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Health

Myocarditis Symptoms, Risks, and Treatments

myocarditis symptoms

There are different causes of heart disease. Most heart diseases are caused due to high blood pressure which aids in the hardening of the arteries. The second major cause would be the high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the arteries which result in arterial blockage. In the case of heart diseases affecting heart muscles, the heart muscles get stiff. This reduces the amount of pressure needed to expand or narrow the passage through which the blood flows. One such heart disease is Myocarditis. Myocarditis is caused due to the inflammation of the heart muscle called myocardium. Some of the common symptoms of this disease include chest pain, irregular or rapid heart rhythms, and shortness of breath. Viral infection is also the reason for the cause of myocarditis. The severe condition weakens the heart completely thereby the other organs won’t get enough blood.

Myocarditis Symptoms

Early myocarditis doesn’t have any symptoms in some people. Common myocarditis symptoms include:

  • Fatigue
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Inflammation in legs, ankles, and feet
  • Dizziness
  • Headache, joint pain, sore throat, or fever.

In some people, myocarditis symptoms are similar to that of a heart attack. If you get intolerable chest pain and shortness of breath, seek immediate medical help.

Causes of myocarditis

Certain viral infections, drugs, or any condition that creates whole-body inflammation are the causes of myocarditis.

Some potential causes may include:

  • Viruses – Many viruses like adenovirus (common cold), COVID-19, parvovirus (causes a mild rash on the skin), hepatitis B and C, and herpes simplex virus are linked to the inflammation of heart muscles. Mononucleosis, echoviruses, and rubella (German measles) can also cause myocarditis. Myocarditis can also be caused by HIV which causes AIDS.
  • Fungi – People with weakened immune systems are likely to attract fungal infections that may result in myocarditis. Such fungal infections include Aspergillus, Histoplasma (found in bird droppings), candida, and molds.
  • Bacteria – Some bacteria that cause diseases like diphtheria and Lyme and staphylococcus and streptococcus can cause myocarditis.
  • Parasites – Parasites transmitted by insects can cause Chagas disease. Chagas disease is more common in Central and South America than in the United States.
  • Drugs – Antibiotics like sulfonamide and penicillin, anti-seizure medications, cocaine, and drugs that are used to treat cancer have an impact on causing heart muscle inflammation.
  • Chemicals or radiation – Over-exposure to radiation and carbon monoxide can also cause inflammation in heart muscles.

How severe is myocarditis?

Mostly myocarditis goes away without any permanent complications. However, those with severe effects can permanently damage the heart muscle.

Risks include:

Heart failure – Untreated myocarditis can permanently damage the muscles in the heart which leads to poor pumping of blood to the heart and other parts of the body. This condition may require a heart transplant or ventricular assist device.

Heart attack or stroke – Injured heart muscles can’t pump blood out of the heart properly and this collected blood form clots. If in case, when this clot travels to an artery leading to the brain can cause a stroke.

Irregular heart rhythms – Damaged heart muscles cause rapid changes in the heart beats which certainly increases the risk of stroke.

Sudden cardiac death – Serious Arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms) can make the heart stop beating all of a sudden. This could cause sudden cardiac arrest.

How to prevent myocarditis

There’s no specific prevention method to protect from myocarditis. However, protecting us from various infections might help prevent the disease.

  • Avoid close contact with infected people – Stay away from people with symptoms of flu or other respiratory illness. Similarly, if you’re sick with a viral infection, it is good to avoid exposing others.
  • Washing hands regularly – Frequent hand-washing is one of the best ways to stay away from various viral infections and spreading illnesses.
  • Get vaccines – Get vaccines as recommended to protect against COVID-19, rubella, and influenza to prevent myocarditis. Talk to your medical practitioner to understand the benefits and risks of vaccines according to your age.

Diagnosis of myocarditis

To protect from long-term heart damage, it is important to do an early diagnosis. A typical examination procedure will include listening to your heartbeat with a stethoscope by your health care provider.

The following tests are done to confirm myocarditis and determine its severity.

