The cause of the disease is often missed by cardiologists, and its symptoms can be confused with those caused by other diseases. Moreover, most of us barely know anything about this serious condition, which can sometimes lead to death. So, in order to better understand it, let’s find out the symptoms, causes and treatment options for myocarditis.
What is myocarditis?
Myocarditis causes inflammation of the heart muscle. This inflammation can cause the heart to enlarge and weaken, creating scar tissue and limiting its ability to circulate.
This inflammation of the heart can cause many symptoms. These include difficulty breathing, fatigue, heart palpitations, chest pain or pressure, dizziness, swelling of the hands, feet, ankles and feet and even a sudden loss of consciousness.
If you experience any of the above symptoms, no matter how weak, it is important to seek professional help. Although mild cases of myocarditis often improve on their own, more severe cases require medication and even surgery.
Causes of myocarditis
As I said before, a lot of cases of myocarditis are never associated with a direct cause.
For the past two years, myocarditis has been associated with the vaccine Covid 19. Symptoms of inflammation of the heart muscle occurred especially in young people and shortly after the administration of the vaccine. You need to know that the disease has resolved on its own in 99.9 percent of cases, so you don’t have to worry about that.
The main causes are usually attributed to a variety of viral infections that have made their way to the heart muscle. Viruses and bacteria are the most common cause of myocarditis. The most common culprits include Coxsackievirus group B, Human HerpesVirus 6 and Parvovirus B19. Bacteria have also been linked to myocarditis, Staphylococcus aureus or Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
Fungi and parasites, caused by yeast infections or interaction with various molds can also lead to myocarditis.
Diagnosis of myocarditis
Cardiologists at the Institute The heart of Cluj Napoca I know that a diagnosis is difficult to make because the symptoms are not specific. Myocarditis should be suspected in people who have recently started heart symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath, and who do not have a history of cardiovascular disease.
Early diagnosis can lead to long-term prevention of complications. In order to make a clear diagnosis, several imaging and laboratory analyzes are needed. Blood samples taken from a person suspected of having myocarditis may show an inflammatory syndrome and an increase in enzymes that indicate damage to the heart muscle.
The famous electrocardiogram (ECG) can identify relatively recently installed arrhythmias or heart disorders.
There are other types of imaging investigations that can diagnose myocarditis, but usually an experienced cardiologist can quickly figure out what it is.
95 percent of cases heal on their own
Doctors generally say that 95 percent of cases heal on their own, after the cause that led to inflammation of the heart muscle, like an infection, has disappeared.
Doctors say that the healing period in most cases is 14 days, during which time the patient is not allowed to exert effort. Although myocardial infarction may persist for several months, it is important to know that it will go away on its own.
In the other five percent of cases, it is a serious heart condition, doctors say that these patients need a clinical monitoring of the evolution of this disease.
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