Pericarditis may be the result of a neglected infection. However, pericarditis can no longer be taken lightly. Complications can be deadly. How to take care of yourself?

  1. The most common cause of pericarditis is a neglected viral infection
  2. It may be a complication of a previous flu, but research shows that pericarditis may also be caused by COVID-19 infection.
  3. This ailment can also be caused by autoimmune diseases and cancer
  4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

What is pericardium?

The pericardium is extremely important – it protects the heart. It consists of two parts – serous and fibrous pericardium. The serous pericardium is made of a thin membrane that consists of two plaques that smoothly merge into each other, the wall pericardium and the visceral pericardium. Between them is the pericardial cavity that is filled with fluid.

Thanks to the fluid, the chambers of the heart can move in the pericardium when it contracts. On the other hand, the fibrous pericardium is the outer layer of the pericardium and is made of connective tissue. The fibrous pericardium protects the heart in the event of an injury. Thanks to the fibrous pericardium, the heart expands only to the limits that are safe for it.

The causes of pericarditis

The most common cause of pericarditis is a neglected viral infection. Pericarditis may be a complication of the flu. Why is this happening? The virus multiplies in cells such as the heart muscle and damages it. The immune system responds to the attack by the virus, and inflammation is the body’s defensive response. The most common complications from influenza include myocarditis, acute coronary syndromes, exacerbation of chronic heart failure, and pericarditis.

Heart disease and COVID-19

Research has shown that there was an infection COVID-19 it also affects the heart and can damage it. This means that the risk of pericarditis is increasing due to the coronavirus. Other complications may include heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, thromboembolic complications, pressure problems, and arrhythmias.

  1. SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection can damage heart even in people with mild COVID-19 symptoms

Other causes of pericarditis

Bacteria can also cause pericarditis, but this is extremely rare. Such bacteria include, for example, tuberculosis bacilli. People who are HIV-infected or undergoing immunosuppressive therapy are at risk of developing pericarditis.

Not only infections can cause pericarditis. Autoimmune diseases are not without significance. These include: systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and hypothyroidism. Neoplasms also have an impact on the pericardium, most often they are metastases from other organs.

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Symptoms of pericarditis

According to the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology, pericarditis can be diagnosed if a patient has at least two of the four diagnostic criteria:

  1. chest pain typical of pericarditis;
  2. pericardial rubbing;
  3. changes in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings;
  4. pericardial effusion or an increase in the volume of pericardial effusion previously observed.

What characterizes this pericardial chest pain? It is sharp, prickly. It is felt in the precordial area, but may radiate to the neck and left shoulder. The pain becomes stronger when you breathe in deeply, when you cough or lie down. He gives way in a sitting position with a forward lean. Along with the pain, shortness of breath, fever, muscle and joint pain may appear. In addition, the patient has the impression of uneven heartbeat, lack of appetite, and sometimes loses weight.

Pericarditis can be acute or chronic (longer than three months), persistent (4-6 weeks without remission, but less than three months), and recurrent.

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Complications of pericarditis

One of the most serious complications of pericarditis is cardiac tamponade. This is a condition in which the pericardial sac filled with inflammatory fluid or blood compresses the veins that carry blood to the heart. Tamponade is fatal and can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death.

Treatment of pericarditis

Pericarditis most often requires hospitalization. In home conditions, treatment consists of refraining from strenuous exercise until pain is relieved, ECG results improve, and inflammation is reduced.

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Anti-inflammatory drugs are essential. The most common are acetylsalicylic acid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. ibuprofen.

Remember that pericarditis may come back. After the first ignition, as much as 30 percent. patients, within 18 months, see a doctor with a relapse.

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