Is Myocarditis Curable? Signs, Causes, and Symptoms

Is myocarditis curable? Yes, most patients only experience one bout of myocarditis, which they recover from with rest, medicine, and avoiding strenuous activity while their hearts heal. In the beginning, doctors will closely monitor your development. Depending on your circumstances, you can be granted a yearly follow-up appointment.

Myocarditis may remain longer or recur in some persons. It is a condition that leads to inflammation of the heart muscle, known as the myocardium. This muscle contracts and relaxes to help pump blood through the heart and the entire body.

When the myocardium becomes inflamed, its ability to pump blood efficiently decreases, leading to irregular heartbeats, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.

In difficult situations, it may result in blood clots that damage the heart, cause a heart attack or stroke, or even cause death. In most cases, your body responds to a wound or infection by inflaming. For instance, the tissue around a cut on your finger quickly expands and gets red.

However, myocarditis can sometimes be triggered by the immune system or other inflammatory conditions.

Why Does Myocarditis Develop?

The precise cause of myocarditis is frequently unknown. It’s thought that 50% of the time, the reason for acute myocarditis is unknown. Idiopathic myocarditis is the term for this.

When the etiology of myocarditis is identified, infection is typically to blame. This is because the bacterium or organism that causes a disease may occasionally make its way to the heart and harm the heart muscle directly. Other times, the immune system deals with the infection, which triggers an inflammatory reaction that might harm the heart muscle.

Furthermore, some autoimmune conditions, such as lupus, can lead to the immune system wrongly attacking the heart, causing inflammation and myocardial damage.

Types

Acute myocarditis

Myocarditis with a relatively recent or rapid beginning is referred to as acute myocarditis, and a viral infection typically brings it on. However, the symptoms of acute myocarditis might appear unexpectedly and disappear just as quickly.

Chronic myocarditis

Chronic myocarditis occurs when the ailment lasts longer than it should or when symptoms return after being treated. This can happen due to more widespread inflammatory illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, in which your body’s immune system assaults healthy cells and tissue.

Lymphocytic Myocarditis

Rarely occurring lymphocytic myocarditis can necessitate hospitalization for urgent care. It happens when white blood cells (lymphocytes) penetrate and inflame the heart muscle. This disease may develop after a virus strikes.

Idiopathic Myocarditis

Myocarditis is uncommon, but when it does happen, an internal infection is usually to blame. Myocardial inflammation can be brought on by infections with bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses (most frequently, viruses that cause the common cold, influenza, or COVID-19), or other microorganisms.

The immune system’s capacity to attack any organ in the body, including the heart, causes inflammation, and autoimmune illnesses, including lupus, sarcoidosis, and others, can also result in myocarditis. Myocarditis can also result from drug use, environmental exposure, or hazardous substances.

Causes

Myocarditis is mainly caused by microorganisms, which are listed as follows.

• Viruses
  • Adenovirus (common cold)
  • COVID-19 virus
  • Hepatitis B and C viruses
  • Parvovirus (mild rash in children)
  • Herpes simplex virus
  • Echoviruses (gastrointestinal infections)
  • Epstein-Barr virus (mononucleosis)
  • Rubella (German measles)
  • HIV (causes AIDS)
• Bacteria
  • Staphylococcus
  • Streptococcus
  • Bacteria causing diphtheria
  • Bacteria causing Lyme disease
• Parasites
  • Trypanosoma cruzi
  • Toxoplasma
  • Insect-transmitted parasites (cause Chagas disease, more common in Central & South America)
• Fungi
  • Candida (yeast infections)
  • Aspergillus (mold)
  • Histoplasma (found in bird droppings)

Other than viral infections, Myocarditis can also be caused by medications.

• Medications & Illegal Drugs
  • Cancer treatments
  • Antibiotics (penicillin, sulfonamides)
  • Anti-seizure medications
  • Cocaine (When caused by drugs, it’s called drug-induced myocarditis)
• Chemicals & Radiation
  • Carbon monoxide exposure
  • Radiation exposure
• Underlying Health Conditions
  • Lupus
  • Wegener’s granulomatosis
  • Giant cell arteritis
  • Takayasu’s arteritis

Symptoms

There may be few or no symptoms in the early stages. Typical signs might include:

• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Rapid or unusual heartbeat (arrhythmia)

Infection indicators:

• Diarrhoea
• Headache
• Fever
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Breathing difficulty
• Leg swelling

The most common signs and symptoms in children include fatigue, shortness of breath, stomach ache, and fever.

Diagnosis

Due to its broad symptoms and signs, it can be challenging to diagnose myocarditis. Your doctor will thoroughly examine your medical background and current symptoms and may order the following tests:

• Blood test
• Chest X-ray
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)

In some circumstances, a cardiac MRI or biopsy may be necessary.

Myocarditis can be challenging to diagnose in youngsters. This is because symptoms might be vague and confused with those of more widespread illnesses like pneumonia or asthma. Furthermore, it is riskier to perform a myocardial biopsy on youngsters, the gold standard for myocarditis diagnosis.

Children with myocarditis require careful management. While many kids bounce back on their own, some can develop more serious symptoms quickly, increasing their risk of developing heart damage. This can have a major impact on long-term health if it happens at a young age.

How Does Chest Pain from Myocarditis Feel?

When resting or exercising, tightness or squeeze in the chest is usual. If you’re lying down, it might also occur. Sharp or stabbing chest pain is possible, and it may radiate to other parts of your body.

If the inflammation in your heart muscle also affects the pericardium, the lining of the heart, chest discomfort may feel better when you lean forward and worse when you lie back.

Additional heartbeats that feel like a flutter in your chest are another symptom of inflammation. Additionally, you might experience lightheadedness if a sequence of several other beats is strung together.

What Can I Ask the Doctor?

The treatments will be discussed, and your doctor will explain which is best for you. Before a visit, some people find it helpful to brainstorm questions they want to ask their doctor and write them down on paper or on their phone so they remember to bring them up. For example, you might find it useful to ask your doctor the following questions:

• What’s the next step in my plan?
• Any advice on controlling symptoms?
• When and how may I resume exercising?
• When and how can I resume my job?
• You can have concerns that are humiliating or awkward to bring up. Your doctor has discussed all of the questions you have with many other individuals as well.

Added Measures that Could be Helpful

• Use pillows to achieve a comfortable position. For example, some people find that leaning forward and resting their arms on a table works well, while others may find that utilizing more pillows while sleeping works.
• Put on airy, loose-fitting clothing.
• Keep hydrated.
• Maintain a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

If I Suspect I Have Myocarditis, Which Doctor Should I Consult?

Your primary care physician is a good place to start if you only have minor myocarditis symptoms. If your symptoms are severe, an emergency hospital doctor may examine you first. Most certainly, a cardiologist and perhaps an infectious disease specialist will be recommended for you.

Frequently Asked Questions