Is myocarditis cough severe?

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on December 02, 2024
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Patients with myocarditis often exhibit early symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and in severe cases, chest tightness and shortness of breath, even leading to shock or death, and syncope. Typically, the cough is not too severe, but if myocarditis is suspected, the patient should go to the hospital for timely diagnosis. Primary diagnostic tests include electrocardiogram, myocardial enzymes, and cardiac ultrasound. Once diagnosed, hospitalization for immediate treatment is necessary to prevent the condition from worsening. Because fulminant myocarditis can lead to death within days from minor symptoms, all myocarditis patients should be treated as severe cases and not be neglected.

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Written by Xiao Chang Jiang
Cardiology
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Is myocarditis serious?

Is myocarditis serious? In fact, myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium. Patients with myocarditis may experience symptoms such as fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, discomfort or pain in the precordial area, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc. During examinations, we often see slight enlargement of the heart, arrhythmias, gallop rhythm, and other manifestations of heart dysfunction. In severe cases, myocarditis can lead to fulminant myocarditis, such as severe heart failure or cardiogenic shock, often accompanied by arrhythmias. Even with timely and standard treatment, death may occur due to the severity of the condition. Even if patients with myocarditis recover, they may still have some sequelae on the electrocardiogram, such as atrioventricular block, bundle branch block, premature beats, or junctional rhythm.

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Written by Chen Si
Pediatrics
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Is pediatric myocarditis serious?

The severity of myocarditis in children needs to be assessed by considering the child's clinical symptoms and corresponding clinical examinations comprehensively. Common clinical symptoms include chest tightness, fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. Most children have a history of upper respiratory tract infection before the symptoms appear. It is necessary to conduct routine blood tests, myocardial enzymes, troponin, myocardial antibodies, viral antibodies, electrocardiograms, and other relevant physicochemical examinations to further clarify the condition. Patients with mild symptoms and roughly normal laboratory results can improve on their own with rest. If there are clinical symptoms such as chest tightness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and related physicochemical examinations show abnormal changes, it is necessary to use medication to nourish the myocardium. During treatment, rest is advised, reduce fatigue, maintain emotional stability, and generally, the symptoms can improve within 10 to 15 days. For more severe cases, the treatment period may need to be extended accordingly.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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How is myocarditis detected?

The diagnosis of myocarditis includes several aspects: The electrocardiogram may show STT changes, or various arrhythmias. Chest radiography may reveal an enlarged cardiac silhouette, while an echocardiogram may be normal or show left ventricular enlargement. Magnetic resonance imaging may show myocardial edema or congestion. Biochemical examinations may reveal elevated levels of troponin and myocardial enzymes, as well as increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Additional diagnostic methods include etiological examinations, which can identify viral infections through blood or stool samples. Furthermore, endocarditis or myocardial biopsy can provide definitive diagnosis.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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The dangers of myocarditis

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium. Most cases of myocarditis are self-limiting, but if not treated promptly, it can progress to dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy often begins insidiously. Once symptoms appear and the patient enters the stage of heart failure, the condition becomes very serious. Additionally, a minority of patients experience a fulminant onset, leading to acute decompensation or sudden death. Fulminant myocarditis and severe myocarditis progress quickly and have a high mortality rate, thus highlighting the dangers of myocarditis.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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Manifestations of myocarditis

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium. Its manifestations depend on the extent and location of the condition; mild cases may have no symptoms, while severe cases can lead to cardiogenic shock and sudden death. Most patients experience precursor symptoms of viral infection one to three weeks before onset, such as fever, general fatigue, and muscle soreness, or gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Subsequently, they may experience palpitations, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and potentially fainting or sudden death. Clinically diagnosed myocarditis is mostly due to arrhythmias as the primary complaint, or patients seek treatment for common symptoms.