Make sure you bring a list of your symptoms with you, including when they began.
Not all insurance plans cover ultrasounds for diagnostic purposes. You might want to check your benefits to see if you’ll have to pay for the ultrasound, and how much.
Depending on how much fluid needs to be drained, you might have to stay in the hospital for a few days. Your doctor will let you know if you can have the procedure done in their office or if you’ll need to be admitted.
If you can, try to rest for 48 to 72 hours. It seems a little counterintuitive, but lying down on the side of your chest that hurts can help relieve some of that pain. [11] X Research source Once you start feeling better, you might be tempted to overdo things. Make sure you’re still resting, even after you start to improve. Otherwise, your illness can come back.
There may be additional methods you can try to ease your pleurisy pain.