Usually pleural thickening does not heal on its own. Although strengthening exercise, chest expansion and deep breathing can improve the symptoms caused by it, such as chest tightness, it cannot return the state of pleural thickening to normal. The pleura consists of two layers of plasma membrane with a gap between the two layers, which contains a small amount of fluid that acts as a lubricant and cushion. When people develop pleurisy, the exudation of inflammation increases the fluid between the two layers of the pleura, which in turn has an irritating effect on both layers of the pleura. If left untreated, this can lead to fibrin deposition and granulation tissue proliferation, fibrosis, and the formation of pleural thickening. This change is irreversible in most cases and cannot be self-healed by exercise. However, most of the discomfort caused by pleural thickening will gradually decrease or disappear due to the body’s self-compensation, such as chest tightness, and physical exercise can accelerate this process. Patients can still live a normal life despite the long-term presence of pleural thickening.