The most common symptom of pericarditis is chest pain. The pain is predominantly felt below the breastbone and/or below the ribs on the left side of the chest and, occasionally, in the upper back or neck. Breathing causes the lungs and heart to move in the chest and rub against the irritated pericardium, worsening the pain. Pain may worsen when patients lie down and may improve when they sit up and lean forward. Changes in position can increase or decrease pressure on and irritation of the inflamed pericardium.

In some people, pericarditis can cause swelling of the feet, legs or ankles. This swelling may be a symptom of constrictive pericarditis, a serious type of pericarditis. In constrictive pericarditis, the patient’s pericardium hardens and/or thickens, preventing the heart muscle from expanding and affecting the function of the heart. The heart may be compressed by the constrictive process, which may cause blood to back up into the lungs, abdomen and legs, as well as cause the swelling.

Symptoms and Signs of Pericarditis in TCM include:
1. Exogenous evils Invading the lungs
Symptoms: fever, chest pain, choking sensation in chest, shortness of breath, joints pains, dry cough, agitation, sweating, yellow and greasy tongue coating.

2. Stagnation of Phlegm and heat
Symptoms: Chest stuffiness and pains, cough with yellow phlegm, irritability, restlessness, red and yellow tongue.

3. Stagnation of Blood Btasis
Symptoms: Chest stuffiness, pains around right rib, shortness of breath, dark tongue with petechia.

4. Stasis of Phlegm and Fluid
Symptoms: Constant cough with excessive phlegm, chest stuffiness, limbs sweelings, white tongue coating.

5. Internal Heat Due to Yin Deficiency
Symptoms: low fever afternoon, excessive heat in the body, spontaneous perspiration, night sweat, shortness of breath, light and greasy tongue coaating.