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If the pleurisy is caused by a viral infection, there’s not much you can do but wait it out. Get as much rest as you can to speed up your healing process. Try to find the position where you are most comfortable – but keep in mind you still might have a bit of pain – and rest.  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.  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. Applying cold to your chest can numb it. This can help alleviate some of your symptoms. A cloth run through cold water, or an icepack wrapped in a towel can work well. Lay the cloth or icepack on your chest for 15 minutes, and then give your body a break for 20 minutes or so. Pleurisy is basically an inflammation of the tissue in your lungs, so taking anti-inflammatory medication can help relieve your symptoms. An anti-inflammatory medication that’s also a pain reliever – like ibuprofen – can give you some relief, too. Follow the directions on the bottle of medication for dosage and timing. There may be additional methods you can try to ease your pleurisy pain.
Get extra rest for 2-3 days if you have a viral infection. Apply a cold compress to your chest. Take anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs for the chest pain.