Heart Muscle Inflammation( myocarditis ) is the Most cases of dilated heart muscle diseases ( dilated cardiomyopathy ). But not all the cases of cardiomyopathy are because of heart muscles inflamation. In fact, myocardits is often categorized as Heart muscle disease. Myocarditis most often occurs vomplication of a viral disease, but it is a rare complication. Viral infections are believed to cause indirect damage to the heart. The invading virus provokes proteins that are confined within the heart muscle cells to become exposed to the bloodstream. This sets of inflammatory process as the body mistakenly assumes these newly exposed proteins belong to foreign cells and attacks them in the same way it fights viruses and bacteria. The unfortunate result in the inflammation and injury to the body's own tissues (in case of myocardits, the muscles of heart.).
Many organisms can infect the heart muscles. Coxsackle-B a virus that usually infect the gastrointestinal track and is believed to be most offending agent. Many other viruses such as polio, influenza and rubella have been associated with myocarditis.
Myocarditis can occur as a rare complication of bacterial infections, including diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and tetanus. Other infectious organisms such as rickettsiae and parasites, may also cause inflammation in the heart muscles.
In central and south america Chagas(infectious illnes transmited by insects) is considered as the cause of myocarditis. Myocarditis can occur as a rare complication of bacterial infections, including diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and tetanus. Other infectious organisms, such as rickettsiae and parasites, may also cause inflammation in the heart muscle. In Central and South America, myocarditis is often due to Chagas
disease, an infectious illness that is transmitted by insects. Noninfectious causes of myocarditis are numerous, but all of them are rare. They include systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease in which the body attacks its own organs and tissues; adverse or toxic drug reactions; and radiation-induced heart injury as a complication of cancer radiotherapy. Often myocarditis, particularly in its mild form, produces no symptoms at ail.
However, it is frequently accompanied by an inflammation of the heart's outer membrane-the pericardium. Inflammation of the heart lining is called pericarditis and, unlike myocarditis, can cause severe pain that typically gets worse when the person takes a deep breath or changes position. Myocarditis may start as a flulike illness that lingers longer than the usual several days. If significant muscle damage and weakening of the heart’s chambers occur, symptoms of heart failure may develop. A month or two later, the symptoms of flu-weakness and malaise—merge with symptoms of heart failure—fatigue during physical activity and shortness of breath. If the illness is persistent and progressive, symptoms eventually become disabling enough for the person to consult a physician. By this time, however, the infecting organisms usually cannot be detected or cultured from the heart or other places in the body.
By the time the patient seeks medical help, all traces of the infecting organism or disease process that may have triggered the condition may be undetectable.
In some cases, the injury to the heart muscle is mild but persists or recurs intermittently over many years. Symptoms of heart failure sometimes appear 20 to 30 years after the initial viral illness. Patients usually do not recall having had a viral infection and often mistakenly interpret the symptoms as a sign of age until progressive heart disease produces more obvious signs of congestion and heart failure. Myocarditis is usually diagnosed after it has reached an advanced stage and produces heart failure.
Physical examination and a chest X-ray usually reveal signs of lung congestion and heart enlargement. An electrocardiogram may show changes of heart damage, and an echocardiogram demonstrates the characteristic abnormalities of severe myocarditis enlargement of all heart chambers and poor contraction of the heart muscle. In acute myocarditis, a heart biopsy, in which a small sample of muscle tissue is removed from the heart chamber for laboratory examination, may be performed to document the presence of an ongoing inflammatory process.
In cases of infectious myocarditis, however, it is usually impossible to grow the infecting organism from samples of the heart tissue. Mild cases of myocarditis with no signs of heart failure are usually not diagnosed and consequently remain untreated. When treatment is given, it is aimed at eliminating the underlying cause. When the cause is unknown, steroids (cortisone) are sometimes rescribed to reduce inflammation. (This approach to therapy has not yet been shown to be beneficial but is currently under study.)
Medications are also prescribed to relieve the symptoms of heart failure. During the acute phase of myocarditis, patients are advised to rest and gradually return to a more active life-style once evidence disappears of ongoing inflammation and heart injury. Many cases of myocarditis cause minimal heart damage. Heart function fully recovers in these mild cases. Occasionally, severe cases of myocarditis also clear up spontaneously and leave little permanent damage. More typically, however, severe inflammation produces chronic, progressive, and irreversible heart damage. Left untreated, myocarditis may lead to a severe form of pulmonary edema, or lung congestion, in which fluid leaks from the blood into the tissues and air spaces of the lung. The onset of this can be quite rapid, often waking the patient from sleep. Such patients are severely disabled and require emergency treatment. It must be emphasized, however, that myocarditis is rare and that viral infections rarely result in heart muscle damage.
