Pleurisy- Pleurisy occurs when the double membrane (pleura) that lines the chest cavity and surrounds each of your lungs becomes inflamed. Also called pleuritis, pleurisy typically causes sharp pain, almost always during the act of breathing.
One layer of the pleura overlies each lung. The other layer lines the inner chest wall. The two layers of pleura are like two pieces of smooth satin rubbing against each other with almost no friction, allowing your lungs to expand and contract when you breathe without any resistance from the lining of the chest wall. When inflamed, the two layers of the pleural membrane in the affected side of your chest rub against each other, producing the pain of pleurisy when you inhale and exhale. Between breaths, you feel almost no pain.
Pleurisy occurs as a complication of a wide variety of underlying conditions such as; Acute viral infection, like the flu. Pneumonia, in those cases in which the infected portion of the lung involves the pleural surface. Autoimmune conditions, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune hepatitis. Tuberculosis and other infections. A clot in an artery of your lungs (pulmonary embolism). Pleurisy can also occur as a result of trauma to your chest or after heart surgery. In some cases, the cause is unknown. Relieving pleurisy involves treating the underlying condition, if it's known, and taking pain relievers.
Pneumonia- Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, and other organisms. Pneumonia is usually triggered when a patient's defense system is weakened, most often by a simple viral upper respiratory tract infection or a case of influenza. Such infections or other triggers do not cause pneumonia directly but they alter the mucous blanket, thus encouraging bacterial growth. Other factors can also make specific people susceptible to bacterial growth and pneumonia.
Common symptoms include: fever, chills, cough, unusually rapid breathing, breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds, labored breathing that makes a persons rib muscles retract (when muscles under the rib cage or between ribs draw inward with each breath), vomiting, chest pain, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and in extreme cases, bluish or gray color of the lips and fingernails.