Pericarditis
Your doctor willask about your symptoms and recent medical history, such as whether you've recently had a chest infection or been in an accident.
They willlisten to your heart with a stethoscope, aspericarditis can change the sound of your heartbeat to a distinctive rasping or grating sound.
You may have Blood tests to check for infections and how organs such as your liver and kidneys are functioning.
In some cases, a needle may be used to drain any fluid from around your heart, so it can be tested.
A diagnosis is usually confirmed by electrocardiogram (ECG). During an ECG, electrodes are placed on your skin to measure the electrical activity of your heart.
People with pericarditis usually experience a distinctive change in the electrical activity of the heart, which can be detected with an ECG.
Further testing is usually only required ifother tests prove negative or you have additional symptoms not normally associated with pericarditis, such as swelling of the arms and legs or extreme tiredness.
These tests may include:
Pericarditis is swelling of the pericardium, which is the fluid-filled sac that surrounds your heart.
The most common symptom of acute pericarditis is chest pain which is worse when lying down.
It's not always clear what causes pericarditis, although a viral infection is usually suspected.
The first stage in the diagnosis of pericarditis is to ask about your symptoms and recent medical history.
Pericarditis is usually treated with medication, although surgery is used in rare cases.
In rare cases, pericarditis can develop into further problems, some of which can be life-threatening.