I have been having some difficulties with breathing and discomfort in my chest -- working with my primary dr. to find out the cause -- at this point they suspect paricarditis.  Had an echocardiogram done Friday and wore a haltor monitor for 24 hrs.  waiting on test results.  My question is 2 fold - 1) if I have paricarditis, how is it treated, and 2) if it isnt what could this be? (they have ruled out lung problems with xray and ct scan of lungs)
Hello and welcome, Pericarditis is treated mostly with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Chat Doctor.  But variety of factors (infections, autoimmune diseases) may cause pericarditis and your doctor may prescribe additional treatment according to the etiology of the disease. Other causes of dyspnea and chest discomfort are: -heart failure -cardiomyopathies-endocarditis-valvular problems (probably your doctors have ruled out these conditions with echocardiogram)-myocarditis-ischemic heart disesase-heart rhythm disturbances (holder monitor should detect it rare rhythm disturbances)-gastroesophageal reflux disease and other esophageal pathologies (you might need endoscopic evaluation) -obstructive and restrictive lung disease (spirometry)-pulmonary hypertension Ordering additional tests depends on your previous test results and physical exam findings. I hope the above information will be helpful for you. Please, feel free to ask me if there is anything else you need to know. Thank you, Malik Among MD