Viral Pleruisy?

I am 31 years old, exercise regularly. Around Christmas I started having a pain in my left lung every time I sneezed, coughed, yawned...basically anytime I breathed.If I laid on the painful side or held a pillow to my chest when I sneezed or cough, the pain was lessened. I went to the doctor and he diagnosed the condition as pluerisy and gave me a short course steroid treatment (Prednisone). It didn't help. I've gone back numerous times and we have done x-ray's, respiratory tests, had a VU scan done and everything came back clear. However the pain persisted, and the doctor told me to try and manage the pain with advil. Two months later the pleurisy seemed to have gone away, and I started back conservatively with my exercise program (swimming) I am now experienceing the tightness in my chest again (lower left lung only). Is there anything else I can try to make it go away?

[National Jewish]

Pleurisy is inflammation of the sac that holds the lungs.  It can cause chest tightness and pain worsened by each breath, sneeze and cough.  It can result from a viral infection.  Viral infections clear over time on their own.  Antibiotics do not help viral infections.

Lying on the painful side or hugging a pillow to your chest is called splinting.  As you have noted this helps lessen the pain whenever you take a deep breath, like with sneezing or coughing.  Moist heat like a bath or shower may also help the pain.