MYOCARDITIS
It was estimated in 2013 that approximately 1.5 million cases of acute myocarditis were recorded.
Affected by people of all ages, the young been the most often affected. Taking the lead as the prevalent
cause of heart transplants in the US, myocarditis is the inflammation of the myocardium – the middle of
the three layers forming the outer wall of the human heart also referred to as the heart muscle. Often
,most people suffering from myocarditis recover without complications, but in intense inflammation
cases which are rare, it can be dangerous as it causes damage to the heart and leads to some other
heart conditions such as cardiomyopathy- a condition where the heart muscle weakens or its structure
changes, pericarditis – a condition where the sac covering the heart is inflamed, and sometimes sudden
death. Myocarditis is not affiliated with lifestyle as most people who suffer from it are rather healthy.
CAUSES
The agents that trigger damage to the myocardium includes:
*Cytotoxic effects of viral, bacterial or fungal infection
* chest infection
*an autoimmune disease (a condition in which a person’s own immune system mistakenly attacks their
body)
*Some drugs and/or toxins such as clozapine, radiation therapy, arsenic, carbon monoxide,
*immune reactiom often as a result of infecting agents and cytokines catalyzed in the heart muscle in
response to infection or inflammation,
*sometimes the cause is not known.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
It is hard to know exactly how many people are affected because it mostly comes with no symptoms.
But If symptoms do occur, they may include:
-Shortness of breath when lightly exercising or walking at first, then at night while lying down,
-Irregular heartbeat or palpitation, which causes fainting in rare cases,
-Light- headedness,
-A stabbing/tightening pain or pressure in the chest, which may spread to another part of the body,
-Other symptoms such as a high temperature, body aches can also occur.
Symptoms in children and infant are nonspecific, they include:
Malaise, poor appetite, abdominal pain, chronic cough, fever, rash, diarrhea, joint pains and increase
difficulty in breathing.
DIAGNOSIS
Symptoms usually manifest within one to two weeks after the initial viral illness. In diagnosing
myocarditis, the following procedures are carried out:
An electrocardiogram (ECG) to check for an abnormal heart rhythm if palpitations have been
experienced,
An echocardiogram (echo) to check for heart muscle damage,
A chest X-ray which enables a physician to see heart, lungs, and other chest structures
TREATMENT
The diagnosis of the exact basic cause of myocarditis can aid in the most effective choice of treatment.
If the condition is present in a patient, the doctor will treat its cause, if possible. Oftentimes, the
underlying causative agent (such as bacterial infections) can lead to full recovery (for example, after
antibiotics). The doctor also tries to take the excess load off the heart so as to prevent complications.
The doctor will as well prescribe medicines to help the heart function better. Examples of such
medicines include :
ACE inhibitors
Calcium channel blockers
Diuretics
The doctor will also probably recommend a period of rest or less activity for at least 6 months and also
put the patient on a low-salt diet to keep fluid from accumulating. If there are complications, like a
blood clot or weakened heart, the patient will be hospitalized.In severe cases an implantable cardiac