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| Inflammation of Heart Muscle |
Many organisms can infect the heart muscles. Coxsackle-B a virus that usually infect the gastrointestinal track and is believed to be most offending agent. Many other viruses such as polio, influenza and rubella have been associated with myocarditis.
Myocarditis can occur as a rare complication of bacterial infections, including diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and tetanus. Other infectious organisms such as rickettsiae and parasites, may also cause inflammation in the heart muscles.
In central and south america Chagas(infectious illnes transmited by insects) is considered as the cause of myocarditis. Myocarditis can occur as a rare complication of bacterial infections, including diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and tetanus. Other infectious organisms, such as rickettsiae and parasites, may also cause inflammation in the heart muscle. In Central and South America, myocarditis is often due to Chagas
disease, an infectious illness that is transmitted by insects. Noninfectious causes of myocarditis are numerous, but all of them are rare. They include systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease in which the body attacks its own organs and tissues; adverse or toxic drug reactions; and radiation-induced heart injury as a complication of cancer radiotherapy. Often myocarditis, particularly in its mild form, produces no symptoms at ail.
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| Heart Muscle Inflammation |
However, it is frequently accompanied by an inflammation of the heart's outer membrane-the pericardium. Inflammation of the heart lining is called pericarditis and, unlike myocarditis, can cause severe pain that typically gets worse when the person takes a deep breath or changes position. Myocarditis may start as a flulike illness that lingers longer than the usual several days. If significant muscle damage and weakening of the heart’s chambers occur, symptoms of heart failure may develop. A month or two later, the symptoms of flu-weakness and malaise—merge with symptoms of heart failure—fatigue during physical activity and shortness of breath. If the illness is persistent and progressive, symptoms eventually become disabling enough for the person to consult a physician. By this time, however, the infecting organisms usually cannot be detected or cultured from the heart or other places in the body.
By the time the patient seeks medical help, all traces of the infecting organism or disease process that may have triggered the condition may be undetectable.
In some cases, the injury to the heart muscle is mild but persists or recurs intermittently over many years. Symptoms of heart failure sometimes appear 20 to 30 years after the initial viral illness. Patients usually do not recall having had a viral infection and often mistakenly interpret the symptoms as a sign of age until progressive heart disease produces more obvious signs of congestion and heart failure. Myocarditis is usually diagnosed after it has reached an advanced stage and produces heart failure.
Physical examination and a chest X-ray usually reveal signs of lung congestion and heart enlargement. An electrocardiogram may show changes of heart damage, and an echocardiogram demonstrates the characteristic abnormalities of severe myocarditis enlargement of all heart chambers and poor contraction of the heart muscle. In acute myocarditis, a heart biopsy, in which a small sample of muscle tissue is removed from the heart chamber for laboratory examination, may be performed to document the presence of an ongoing inflammatory process.
In cases of infectious myocarditis, however, it is usually impossible to grow the infecting organism from samples of the heart tissue. Mild cases of myocarditis with no signs of heart failure are usually not diagnosed and consequently remain untreated. When treatment is given, it is aimed at eliminating the underlying cause. When the cause is unknown, steroids (cortisone) are sometimes rescribed to reduce inflammation. (This approach to therapy has not yet been shown to be beneficial but is currently under study.)
Medications are also prescribed to relieve the symptoms of heart failure. During the acute phase of myocarditis, patients are advised to rest and gradually return to a more active life-style once evidence disappears of ongoing inflammation and heart injury. Many cases of myocarditis cause minimal heart damage. Heart function fully recovers in these mild cases. Occasionally, severe cases of myocarditis also clear up spontaneously and leave little permanent damage. More typically, however, severe inflammation produces chronic, progressive, and irreversible heart damage. Left untreated, myocarditis may lead to a severe form of pulmonary edema, or lung congestion, in which fluid leaks from the blood into the tissues and air spaces of the lung. The onset of this can be quite rapid, often waking the patient from sleep. Such patients are severely disabled and require emergency treatment. It must be emphasized, however, that myocarditis is rare and that viral infections rarely result in heart muscle damage.
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