Pericarditis Specialists in Karnataka
Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, the thin double-layered sac that surrounds and protects the heart, most often causing sharp chest pain that cha…
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Treatment & Types of Pericarditis in Karnataka
Treatment for acute pericarditis typically involves nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and colchicine to reduce inflammation and prevent recurrence, with rest recommended during the acute phase. Corticosteroids may be used in cases that do not respond to first-line treatment or when other therapies are contraindicated. Significant pericardial effusion causing compression of the heart requires urgent drainage, while chronic constrictive pericarditis may ultimately require surgical removal of the pericardium.
Pericarditis is classified as acute, a single isolated episode usually following a viral infection, or recurrent and chronic, when episodes repeat or inflammation persists beyond several weeks. A rare but serious long-term complication, constrictive pericarditis, occurs when the pericardium becomes thickened and stiff, restricting the heart's ability to fill properly and often requiring surgical removal of the pericardium.