Myocarditis is what?

Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
Updated on January 15, 2025
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Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium, primarily caused by viral infections. Typically, signs of infection such as fever, generalized fatigue, muscle soreness, or gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and vomiting appear one to three weeks before the onset of myocarditis. Patients may experience palpitations, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, edema, and even fainting or sudden death. Clinically, viral myocarditis is mostly diagnosed due to arrhythmias as the main complaint or primary symptom, and in rare cases, it can lead to fainting or Aschoff's syndrome. For patients with myocarditis, timely examinations like myocardial enzymes, troponins, electrocardiograms, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI are crucial to confirm the diagnosis. Appropriate treatment should be administered to prevent the myocarditis from progressing to cardiac arrest or heart failure.

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Written by Xiao Chang Jiang
Cardiology
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What to eat for myocarditis?

For patients who already have myocarditis, what should we feed them? This is a question that confuses many people. In fact, patients with myocarditis should eat high-protein foods, high-vitamin foods, and those that are low in calories or easy to digest, such as a low-salt diet. It is recommended to eat small meals frequently and avoid foods that are spicy, heavily flavored, or irritating. For high-vitamin foods, the main choices include fruits, some vegetables, bean sprouts, kelp, seaweed, and black fungus, all of which are very good options. Low-calorie foods such as cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, job's tears, and papaya are also good choices. High-protein foods include soybeans, peanuts, seaweed, mushrooms, nuts, milk, lean meats, eggs, fish, shrimp, and more. We also recommend easily digestible foods, like millet porridge and noodles, as well as a low-salt diet, recommending a daily salt intake of no more than 3 grams for patients with myocarditis.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Do children with myocarditis have a fever?

In general, viral myocarditis is the most common form of myocarditis in children. This condition can be caused by various viruses such as influenza, parainfluenza, Coxsackie virus, adenovirus, etc., affecting the pediatric cardiac muscle tissue, which in turn can lead to symptoms of myocarditis. Since it is an infectious disease, fever is a common symptom. Fevers associated with myocarditis might present as high or moderate. Treatment primarily focuses on cardiac recovery, nourishing the cardiac muscle, steroids, and immunoglobulins, among others. Severe myocarditis is a critical condition that requires timely diagnosis and treatment to avoid worsening the situation.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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What are the symptoms of myocarditis?

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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What irritants should myocarditis avoid?

Suffering from myocarditis, fear of emotional stimulation. Myocarditis is caused by viral infection resulting in damage to the myocardium. Severe myocardial damage requires bed rest, maintaining a pleasant mood, and treatment with effective medication under the guidance of a doctor. Frequent anger or temper tantrums can cause increased sympathetic nervous excitability, leading to faster heart rates and increased cardiac burden. In severe cases, it can lead to acute heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiogenic shock, or even sudden death. Therefore, after being diagnosed with myocarditis, it is crucial to pay close attention to maintaining a cheerful mood and actively cooperating with the doctor for effective treatment.

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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.