Ask the doctor: What is pericarditis?

The classic symptom of pericarditis is a sharp, stabbing pain in the center or left side of the chest that's worse when you take a deep breath or lie down. The pain results from the irritated layers of the sac rubbing together. Pericarditis may be mistaken for pleuritis, an inflammation of the double-layered membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the rib cage.
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