<Li> Lying on the painful side may be more comfortable </Li> <Li> Breathing deeply and coughing to clear mucus as the pain eases . Otherwise, pneumonia may develop . </Li> <P> Ideally, the treatment of pleurisy is aimed at eliminating the underlying cause of the disease . </P> <Ul> <Li> If the pleural fluid is infected, treatment involves antibiotics and draining the fluid . If the infection is tuberculosis or from a fungus, treatment involves long - term use of antibiotics or antifungal medicines . </Li> <Li> If the fluid is caused by tumors of the pleura, it may build up again quickly after it is drained . Sometimes anti-tumor medicines prevent further fluid buildup . If they don't, the doctor may seal the pleural space . This is called pleurodesis . Pleurodesis involves the drainage of all the fluid out of the chest through a chest tube . A substance is inserted through the chest tube into the pleural space . This substance irritates the surface of the pleura . This causes the two layers of the pleurae to squeeze shut so there is no room for more fluid to build up . </Li> <Li> Chemotherapy or radiation treatment also may be used to reduce the size of the tumors . </Li> <Li> If congestive heart failure is causing the fluid buildup, treatment usually includes diuretics and other medicines . </Li> </Ul>

Why do i get a sharp pain in my side when i breathe