What are the causes of pericardial effusion

Patients with pericardial effusion may not pay much attention to their physical condition in the early stages, because pericardial effusion may be caused by certain diseases in the body. The causes of pericardial effusion can be divided into two categories: infectious and non-infectious.

Pericardial effusion is a common clinical manifestation. Especially after echocardiography became a routine examination method for cardiovascular disease, the detection rate of pericardial effusion in patients has increased significantly, reaching as high as 8.4%. Most pericardial effusions do not cause clinical symptoms due to their small volume. In a small number of patients, pericardial effusion becomes a prominent clinical manifestation due to large amounts of fluid accumulation. When pericardial effusion persists for more than several months, it constitutes chronic pericardial effusion. There are many causes of chronic pericardial effusion, most of which are related to diseases that can affect the pericardium.

Causes

The common causes of pericardial effusion can be divided into two categories: infectious and non-infectious.

(1) Infectious diseases include tuberculosis, viruses (coxsackie, influenza, etc.), bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, pneumococcus, Gram-negative bacilli, fungi, etc.), protozoa (amoeba), etc.;

(2) Non-infected persons include patients with tumors (especially lung cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, mediastinal tumors, etc.), rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, etc.), heart damage or large blood vessel rupture, endocrine and metabolic diseases (such as hypothyroidism, uremia, gout, etc.), radiation damage, and effusion after myocardial infarction.

Most pericardial effusions are stubborn and difficult to completely eradicate. Identifying the cause and treating the disease itself can relieve or cure pericardial effusion.

Prevention of pericardial effusion

Pericardial effusion is mostly chronic pericardial effusion, because it requires long-term self-care to prevent it early. Pericardial effusion is a disease caused by the accumulation of long-term habits. So it is important to develop good habits.

as follows:

1. Develop good living habits and don’t smoke.

2. Maintain a good attitude, stable emotions, have healthy eating habits, eat more fruits and vegetables, etc., to improve your immunity.

3. People who must work in areas with heavy oil smoke should try to protect themselves, such as wearing masks, going out regularly to breathe some fresh air, and getting a check-up at least once a year.

4. Keep away from smoke, alcohol, drugs, radiation, pesticides, noise, volatile harmful gases, toxic and harmful heavy metals, etc.