Symptoms of myocarditis

The symptoms of myocarditis depend on the cause and severity because some people do not have any symptoms, and their only sign of heart inflammation is a temporary abnormal result on an electrocardiogram. In the same time, other people who developed myocarditis experience fever, chest pain, cardiac arrhythmias, sudden loss of consciousness, or signs of heart failure such as shortness of breath and leg swelling.

Other symptoms are:

• chest pain that may resemble a heart attack
• joint pain or swelling
• abnormal heartbeat
• fatigue
• shortness of breath
• leg swelling
• inability to lay flat
• low urine output

Other symptoms consistent with a viral infection are headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, sore throat, or rashes.

The doctor will suspect myocarditis based on medical history and symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor will examine you, and pay special attention to your heart. This exam must follow specific procedures such as ECG, a chest X-ray, and blood tests. In people with signs of more severe heart damage, an echocardiogram or other specialized heart tests may be necessary. This might help your doctor in checking for abnormalities in heart size and function. In some patients, blood tests check whether myocarditis relates to Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis viruses, HIV, or another virus. Some medical centers can also isolate certain types of viruses from the material taken of patient’s samples. Most commonly, those are samples of stool, throat washings or other body fluids. Myocarditis is hard to diagnose because it can resemble many other similar diseases. Your doctor may suspect that you have myocarditis if your symptoms have appeared within six months of having an infection. A number of tests may help your doctor confirm the diagnosis. With a stethoscope, doctors can listen for a rapid heartbeat or tachycardia, while blood tests check for recent infection or signs of inflammation in the body. A chest x-ray can show the doctors if there is a buildup of fluid in the lungs, called pulmonary edema, which is one of the signs of heart failure. Electrocardiography can help the doctors learn more about your heart rhythm and the size and function of the chambers of the heart. Echocardiography helps your doctor see heart wall motion and overall heart size. Beside these diagnostic methods, there is procedure were a doctor removes a tiny sample of the heart muscle, using a special device called a bioptome. This procedure is called endomyocardial biopsy where the sample undergoes testing for signs of infection.

Myocarditis prevention

You can avoid many cases of myocarditis caused by infections by practicing good hygiene, especially washing your hands often. It is easy to prevent diphtheria myocarditis by undergoing diphtheria immunization. You know all about HIV prevention, so just follow safe sex practices and avoid intravenous drug use. Myocarditis caused by insect-borne Chagas' disease can be prevented by using effective insecticides in Latin American countries where the illness is common. Prompt treatment of diseases that can lead to myocarditis may reduce the risk of developing this condition.