How long you can live after a pleural effusion needs to be analyzed on a patient-by-patient basis and cannot be generalized. The pleural cavity is a complete, closed cavity with only a small amount of fluid present inside, serving as a lubricant and other functions. When there is excess pathological fluid in the pleural cavity, it is called a pleural effusion. The life expectancy of a patient with pleural effusion is usually related to the predisposing factors and treatment measures for pleural effusion. If it is caused by tuberculosis or common infection, after standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment and sensitive antibiotics, it usually takes about one month to heal from common cold and at least six months to heal from tuberculosis, and their long term life expectancy is basically the same as normal people. However, in case of pleural effusion caused by advanced lung cancer, the basic condition of the patient is very poor. Through active treatment, such as intra-thoracic injection of drugs, closed chest drainage, or even pleural cavity closure, there may be certain effect, but the treatment effect of some patients is not satisfactory, and the survival period may only be 2-3 months. Patients with pleural effusion are recommended to visit the thoracic surgery department of the hospital in a timely manner to clarify the specific cause of the disease and to take personalized treatment by a professional physician to achieve better results.