends on many factors. There are situations when the cause of discomfort and pain is fluid in the pericardium.
Provocative factors
The cause of inflammatory processes in the pericardium can be inflammation. This reason does not occur very often. Its share of the disease is only 15%. More often, various viruses (45%) become the cause of fluid accumulation in the pericardium. Liquid accumulation is also possible due to fungal or parasitic infection.
Pericarditis
This is a serious and dangerous heart disease that can take on a chronic form and provoke heart failure.
The pericardium is the outer lining of the heart, which holds it in a certain position and prevents its increase in an overload situation. The pericardium consists of two shells. Between them is a liquid. It performs the function of lubrication, prevents the shells from rubbing against each other with an intense load on the heart.
The rate of fluid in the pericardial cavity is 20 ml. If the volume of fluid exceeds this figure, then we can talk about the development of some pathologies that are worth considering in more detail.
The causes of pericarditis are not well known to medicine. It is only known that an increase in fluid volume can trigger such diseases as scarlet fever, flu, rheumatism, lupus, various infections. Pathology can occur against pleurisy, vitamin deficiency, measles.
Kinds
Like any other disease, pericarditis should be distinguished:
- According to the clinical manifestation: for fibrinous pericarditis (dry) and exudative (effusion).
- By the nature of the course: acute and chronic.
Pericarditis can be accompanied by an inflammatory process, as a result of which there is a deposition of lime in the heart shirt. In this situation, the volume of fluid can reach one liter, which will cause fatal complications in the body.
Only a specialist can determine if the fluid in the pericardium is normal or not.
Types of disease
The norm of the amount of fluid in the pericardium in adults is less than twenty milliliters, but often this volume increases. The following pathologies can serve as a reason for this:
- autoimmune diseases;
- injuries, in particular injuries to the chest;
- parasites, fungi, bacteria and a variety of viruses;
- diabetes mellitus, Addison's disease, myxedema;
- tumors or metastases of the pericardium;
- idiopathic pericarditis, the causes of which are unknown to science to this day;
- lung diseases, vector-borne myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm.
It is worth paying attention that the amount of fluid in the heart can greatly increase (pericardial effusion), increase slightly with an increase in protein (fibrous pericarditis), decrease (dry pericarditis).
Common symptoms
For each type of pericarditis, certain symptoms are characteristic, they are different. But there are primary signs of pericarditis, which are characteristic of all types of disease:
- Headache.
- General weakness.
- Muscle weakness and pain.
- Dyspnea.
- Dry cough.
- Violation of the rhythm of the heartbeat.
- Fever.
- Noises of friction in the pericardium.
Often the patient does not seek the help of a specialist, as they confuse these symptoms with other less serious diseases. After taking antipyretic and painkillers that do not bring the desired result, the patient goes to the doctor. Unfortunately, for many people at this moment, pathology takes a chronic form, the treatment of which is a rather long and laborious process.
Causes
There are many causes of this disease:
- microorganisms that parasitize on connective tissue (tuberculosis bacilli, pathogens of tick-borne borreliosis, chlamydia, treponema syphilis, bacteria that cause brucellosis);
- serum sickness;
- bacterial infections (streptococci, pneumococci, staphylococci);
- mycoplasmas, influenza viruses, adenoviruses, helminths, etc .;
- lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis.
Currently, medicine is quite developed and successfully treats cardiac pathologies. Previously, when doctors did not have the necessary equipment, the presence of a normal fluid in the pericardium of the heart was determined by listening. A large amount of liquid can be heard, it is accompanied by a noise and a hum that can be heard from a distance.
In addition to the above causes of pericarditis, a violation of the norm of fluid in the pericardium in adults can lead to myocardial infarction, pneumonia, pleurisy.
What is dangerous
One of the most serious complications of pericarditis can be heart tamponade. This is a dangerous disease in which compression of the organ occurs. The patient feels shortness of breath when walking. After the accumulation of a large amount of fluid and severe compression of the heart, shortness of breath appears even at rest. There is a decrease in cardiac output, since the left ventricular myocardium does not have enough blood.
If this disease is detected, the doctor must hospitalize the patient. Treatment consists directly in pumping out the accumulated fluid.
Dry and exudative
With the development of dry pericarditis, the patient has a dull pain in the region of the heart, which only increases with time. The use of nitroglycerin is useless. This is worth paying attention to. The pain symptom intensifies when taking a horizontal position and decreases when leaning forward. Coughing and inhaling only increase pain.
The specialist can observe the following picture: the patient is sitting, leaning forward, he is shivering, there is an increased body temperature. When listening to the heart there is a creak, similar to the grinding of snow. The patient must hold his breath in order for the doctor to verify the correctness of the diagnosis. The fact is that such a creak can be confused with the friction of the pleura. But the creak with dry pericarditis is constant, it does not stop when you hold your breath.
With exudative pericarditis, symptoms may not be very pronounced. The accumulation of exudate provokes the divergence of the leaves of the pericardium, which helps to reduce the pain symptom. Sometimes the pain can disappear altogether, but not for long. After some time, heaviness appears in the area of the heart, the patient has shortness of breath. Shortness of breath is observed first during physical activity, and then at rest. The pericardium swollen from the fluid begins to compress the organs adjacent to the heart, accompanied by hiccups, a strong barking cough, and weakness in the voice.
