Myocarditis symptoms
Myocarditis is a predominantly inflammatory lesion of the heart muscle( myocardium), usually as a result of a viral infection. In many cases, myocarditis does not cause any serious symptoms, although with severe development of the disease, there may be heart rhythm disturbances( arrhythmia), cardiac muscle weakness( cardiomyopathy), heart failure or cardiac arrest. Although in most cases the inflammation passes by itself without treatment and does not cause permanent damage, more serious or chronic forms of the disease may require hospitalization and treatment. Myocarditis can occur in people of all ages. Because he often does not have symptoms, he is sometimes diagnosed only after an adult with heart damage due to chronic myocarditis suddenly dies at a young age. In patients with viral myocarditis, pericarditis is often observed.
With the course of myocarditis can be acute, subacute or chronic.
Acute myocarditis is more often observed in infectious diseases, for example, viral( influenza), bacterial( diphtheria), and acute allergic reactions( with drug intolerance).
And also myocarditis can be of different origin: infectious, secondary( developed against the background of another disease), allergic, rheumatic.
It can develop as a secondary disease in such diseases as rheumatism, collagenoses, vasculitis, allergies, burns and injuries;
Myocarditis can develop as a result of side effects of certain drugs, for example, doxorubufer and mesalazine;
May occur if exposed to ionizing radiation.
Manifestations of myocarditis are: malaise, disability and fatigue, as well as palpitations, pain in the heart, shortness of breath, fever. The size of the heart increases, arrhythmia develops, that is, a violation of the rhythm of the heart.
Along with the signs of the underlying disease, there are tachycardia, other disorders of rhythm and conduction, dyspnea. When auscultation determine the weakening of heart sounds, especially I, a low systolic noise at the top. When X-ray examination can be observed transient expansion of the heart. Symptoms of congestive heart failure are usually moderate. In some patients, signs of heart disease appear after the infection, including after moderate catarrhal phenomena. In this case, persistent pain in the heart, small changes in the ECG( mainly the ST segment and the T wave) are observed. In such cases, it is difficult to differentiate myocarditis from myocardial dystrophy, which often takes longer. Against myocarditis is the absence of heart failure, increased heart, rapid dynamics on the ECG.
In infectious myocarditis, in addition to the drugs used to treat the underlying disease, appoint cordiamin, camphor, in a more protracted course - anti-inflammatory drugs( acetylsalicylic acid, brufen).In the presence of heart failure, cardiac glycosides are administered in small and moderate doses, sometimes diuretics. Acute myocarditis, as a rule, ends in recovery. Their heavier course is noted with concomitant cardiac pathology of other origin, for example, atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis. In rare cases, young people develop postmiocardic cardiosclerosis, which manifests itself in some rhythm or conduction disorders without a pronounced tendency towards disease progression and the development of heart failure.
Chronic myocarditis is observed primarily in rheumatism, as well as in collagen diseases.
Fidler's non-specific( idiopathic) myocarditis is a relatively rare disease that progresses with progressive heart failure, with the expansion of all heart chambers, rhythm disturbances and intra-cardiac conduction, thromboembolism. The disease begins acutely with fever, neutrophilic leukocytosis, increased ESR.Usually there are changes in the ECG, which reflect the hypertrophy of the chambers of the heart, the appearance of cicatricial changes. The course of Fiedler's myocarditis can be diverse - from acute, rapidly progressive, terminating lethally 1-3 months after the onset of the disease, to chronic, more benign, with slow progression of the disease. In this case, the signs of heart failure may be mild, occur at a later stage of the disease.
Diagnosis of the disease is based on a combination of manifestations of the disease, given echocardiography( a decrease in the contractility of the heart muscle is found).An ECG and X-ray examination is also required( an increase in the size of the heart is detected).In the general analysis of blood, inflammatory changes are revealed.
Necessary bed rest and complete rest. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, drugs that improve metabolic processes in the heart muscle. Glucocorticoid hormone therapy is performed.
In acute course with rapid progression of heart changes, prednisolone is prescribed up to 80 mg / day. With a slower chronic course, anti-inflammatory therapy with brufen, indomethacin, or small doses of prednisolone( 10-20 mg / day) is performed. In addition, symptomatic therapy of heart failure is performed. How to use folk remedies for this disease look here.
• Prevention of frequent colds.
• Increased immunity.
• Body hardening.
• Sanitation of chronic foci of infection, it is necessary to do everything to prevent infection in the body. To do this, you need to treat carious teeth, chronic tonsillitis, adenoids, etc.
• During influenza epidemic, it is necessary to carry out influenza vaccination and take antiviral drugs in preventive doses.
Prognosis of the disease with adequate and timely treatment is usually favorable.