Myocarditis

From ArticleWorld

The myocardium, or heart muscle, contracts when pumping blood out of the heart and then relaxes as blood enters the heart. Myocarditis is when the muscle becomes irritated or swollen. In extreme cases, it may cause sudden death – it has been found to be responsible for 20% of all cases in young adults – and congestive heart failure.

Symptoms

Symptoms of myocarditis include heart palpitations and pain in the chest area. Fever and pain in the joints may also be symptoms when a viral infection has caused the disease.

Causes

Most common among the many causes are infections, usually viral, bacterial or fungal. It can also be caused by allergies, drugs or a physical effect such as an electric shock or radiation. It may also be considered a degenerative disease of old age. It is quite common for chemotherapy to inflict myocardial damage on the cancer patients undergoing the treatment.

Treatment

Analgesics or anti-flammatory drugs are prescribed as pain relievers. If the ailment has been found to be due to a bacterial infection, antibiotics are prescribed. However, there is no specific procedure for treating myocarditis and any treatment given is based on the symptoms rather than the disease.