Rapid or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias) Shortness of breath, at rest or during activity. Light-headedness or feeling like you might faint. Flu-like symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, fever or sore throat.
What does myocarditis chest pain feel like? It's common to feel a sensation of tightness or squeezing in the chest, either when at rest or when active. It could also happen if you're lying down. You may have chest pain that feels sharp or stabbing, and chest pain/discomfort may spread to other parts of your body.
Many people may exhibit no noticeable signs of myocarditis. You may feel sick or have some general viral symptoms but you may not know that your heart is being affected.
Symptoms of myocarditis can seem like a heart attack. Get emergency medical help if you have unexplained chest pain, rapid heartbeats or shortness of breath. If you have severe symptoms, go to the emergency room or call for emergency medical help.
When respiratory symptoms are prominent, myocarditis may be misdiagnosed as pneumonia, bronchiolitis, or asthma. Myocarditis may present like congestive heart failure due to other causes— including congenital malformations of the heart, valvular disease, cardiac ischemia, and Kawasaki disease.
When inflammation of the pericardium occurs along with myocarditis, people may have chest pain. Dull or sharp pain may spread to the neck, back, or shoulders. Pain ranges from mild to severe. Chest pain due to pericarditis is usually made worse by movement of the chest such as coughing, breathing, or swallowing food.
Myocarditis Recovery Time
Most cases of myocarditis are self-resolving. Other cases recover several months after you receive treatment. In some cases, this condition can recur and can cause symptoms related to inflammation such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
Signs & Symptoms
The symptoms of myocarditis are not specific to the disease and are similar to symptoms of more common heart disorders. A sensation of tightness or squeezing in the chest that is present with rest and with exertion is common.
Myocarditis symptoms include chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations (sensation of irregular heartbeat), decreased exercise tolerance and swelling in the extremities.
Myocarditis typically lasts for approximately six weeks. The overall health of the person affected and the degree of inflammation are both crucial factors for recovery. Additionally, it is also very difficult to say when exactly the inflammation has resolved.
The long-term prognosis was usually good, with a 3 to 5-year survival ranging from 56 to 83%, respectively. Patients with acute fulminant myocarditis have an excellent long-term prognosis of 93% at 11 years once they survive the acute illness.
Myocarditis comes in 2 forms: acute (a sudden presentation that is typically more dramatic) and chronic (a presentation where the symptoms may come and go, but resolve very slowly or not at all).
At the cellular and tissue levels, the pathological progression of viral myocarditis consists of 3 stages: the acute stage triggered by viral entry and replication, the subacute stage characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration, and the chronic stage featuring cardiac remodeling.
What are the signs of myocarditis? Chest pain is the most common symptom of myocarditis, and the discomfort is typically more noticeable and pronounced when lying down rather than when sitting up.
A viral infection is the most frequent cause of myocarditis, or inflammation in your heart muscle. This rare heart condition weakens your heart muscle, making it harder for your heart to pump. Some people don't have symptoms, while others have severe symptoms. Medications often help with myocarditis.
If you have gradual shortness of breath, you may have trouble lying flat in bed, and you may have to sleep on 2 or more pillows. Your shortness of breath may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night.
Patients can usually return to their normal daily activities after their symptoms improve. Those who have been diagnosed with myocarditis should consult with their cardiologist (heart doctor) about return to exercise or sports.
The main difference between pericarditis, myocarditis, and endocarditis is the layer affected. Pericarditis is inflammation in the pericardium, myocarditis inflames the myocardium, and endocarditis means inflammation in the endocardium.
Myocarditis has been considered a rare but serious potential side effect from COVID-19 vaccination, more often after a second dose than after the first, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
mRNA vaccines
A small increased risk of myocarditis and/or pericarditis has been observed in people following vaccination with an mRNA vaccine (i.e. Pfizer or Moderna) compared with unvaccinated people. The risk is higher with Moderna than with Pfizer.