What Is Pericarditis?
5. What Are the Possible Complications of the Condition?
Complications of pericarditis typically result from non-treatment. When any condition is left untreated, it is likely to worsen over time. With pericarditis, the illness can become severe without medical intervention, often developing into one of two conditions: cardiac tamponade or constrictive pericarditis.
Choosing to leave pericarditis untreated can lead to a fatal blood pressure drop resulting from excessive fluid in the pericardium. The fluid buildup can prevent the heart from filling with blood, which results in cardiac tamponade.
Constrictive pericarditis, while rare, causes scarring and the thickening and hardening of the pericardium, restricting the heart muscle. While restrictive pericarditis may not be fatal, it can cause uncomfortable swelling of the legs and feet and shortness of breath.
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