Myocarditis
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). The inflammation caused by myocarditis can affect your heart muscle and electrical system, reducing your heart's ability to pump and causing abnormal heart rhythms. Myocarditis often has no symptoms, but possible symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Abnormal or rapid heartbeat
- Light-headedness
- Fatigue
- Joint pain/swollen joints
- Swelling in your legs, ankles, or feet
To treat myocarditis, your doctor may put you on medications including diuretics, beta blockers, and ACE inhibitors. The medications your doctor may prescribe will relax your blood vessels and reduce the workload on your heart. If your heart has frequent abnormal rhythms, your doctor may insert a pacing device to keep your heart in a normal rhythm, such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).