What is pleural effusion?
The pleural space around the lungs allows them to expand and is lined with a thin layer of tissue called the pleura. Pleural effusion is the build-up of extra fluid in the space that can put pressure on your lungs and make it difficult to breathe or cause a lung to collapse. It’s sometimes referred to as “water on the lungs.”
Symptoms
If you have pleural effusion, you may experience:
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Coughing
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Shortness of breath
You may feel relief from some symptoms when sitting upright or standing.
What causes pleural effusion?
The cause of pleural effusion will affect the type of fluid build-up around the lungs, which is either a watery or protein-rich fluid. Some common causes of pleural effusion include:
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Influenza
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Open heart surgery or chest trauma
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Pneumonia
Tests
Diagnosing pleural effusion is the first step to developing a treatment plan. Our specialists may recommend one or more diagnostic and imaging procedures to evaluate your condition.
Treatment
Treatment will depend on the condition causing your pleural effusion and the amount of fluid in the pleural space.
Our providers
Location: Change location Enter your location
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Ammar S Bafi, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology, Structural Heart Disease Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery
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Keki Balsara, MD
Cardiac Surgery
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Philip Clay Buescher, MD
Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
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John V Conte, MD
Cardiac Surgery
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Ziv Gamliel, MD
Thoracic Surgery
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Jonathan R. Gower, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery
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Dina B. KiaNoury, MD
Sleep Medicine, Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
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Preetham N. Kumar, MD
Cardiac Imaging & Cardiology
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Deepa Grace Lazarous, MD
Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
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Anne Tuyet Lee, PA
Pulmonology
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Stacey Elizabeth Miller, ANP-BC
Cardiac Surgery
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Anita Naik, DO
Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine & Pulmonology
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Matthew Patrick Schreiber, MD
Critical Care Medicine
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Peter Jeffrey Sloane, MD
Sleep Medicine & Pulmonology
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Brian P. Swehla, MD
Interventional Radiology & Vascular Interventional Radiology
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Leslie Webster Kingslow, MD
Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
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