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:
-
Coughing
-
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:
-
Influenza
-
Open heart surgery or chest trauma
-
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
-
Brian Thomas Bethea, MD
Cardiac Surgery
-
Cierra Bruck, PA-C
Cardiac Surgery
-
Philip Clay Buescher, MD
Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
-
Edward Chan, MD
Thoracic Surgery
-
Julian K Chung, MD
Pulmonology
-
Brian Matthew Cuneo, MD
Pulmonology
-
Helen Tressa D'Couto, MD
Pulmonology
-
Robin Lisa Gross, MD
Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
-
Peter Chapin Hill, MD
Pulmonology
-
Emil Samir Musa Oweis, MD
Pulmonology
-
Jyoti Deepak Shah, MD
Pulmonology
-
Peter Jeffrey Sloane, MD
Sleep Medicine & Pulmonology
-
Brian P. Swehla, MD
Interventional Radiology & Vascular Interventional Radiology
-
Ajeet G. Vinayak, MD
Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Critical Care, Pulmonology & Neurocritical Care
-
Cheryl L. Walk, CRNP
Pulmonology
-
Octavius Douglas Polk, MD
Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonology
Show All
Related services
Ask MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
Have general questions for our heart and vascular program? Email us at AskMHVI@medstar.net. If you have clinically-specific questions, please contact your physician’s office.