Overview

What is Myocarditis?

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the myocardium, which is the heart muscle. The disease can easily complicate the heart's normal blood-pumping functions. Myocarditis symptoms include dyspnea, rapid or arrhythmic heartbeat, and chest pain.

A viral infection may be a possible cause of myocarditis. It is sometimes a side effect of a reaction caused by certain medications or an illness that involves inflammation of almost all parts of the body.

Severe myocarditis weakens the heart to the extent that it cannot pump the necessary amount of blood throughout the body. Heart clots might contribute to a stroke or heart attack.

Myocarditis can be treated through medicines, operations, or surgery.

What are the signs of Myocarditis?

There are cases where very early myocarditis occurs symptom-free. Some individuals do not experience more than minor side effects.

Indicators of myocarditis include:

Chest pain
Swelling in your legs, ankles, and feet
Feeling like your heart is racing or skipping beats due to arrhythmias.
You feel winded when sitting still or after some activity.
You experience dizziness or a feeling like you are passing out.

A flu-like side effect, including sore throat, fever, joint pain, headache, and generalized body aches and pains

Side effects from myocarditis may sometimes overlap with those of heart failure. If you have severe chest discomfort and can't breathe, call your local emergency number immediately.

What causes myocarditis?

Myocarditis can be due to infections.

Viruses: Various viruses, including but not limited to the COVID-19 virus, the adenovirus responsible for the common cold, the parvovirus responsible for minor rashes in children, the hepatitis B and C viruses, and the herpes simplex virus, among many others, have been associated with myocarditis.
Rubella, also known as German measles, the Epstein-Barr virus that causes mononucleosis, and echoviruses can all cause intestinal infections, leading to myocarditis. Apart from this disease, AIDS and HIV can also cause myocarditis.
Microbes: The bacteria causing Lyme disease, diphtheria, staphylococcus, and streptococcus are some of the causes of Myocarditis.
Parasites: Trypanosoma cruzi and Toxoplasma parasites can cause Myocarditis. Chagas' illness is an ailment that may be caused by specific parasites that are carried by insects. Chagas' illness is, in fact, fundamentally more common in Focal and South America than it is in the US.
It also encompasses insect parasites, such as Myocarditis. This may be caused by some infectious triggers, especially in people whose immune systems are already weak. Molds, like Aspergillus, yeast diseases, such as candida, and histoplasma-that are brought on very frequently by bird droppings, are examples of fungi.

Some other causes of myocarditis include:

Different drugs- Such as anti-epileptic drugs, cocaine, penicillin and sulfonamide pharmaceuticals, and chemotherapy drugs, among others. The term used in the case of all these is drug-induced Myocarditis.

What are the diagnoses and tests for Myocarditis?

It is simple to diagnose Myocarditis in the early stages before severe damage to the cardiovascular system occurs. You can be assessed by a physician and your heart listened to with a stethoscope to see if you have Myocarditis.

You can be taken through imaging and blood tests for verification of the intensity with which you may have Myocarditis. Imaging tests can be conducted to evaluate the severity of Myocarditis and establish its presence.

Your doctor or cardiologist may suggest certain tests to eliminate Myocarditis or other diseases. Some of them are mentioned below:

Chest X-ray
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
Cardiac catheterization.
ECG is the short form of "electrocardiogram".
Blood test.

What is the treatment for myocarditis?

The treatment of Myocarditis is dependent on your heart inflammation and the cause of the disease. Normally, when proper measures are taken, myocarditis improves and is even completely resolved in most cases.

Myocarditis is usually treated with the following medications:

Steroids: A class of drugs called corticosteroids decreases inflammation and the strength of your immune response.
Heart-solid meds: If you are experiencing symptoms of myocarditis or heart failure, your doctor may give you heart drugs to decrease your heart's workload.
Diuretics: This can help you lose fluid accumulation.

If you have a more severe form of myocarditis or if you require support with heart failure, VADs can be used to pump blood from your lower chambers into the remainder of your body.

Treatment of underlying conditions-

Your primary care doctor would also treat any underlying conditions, which could be infections or immune system disorders that may be causing your myocarditis.

Your doctor can also advise you to rest fully as you get better.

Minimize fluid intake
Reduce sodium intake
High intensity of physical activities also exposes the individual to a risk of sudden cardiac death, with the possibility of its occurrence once you recover. Therefore, from the time you get the diagnosis, you should not engage in vigorous exercises for a time not less than three to six months.

If your heart failure is due to severe myocarditis, then the clinic may have to undertake further advanced treatments. The placement of a pacemaker or defibrillator may be necessary. In cases of serious heart disease, doctors would advise a heart transplant.

Living With

How can I look after myself if I have myocarditis?

Myocarditis can recur even after many years. If your symptoms recur, see your doctor. You must attend follow-up appointments with your doctor for an enhanced long-term chance at health.

Continue taking medications as prescribed.
Do not exercise until your doctor feels you are well
Reduce the amount of salt in your diet.
Quit using goods made of tobacco.
Avoid alcohol.
They can also resit some of the evaluation tests. These include;
MRIs or magnetic resonance imaging.

Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Myocarditis?

Tender Palm Hospital has the most experienced team of Cardiologists, Cardiac Surgeons, and diagnostics with the latest and International standard infection control measures in Lucknow, India. The Cardiac Science Centre team has decades of experience in successfully treating Myocarditis.