Myocarditis Heart Inflammation: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

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WHAT IS MYOCARDITIS (HEART INFLAMMATION)?

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WHAT IS MYOCARDITIS (HEART INFLAMMATION)?

You may have heard about myocarditis in the news recently, but do you understand how this heart inflammation can impact your health? While often overlooked, myocarditis can seriously affect your heart function and overall well-being. If you’re experiencing unexplained chest pain, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue, it’s crucial to consider visiting our Atlanta heart doctors for a thorough evaluation.

Myocarditis is like an unwelcome fire in your heart’s engine room. It occurs when the heart muscle becomes inflamed, often due to an infection or an immune system response. Think of it as your heart tissue becoming swollen and irritated, potentially interfering with its ability to pump blood effectively.

You might wonder why myocarditis is a cause for concern. While some cases are mild and resolve on their own, others can lead to serious complications:

Heart failure: Severe inflammation can weaken the heart muscle, reducing its pumping ability.
Arrhythmias: Inflammation can disrupt your heart’s electrical system, causing irregular heartbeats.
Sudden cardiac death: In rare cases, severe myocarditis can lead to fatal heart rhythm disturbances.
Dilated cardiomyopathy: Chronic inflammation can lead to an enlarged, weakened heart.
Blood clots: A weakened heart can allow blood clots to form, potentially causing stroke or heart attack.

Symptoms of myocarditis can vary widely. You might experience chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, or heart palpitations. Some people develop swelling in their legs or feel unusually tired during physical activity. In severe cases, you might experience symptoms similar to a heart attack.

By visiting our Atlanta heart doctors, you’re taking a proactive step toward detecting and managing this condition. Our cardiologists are experts in diagnosing and treating myocarditis. They can perform specialized tests like echocardiograms, cardiac MRIs, or even heart biopsies to confirm the diagnosis and assess the extent of inflammation.

During your visit, you’ll receive personalized testing and treatment. Our doctors will explain the potential causes of your myocarditis, ranging from viral infections to autoimmune disorders or even certain medications. They’ll work with you to develop a comprehensive treatment plan, which might involve medications to reduce inflammation, manage symptoms, and support your heart function.

Don’t ignore potential signs of heart inflammation. Schedule an appointment with our Atlanta heart doctors today for a thorough evaluation. While myocarditis can be serious, early detection and proper treatment can significantly improve outcomes and prevent long-term complications.

Remember, your heart’s health is crucial to your overall well-being. By addressing myocarditis promptly, you’re taking an important step in protecting your heart and ensuring it continues to serve you well for years. Our team is here to provide expert care, guide you through treatment, and support you in maintaining optimal heart health.

Read more about myocarditis and how CVG provides comprehensive cardiac care.

Causes and Treatment for Arrhythmias (Abnormal Heart Rhythm)

An abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly. Various heart conditions can cause arrhythmias, and which form of arrhythmia you experience depends on where in the heart it is found. Although not all of them are dangerous, it is still important to seek medical attention if experiencing an irregular heartbeat.

Myocarditis occurs when the heart muscle becomes inflamed, affecting your heart’s electrical system. This can cause irregular heart rhythms known as arrhythmias, including a rapid or abnormal heartbeat. Many factors can lead to an inflamed heart, although it is most commonly due to your body’s response to infections.

Types of Myocarditis

There are several kinds of myocarditis, and which one you are experiencing depends on the cause and the length of your symptoms. Acute myocarditis is a form of the illness that has developed relatively recently, sometimes suddenly. A viral infection usually causes it, and the symptoms can resolve as rapidly as they appear.

Chronic myocarditis occurs when it takes longer than usual to treat the disease or when symptoms reappear periodically after the first experience of the condition. This typically occurs due to inflammatory conditions that are more general than infections, such as autoimmune disorders, where the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissue in the body.

Lymphocytic myocarditis is a rare form of the condition that can result in severe symptoms that require hospital treatment. It occurs when white blood cells enter and cause heart muscle inflammation. This type of disease can also occur after a virus.

