Can RA cause pleurisy?

According to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, damage to the lining of the lung, or the pleura, affects more than half of all people with rheumatoid arthritis, but few actually experience symptoms. Problems include: Pleurisy, or inflammation of the pleural tissue, causes chest discomfort and difficulty breathing.Aug 4, 2014 read more

Sometimes the fluid resolves on its own. A large pleural effusion, however, can cause shortness of breath. Pleural disease may also cause fever and pain on breathing. Contact your doctor promptly if you have rheumatoid arthritis and experience any unexplained breathing problems. Sometimes treatment is aimed at the rheumatoid arthritis. read more

Pleurisy occurs when the tissues that line your lungs and chest wall become inflamed or infected, causing extreme pain. Although in history, it had fame for causing the death of Benjamin Franklin, pleurisy is no longer a common condition. read more

The fact that your hubby can't take a full breath should be of far greater concern. RA can cause deadly lung issues. Your rheumatologist will no doubt order x-rays. If he doesn't volunteer that, ask him. If the x-rays show a lot of inflammation or fluid, they may also want to do a CT scan. read more