The survival time of pulmonary effusion is related to the original disease causing the effusion and cannot be generalized. Pulmonary effusion is a common clinical symptom, and many diseases can cause it, such as lung infection, benign pleural disease, drug factors, malnutrition, etc. If the primary disease of such diseases is effectively controlled, the symptoms of pulmonary effusion will be relieved accordingly. In the case of lung cancer, lung metastases and other malignant diseases that lead to pulmonary effusion, the primary disease cannot be controlled, so pulmonary effusion will recur and the patient’s life expectancy may be only 3-5 years. Patients with pulmonary effusion may have symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, chest tightness, weakness and coughing, so the primary disease should be actively treated and secondary symptoms will improve. Patients who develop symptoms of hydrocele should promptly consult a respiratory clinic to identify the primary cause behind the clinical symptoms, and treat the cause and symptoms in a timely manner to relieve the patient’s symptoms and obtain a longer survival period.