Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura, the two-layered membrane that covers the outside of the lungs and lines the inside of the chest. Causes of the condition include a viral infection such as influenza; pneumonia; a pulmonary embolism , in which the blood supply to the lungs is blocked by a blood clot; or lung cancer. Occasionally, pleurisy may result from an autoimmune condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus, in which the immune system attacks the pleura.
Symptoms of pleurisy may come on suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause of the pleurisy.
They may include a sharp chest pain that is worse when breathing in, shortness of breath, and coughing up phlegm or blood. Treatment is of the underlying cause, together with medication to relieve symptoms

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