Myocarditis – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment. Can you heal yourself completely?

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Myocarditis most often occurs as a result of viral and bacterial infections and allergic reactions. It is an inflammatory process of the heart muscle and is associated with acute chest pain and heart failure.

What is myocarditis

Myocarditis is a condition that most often occurs as a result of various types of viral or bacterial infections and allergic reactions. Myocarditis affects the middle layer of the heart, the endocardium, but can also be associated with pericarditis. This condition can be very dangerous, and the high-risk group includes the elderly, children, immunocompromised and chronically ill people.

The frequency of myocarditis is unknown. It does not run in families.

The causes of myocarditis

Among the causes of myocarditis, we can mention:

1. myocarditis most often occurs as a result of a virus that activates in the throat or respiratory tract and after it resolves;
2. digestive tract infection accompanied by diarrhea;
3. infection with diarrhea;
4. Myositis can be caused by bacteria: staphylococci or streptococci, which in immunocompromised patients occupy the endocardium;
5. the disease may be caused by atypical bacteria (e.g., chlamydia), microorganisms, parasites or fungi;
6. systemic lupus erythematosus,
7. sarcoidosis,
8. connective tissue diseases;
9. patients with autoimmune diseases may develop a serious form of myocarditis;
10. radiation also damages the heart muscle;
11. selected drugs, antibiotics, drugs (cocaine) or chemicals can cause a reaction involving the heart muscle (hypersensitivity reaction).

Myocarditis – symptoms

Myocarditis occurs as an inflammatory process of the heart muscle tissue or as an underlying condition with endocarditis or pericarditis. It consists in the swelling of individual muscle fibers, leading to their death, and in the acute course to heart failure. The diagnosis of the disease can only be made by a doctor, who will probably order a number of tests: ECG, CRP level and OB. Symptoms of myocarditis are:

1. general weakness
2. chronic, periodically increasing pain in the heart area,
3. faster and shortness of breath,
4. easy getting tired,
5. increased heart rate
6. the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias (most often in the form of extrasystoles) and atrioventricular conduction disturbances, usually in the form of XNUMXst degree block.

Diagnosis of myocarditis

If you experience the above symptoms of myocarditis, please consult your doctor immediately. If, due to pain, we feel breathless even at rest – an ambulance should be called. The doctor, when making a diagnosis, will first of all look for the causes of myocarditis. The following tests / examinations are used for diagnostic purposes.

1. EKG: helps to determine how the heart is working, whether it is rhythmically correct, and whether the heart is ischemic.

2. Blood count: helps determine if the patient’s leukocyte count has increased, while the degree of ESR acceleration and increased CRP protein may indicate inflammation in the body. High levels of tropins (heart markers) indicate advanced damage to the heart.

3. Chest X-ray: a test that allows you to closely look at the heart and see if there is fluid retention in the lungs (which indicates heart failure).

4. Echocradiography: this is an examination in which the doctor assesses the enlargement and function of the heart cavities. Whether the heart’s contractility is normal or defective, and whether the valves are working well. Thanks to the ultrasound of the heart, it is possible to diagnose any fluid in the pericardial cavity that surrounds the heart.

5. Magnetic resonance imaging: allows you to see any signs of inflammation and swelling of the heart muscle. This examination allows the diagnosis of myocarditis.

6. Myocardial biopsy: This is a test that involves taking small pieces of the heart muscle with a catheter inserted into a jugular or femoral vein. The doctor then assesses the cut sections and looks for signs of tissue inflammation.

Treatment of myocarditis

The treatment of myocarditis depends largely on its cause and the severity with which the inflamed process engulfed the muscle. At the beginning, doctors recommend that the patient rest as much as possible and give up physical activity for six months. It is also important for the patient to limit their alcohol consumption. In the initial stage of myocarditis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should not be taken as they increase the inflammation of the heart muscle.

In most cases, patients with myocarditis heal themselves. At present, glucocorticosteroids are quite rarely used in the treatment of MS (only in rare forms of the disease or in lupus accompanied by inflammation)

The treatment of myocarditis depends on its form.

Mild form: in this case, it is sometimes enough to relieve the symptoms of the infection that is responsible for this ailment and to rest during the treatment period. Cardiac therapy is not necessary as cardiac symptoms do not become apparent until the viral infection has cleared.

Patients with complications of MSM: often an irregular heartbeat is a reason for inpatient treatment. When the heart is contracting poorly or has an abnormal rhythm, doctors administer medications to reduce the strain on the heart or reduce swelling to remove any accumulated fluid.

Intense myocarditis: is the most severe form of the disease, in addition to rest, it is necessary to take intravenous preparations to maintain blood pressure. It happens that this type of therapy is ineffective, in such a situation it is recommended to use extracorporeal blood oxygenation or to install a booster pump to the main artery or directly supporting the work of the heart.

In extreme cases, myocarditis can seriously damage the heart muscle, and then the only option to save life is a transplant.

Can you completely heal yourself?

Usually, patients do not develop complications and the symptoms of the disease disappear after a few weeks. Sometimes, however, certain infections wreak havoc and leave behind persistent inflammation and complications. Keep in mind that inflammation of the heart muscle can permanently damage the heart muscle, which in turn damages the heart’s function and requires treatment. Even if the symptoms of myocarditis have resolved, it does not mean that everything has healed. You should save yourself, get plenty of rest and, of course, avoid physical exertion for at least a few months.

How to avoid the risk?

To avoid or lower your risk of getting myocarditis:

1. try not to be around people who are infected with viruses or flu-like viruses until they have completely recovered;
2. if you have a viral infection, do not expose others to disease (limit contacts);
3. remember about personal hygiene, wash your hands to avoid spreading infections;
4. remember to vaccinate against rubella and flu.