What are the symptoms of myocarditis?

Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
Updated on September 04, 2024
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The clinical manifestations of myocarditis in patients depend on the extent and location of the lesion. Mild cases may have no symptoms at all, while severe cases can even present with heart failure and shock. Most patients have precursor symptoms of viral infection one to three weeks before the onset, such as fever, general fatigue, and muscle soreness. Some patients have gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Subsequently, they may experience palpitations, chest pain, breathing difficulties, edema, and even fainting or sudden death. The majority of clinically diagnosed myocarditis cases primarily present with or are primarily symptomatic of psychological frailty. A minority of patients may experience fainting or Aschner's syndrome as a result.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Can you exercise with myocarditis?

Patients with myocarditis should avoid exercising. Myocarditis is caused by acute or chronic damage to the myocardium due to viral infections. After contracting myocarditis, patients may experience palpitations and shortness of breath; severe cases can lead to heart failure, arrhythmias, and cardiogenic shock. For myocarditis, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for recovery. Patients with myocarditis must rest in bed, minimize physical activity, consume easily digestible foods, and eat a variety of vitamins and minerals through vegetables and fruits to maintain regular bowel movements. Effective antiviral drugs and treatments that nourish the myocardium should be used to help the damaged myocardium recover as soon as possible.

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Written by Chen Si
Pediatrics
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Is pediatric myocarditis serious?

The severity of myocarditis in children needs to be assessed by considering the child's clinical symptoms and corresponding clinical examinations comprehensively. Common clinical symptoms include chest tightness, fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. Most children have a history of upper respiratory tract infection before the symptoms appear. It is necessary to conduct routine blood tests, myocardial enzymes, troponin, myocardial antibodies, viral antibodies, electrocardiograms, and other relevant physicochemical examinations to further clarify the condition. Patients with mild symptoms and roughly normal laboratory results can improve on their own with rest. If there are clinical symptoms such as chest tightness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and related physicochemical examinations show abnormal changes, it is necessary to use medication to nourish the myocardium. During treatment, rest is advised, reduce fatigue, maintain emotional stability, and generally, the symptoms can improve within 10 to 15 days. For more severe cases, the treatment period may need to be extended accordingly.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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The dangers of myocarditis

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium. Most cases of myocarditis are self-limiting, but if not treated promptly, it can progress to dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy often begins insidiously. Once symptoms appear and the patient enters the stage of heart failure, the condition becomes very serious. Additionally, a minority of patients experience a fulminant onset, leading to acute decompensation or sudden death. Fulminant myocarditis and severe myocarditis progress quickly and have a high mortality rate, thus highlighting the dangers of myocarditis.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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Criteria for Diagnosing Myocarditis

The diagnosis of myocarditis is primarily clinical, based on typical precursor symptoms, corresponding clinical manifestations, and physical signs. The precursor symptoms usually occur one to three weeks before the onset, including symptoms of a viral infection such as fever, general fatigue, and muscle soreness, or gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Subsequently, symptoms such as chest tightness, palpitations, difficulty breathing, and even fainting and sudden death may occur. The physical signs generally include arrhythmias, commonly premature atrial contractions, premature ventricular contractions, or conduction blocks. There may be an increased heart rate which does not correspond to the body temperature, and there could be the presence of second or third heart sounds or gallop rhythm. A minority of patients may show signs of heart failure. Tests can include electrocardiograms, enzymatic studies, or echocardiograms, and magnetic resonance imaging may show symptoms of myocardial injury. To confirm the diagnosis, an endomyocardial biopsy must be performed.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Is myocarditis cough severe?

Patients with myocarditis often exhibit early symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and in severe cases, chest tightness and shortness of breath, even leading to shock or death, and syncope. Typically, the cough is not too severe, but if myocarditis is suspected, the patient should go to the hospital for timely diagnosis. Primary diagnostic tests include electrocardiogram, myocardial enzymes, and cardiac ultrasound. Once diagnosed, hospitalization for immediate treatment is necessary to prevent the condition from worsening. Because fulminant myocarditis can lead to death within days from minor symptoms, all myocarditis patients should be treated as severe cases and not be neglected.