Myocarditis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Myocarditis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment, which is an inflammation of the myocardium, the muscular layer of the heart, which can lose its natural contractile strength and impair the action of pumping blood to the rest of the body. As a result of certain blood stasis clots can form in the heart , potentially leading to a stroke or heart attack .
What are the Main Causes of Myocarditis: Myocarditis happens in people of any age, more often in men than in women. Often there is no determining cause, but it is usually a complication of an infectious disease, almost always caused by a virus.
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Other less common causes of myocarditis are HIV infection , diphtheria, Chagas disease, Lyme disease (transmitted by tick bites), thymona (abnormal thymus growth), systemic lupus erythematosus, or thyrotoxic drugs.
Even rarer causes can be side effects of medications, harmful agents like alcohol, radiation, chemicals like hydrocarbons and arsenic, for example.
The main consequences of myocarditis are heart pump failure, that is, reduced ability of the heart to pump blood, and the appearance of cardiac arrhythmias .
Symptoms of Myocarditis: In milder cases, such as during a cold or flu, for example, myocarditis does not cause any symptoms. However, in more serious cases, such as bacterial infections, the following may occur:
- chest pain ;
- Irregular heartbeat;
- Feeling short of breath;
- Excessive tiredness;
- Swelling of the legs and feet;
How the Diagnosis is Made: When there is suspicion of myocarditis , the doctor may order some tests such as chest X-ray , electrocardiogram or echocardiogram to identify changes in the functioning of the heart.
These tests are especially important because the symptoms may just be caused by the infection in the body, without any change in the heart.
If the changes identified during this type of exam are very serious, the doctor may recommend consulting a cardiologist to start treatment with heart medication. Otherwise, only treatment of the infection that led to the onset of myocarditis is usually indicated .
Treatment of Myocarditis: Treatment of myocarditis depends on the cause and severity. Mild cases do not require specific treatment and usually heal spontaneously over time.
In patients with symptoms, treatment for heart failure from myocarditis is similar to that recommended for classic heart failure caused by long-standing hypertension or ischemic heart disease. Restriction of dietary salt, diuretics, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) are the mainstay of treatment.
In myocarditis caused by viruses, antiviral drugs such as Interferon beta can be used, but they are only effective if started early.
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In cases of fulminant myocarditis , the patient needs to be admitted to intensive care units to receive all the hemodynamic and respiratory support that an acute cardiac pump failure demands.