Myocarditis is an inflammation of the muscle of the heart, called the myocardium. It could also involve the electrical part of your heart, reducing the pumping power of your heart and making your heart beat irregularly.
The most common cause of myocarditis is a viral infection but it may also be caused by other inflammatory conditions. If you experience symptoms of myocarditis, make sure you check in with your doctor to evaluate you.
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Symptoms
In the early stage, there may be no symptoms at all. But as the disease progresses, symptoms begin to develop and they include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Fever
- Irregular heart beat
- Fatigue
- Swelling of the ankles
Causes
Many times, the causes are unknown but a number of causes have been identified. Even when you have these things, it’s difficult to develop myocarditis from them because myocarditis is rare. Some of the possible causes include:
- Viruses e.g. Adenovirus (common cold), COVID-19, Coxsackie B, Parvovirus B19, HIV, HHV-6)
- Parasites e.g. Trypanosoma Cruzi and Toxoplasma gondii
- Certain bacteria including staphylococcus and streptococcus
- Yeast infections
- Carbon monoxide toxicity
- Rheumatic fever
- Drugs (Doxorubicin, Cocaine)
- Autoimmune diseases
Complications
- Inability of the heart to pump blood adequately (heart failure)
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Sudden death
Treatment
Many times, myocarditis improves without treatment. Treatment involves a variety of options and the choice depends on how severe your symptoms are. They include:
- Medications to help your heart pump blood better
- Captopril, Lisinopril, Ramipril
- Losartan, Valsartan
- Beta blockers such as Carvedilol, Metoprolol, Bisoprolol
- Diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix)
- Ventricular assisted devices to mechanically pump blood from your heart into the body
- Intraaortic balloon pumping. This assists the heart to pump blood more efficiently into the body system. The doctors insert a very thin tube into your blood stream through your leg. They watch the wire through an X-ray and when it reaches your aorta, they inflate a ballon in the wire. This reduces the workload of the heart.
- Extracorporal membrane oxygenation. This device helps to provide oxygen to the body.