Causes of Myocarditis

Myocarditis is a rare condition, but when it does occur, it is typically due to an infection in the body. When you have an infection, your body produces cells to fight the virus. These cells release chemicals, and if any of the cells enter your heart, some of the chemicals they release can inflame your heart muscle.

Infections from viruses such as the common cold, influenza, or COVID-19 are common causes of myocarditis. Bacteria, fungus, or parasites can also cause the disease. In some cases, the disease occurs because of autoimmune disorders such as lupus or sarcoidosis. Environmental or toxic exposures, such as drug use, can also lead to inflammation.

Testing for Myocarditis

Diagnosing myocarditis can be difficult due to symptoms that can be attributed to a variety of medical conditions. To determine whether you are experiencing myocarditis and what the cause of the illness is, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history. Then, your doctor may conduct tests such as a chest X-ray, blood test, electrocardiogram (EKG), or echocardiogram. In some cases, you may be given a cardiac MRI or biopsy.

Treatment for Myocarditis

Myocarditis treatment cannot cure the condition, although identifying and treating the underlying cause can effectively manage symptoms. By treating the condition causing the inflammation, there is a likelihood it will resolve itself after.

Treatment for myocarditis can include prescription medications such as beta blockers to improve arrhythmias, ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure, diuretics to help decrease fluid buildup, and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. Your doctor will also likely recommend lifestyle changes, including reduced physical activity, a low-salt diet, and fluid restriction.

In severe cases of myocarditis where the above treatment options don’t work, your doctor may implant a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). If this does not improve heart function and you still show signs of heart disease or heart failure, you may be evaluated for a heart transplant.

Symptoms of Myocarditis

In the early stages of this disease, you may not experience any myocarditis symptoms at all. If symptoms develop, they can include chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, abnormal heartbeat, and signs of infection such as headache, fever, muscle aches, sore throat, leg swelling, diarrhea, and painful joints.

Why Choose CVG?

At CVG, our cardiologists offer extensive experience caring for patients using state-of-the-art techniques. Their compassion adds so much to your care because our doctors understand how heart issues can affect you physically and take an emotional toll. Trust is the #1 factor in the doctor/patient relationship. You can trust your CVG cardiologist with every aspect of heart care.

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Board-certified Doctors

CVG’s twenty board-certified heart doctors will guide you through your healthcare journey with the utmost compassion and individual attention. We aim to provide you with state-of-the-art cardiac care that includes the full spectrum of services, from testing to diagnosis and treatment. The doctor/patient relationship is built on trust. Through our combined efforts, we can conquer any challenge that comes our way.

Invasive therapies may also treat an abnormal heart rhythm, such as electrical cardioversion, which sends electrical impulses through your chest wall and allows normal heart rhythm to restart, or catheter ablation that disconnects the abnormal rhythm’s pathway. Suppose your doctor determines that electrical devices are the best course of action. In that case, you may be given a permanent pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or biventricular (B-V) pacemakers and defibrillators.

How CVG Can Help

CVG offers multiple services that can discover an enlarged heart or conditions that will lead to it. At CVG, we perform stress tests that will observe blood flow and test for various forms of heart disease. There are three types of stress tests that we perform:

A treadmill test is a test in which you will walk on a treadmill that gets faster and steeper every 3 minutes. This will stress your heart so that our nurse or doctor can determine your heart rate and blood pressure.
An echo test is performed before and after your treadmill test to determine how well your heart pumps blood.
A nuclear stress test is a treadmill test that is prefaced by an injection of medicine that shows the flow of blood to your heart.

We also offer cardiac catheterization to diagnose and treat several heart issues. If any of these tests determine a problem, we offer treatment solutions such as atrial fibrillation testing and catheter ablation. Learn more about our services here, or schedule an appointment to talk to our doctors.

Schedule Your Appointment with a CVG Atlanta Area Cardiologist

Expertise, experience, and compassion are the pillars of CVG’s patient-centered cardiac care. Please schedule your appointment with CVG today. Call (770) 962-0399 or 678-582-8586. You may also request an appointment online. If you have an emergency, don’t contact us online; please call 911.