Pericarditis in children
How much fluid is normal in the pericardium in children? Many parents ask this question. In children, the amount of fluid in the pericardium is normal, if it does not exceed twenty milliliters.
The disease in children is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- the pain symptom is more developed in the abdomen, the child does not feel pain in the heart;
- sleep disturbance, while the child lies on his stomach, as he can not sleep on his back;
- nausea, vomiting, regurgitation.
Causes of childhood pericarditis
The following diseases can become the causes of childhood pericarditis:
- violation of the thyroid gland;
- lack of vitamins;
- heredity;
- various blood diseases;
- heart tumors, pericardium;
- hormonal disbalance;
- the use of certain medications.
In newborns, streptococci, staphylococci, angina, etc. can provoke a disease. In rare cases, pericarditis can cause a disease such as nephritis. It is worth remembering that it is much more difficult to detect pericarditis in children than in adults. Specialists use a cardiovisor to establish a more accurate diagnosis.
Treatment of pericarditis in children is carried out using antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. When prescribing therapy, the age of the patient is necessarily taken into account. The duration of the treatment course depends on the severity of the pathology in the child.
Diagnosis of the disease
As already mentioned above, the fluid norm in the pericardium in ml should not exceed twenty units. Otherwise, we are talking about obvious pathology.
Previously, the diagnosis of pericarditis was carried out only by listening. Currently, medicine has the ability to diagnose the disease using the following research methods:
- ultrasound examination makes it possible to make an accurate diagnosis of effusion pericarditis, since the splitting of the leaves of the pericardium and the accumulation of fluid are clearly visible on the apparatus;
- exudative pericarditis can be determined by taking a puncture and subsequent examination;
- an x-ray may show an increase in heart shadow;
- pericardial effusion can be determined using the ECG procedure.
Treatment of pathology in adults
Treatment of any type of pericarditis is accompanied by mandatory hospitalization. In order to avoid the onset of tamponade, the patient needs constant medical supervision. Therapy is prescribed in accordance with the type and severity of the disease. The patient is prescribed only when LDH and pericardial effluent are normal.
Surgery is rarely used, only in extreme cases, when the patient's life is in danger. Basically, conservative treatment of fluid in the pericardium of the heart is carried out, the causes of which must be identified in advance.
The most popular drugs are:
- anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs together with gastroprotectors (for example, "Ibuprofen", "Indomethacin");
- preparations for arrhythmia;
- antibiotics that suppress the pathogen;
- indirect anticoagulants that avoid the formation of blood clots;
- glucocorticosteroids.
Surgery consists in opening the pericardial cavity and pumping out the fluid. Laser surgery has been successfully used, which for a long time has been showing positive results. After this type of intervention, the amount of fluid in the pericardium decreases to normal.
If the achievement of the desired effect by the above methods is impossible for any reason, cardiac intervention is used, in which the heart membrane is removed.
Prevention and rehabilitation
Prevention of pericarditis is mainly in the prevention of diseases that can trigger an increase in the amount of fluid in the pericardium.
In the case when pericarditis has already shown itself, the patient is limited by physical activity. After completing the course of treatment, a rehabilitation course is required, which is desirable to take place in sanatoriums under the supervision of specialists. If the patient does not have such an opportunity, it is worth paying attention to special training, the selection of a suitable place of work, not associated with hard physical labor.
Patients who have had pericarditis may have a disability group. It is determined by doctors in accordance with the severity of the human disease.
A few words in conclusion
So what is the fluid rate in the pericardium? The pericardium connects to the diaphragm, blood vessels, and the inside of the sternum, while keeping the heart in a stable position. The walls of the pericardium are separated by a small amount of fluid, which serves as a lubricant. This grease protects the walls of the pericardium from rubbing against each other. The rate of fluid in the pericardial cavity (in mm) is not more than twenty. This criterion is peculiar not only to adults, but also to children.
With the appearance of unpleasant sensations in the region of the heart, heaviness in the chest, it is worth considering the possibility of pericarditis.
Based on the foregoing, it can be concluded that pericarditis is a serious and serious disease. They are ill not only adults, but also children, including newborns. There are various causes and treatment of pericardium. Fluid in the heart may increase or decrease. Treatment depends on the type and cause of the pathology. Specialists try to use conservative methods of therapy, surgical intervention is used only in extreme cases, when the patient's life is in danger. Symptoms of pericarditis can be varied. For each species they are different. Nevertheless, it is worth paying attention to the primary symptoms: headaches, nausea and vomiting, pain and heaviness in the chest and heart, noise and rattle in the sternum. All this can become an urgent reason for visiting a cardiologist or therapist. Only a specialist can establish an accurate diagnosis, identify the cause of the disease and prescribe the correct treatment. It should be remembered that the transition of pericarditis to a chronic form can cost a sick person life. Possible disability. Therefore, you can not hesitate with such symptoms and self-medicate.