Myocarditis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart muscle. It can be caused by various infectious and non-infectious factors.

Causes of myocardial inflammation

Infectious agents include:
- bacteria (most often, streptococci);
- viruses (parvovirus, adenovirus, hepatitis B and C viruses, cytomegalovirus, etc.);
- fungi, mycoplasmas and even helminths.

Non-infectious factors include:
- negative effects on the heart muscle of cardiotoxins (alcohol, cocaine, carbon monoxide);
- exposure to a large dose of ionizing radiation;
- medications;
- allergic and toxic reactions after insect bites and etc.

The prevalence of myocarditis is up to 20% of all non-coronary heart lesions. And from 5 to 11% of all diseases of the cardiovascular system.

So, in recent years, an increase in the incidence of myocarditis has been noted. This is due to the introduction of new diagnostic methods into clinical practice. The increase in the number of patients with myocarditis is also associated with:

• changes in the body's reactivity;
• incorrect and untimely use of medications;
• unjustified immunization and frequent reimmunization of the population, which leads to its allergization;
• global environmental changes;
• poor-quality nutrition;
• psycho-emotional stress.

Symptoms of acute myocarditis

Myocarditis can occur as an acute, subacute and chronic process.

Usually Cardiac pathology in acute myocarditis manifests itself at the end of the 1st or 2nd week from the onset of the infectious disease. In typical cases, myocarditis begins with fever. Such a nonspecific manifestation is more often mistaken for ARVI. Sometimes the first manifestations of myocarditis are: rapid fatigue, increased sweating, arthralgia, asthenia (general weakness, impotence).

Another manifestation of myocarditis can be pain in the heart area. In most cases, patients describe this pain as pressure behind the sternum, but the character can be both aching and stabbing. The intensity of the pain ranges from weak to unbearable. Pain in myocarditis is not associated with physical exertion, can be short-lived, or bother all the time. Usually the pain does not radiate, but it can mimic angina and radiate to the arm, shoulder blade, or left shoulder.

A common manifestation of myocarditis is shortness of breath, which precedes the pain syndrome. Sometimes it is accompanied by interruptions in the work of the heart (a feeling of rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeats).
It is important to remember that myocarditis can be completely asymptomatic and not manifest itself with any cardiac symptoms at all. Such myocarditis is masked as a primary infectious process (high fever, general malaise).

Therefore, myocarditis should be suspected in the presence of unmotivated tachycardia, arrhythmia and/or heart failure of unclear genesis.

Symptoms of chronic myocarditis

The clinical picture of chronic myocarditis consists of a sequential series of exacerbations that occur at indefinite intervals. Each of the exacerbations is initially taken for an acute respiratory infection, and only subsequent violations of the functional state of the heart allow us to find out the cause of the fever.

Certain laboratory tests and instrumental studies (ECG, ultrasound of the heart, MRI of the heart, myocardial biopsy) help in the diagnosis of myocarditis.

In case of any manifestations on the part of the heart, high temperature that does not go away, deterioration of well-being, you should consult a doctor and not self-medicate, because this can be dangerous for your health.