  • Blood tests – To determine the severity of infection and inflammation or to check for signs of a heart attack, your healthcare provider will recommend blood tests.
  • ECG (Electrocardiogram) – This easy and painless test is carried out to determine how your heart beats. If there is a sign of irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), then your healthcare provider will proceed with other tests to confirm myocarditis. Nowadays, a smartwatch can offer electrocardiogram monitoring. Consult with your doctor, to know if this is an option for you.
  • Cardiac MRI – This test uses radio waves and magnetic fields to produce detailed images of the heart. This result shows the size, shape, and structure of the heart. From this, we can find heart muscle inflammation.
  • Echocardiogram – Here, sound waves are used for creating images of the heartbeat. This also shows how well blood flows through the heart valves. Echocardiogram is useful to determine the presence of any unwanted fluid around the heart.
  • Cardiac catheterization – A catheter (thin tube) is threaded through a blood vessel in the arm or groin to an artery in the heart. This tube helps identify the issues more clearly on X-rays.
  • Heart muscle biopsy – During the cardiac catheterization method, a tiny sample of heart muscle tissue is taken and sent to a lab to be diagnosed for infection or inflammation.

Treatment

Some people with mild myocarditis may require medications only for a few months and then recover completely. People with severe or permanent heart muscle damage may require life-long medication. Therefore, it’s important to have regular checkups with your healthcare provider to check for possible complications.

Surgeries

Severe myocarditis needs aggressive treatment procedures which include:

  • Ventricular assist device (VAD) – this helps in pumping blood from the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) to the rest of the body. VAD is commonly used to help the heart work while undergoing other treatments like heart transplants.
  • IV medications – Some medications are given through an IV to quickly improve the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively.
  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation – ECMO is a machine that works similarly to the lungs. This helps to add oxygen to the blood and removes carbon dioxide. During ECMO, blood is removed from the body, passed through the machine, and then returned to the body. This procedure is widely used during heart transplantation.
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Health

Lung Cancer Disease – A Detailed Overview

Cancer is a life-threatening health issue that affects people of all ages. It denotes abnormal growth and spreading of cells across the body. Usually, our body cells die at a certain stage after their complete growth. However, in the case of cancer patients, cells are produced enormously before the existing ones die. This overcrowding of cells in the blood leads to abnormal functions of the organs. Cancer is a tumor (solid form) that forms anywhere in the body. There are various types of cancers like breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, blood cancer, and so on. In this article, we are going to discuss lung cancer disease in detail.

What is Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that affects the lungs. The body’s cells in the lungs multiply uncontrollably. In the US, lung cancer is the third common cancer that causes death. These mainly lead to shortness of breath. It affects anyone but people who have the habit of smoking or having continuous exposure to smoke, exposure to chemicals in the workplace, etc. are likely to develop the disease in common.

Types of Lung Cancer Disease

Depending on the size of the cells as seen under a microscope, lung cancer can be differentiated into two types namely,

Small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This is a type of pulmonary malignancy that affects both smokers and non-smokers. In non-small cell lung cancer, the malignant (cancer) cells are formed in the tissues of the lung. Depending on the types of cancer cells (as seen under a microscope), this disease is further classified into three types:

Adenocarcinoma – in this condition, cells that line the alveoli will become cancerous. They form substances called mucus all over the lung.

Large cell carcinoma – As the name implies, it mainly affects the large cells of the lung.

Squamous cell carcinoma – This type is also called epidermoid carcinoma, it begins in the thin, flat cells lining the inside of the lungs.

Who Are Vulnerable To Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma?

Anybody who smokes or has continuous exposure to smoke is at high risk of developing pulmonary cancer.

Long exposure to arsenic, asbestos, beryllium, chromium, nickel, tar, etc. in the workplace will also make anyone a lung cancer patient.

People who have gone under radiation therapy to treat other types of cancer like breast are likely to be vulnerable.

Having a family history of lung cancer disease can also develop lately.

Symptoms of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

People with lung carcinoma do not show any symptoms until they reach the last stage. However, some common complaints include:

Shortness of breath

Wheezing

A cough that gets worse over time

Chest pain

Hoarseness in the voice

Sudden weight loss

Blood in vomit

Feeling extremely fatigue

Inflammation in the veins in the neck

How to Diagnose Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The examination can be carried out by using various test methods like

  • Imaging tests (CT Scan, X-Ray)
  • Understanding the lifestyle to check smoker/non-smoker or exposure to toxins & chemicals, etc.
  • Sputum cytology – in which a sample of mucus is examined under a microscope to check for malignant cells.
  • Thoracentesis – in which a needle is used to take a fluid sample of the lining of the chest and the lung. This fluid is then examined microscopically for cancer cells.

Stages of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Once the lung cancer is diagnosed, the staging of the cancer is identified by your doctor. The stages are described based on their severity and how far it’s been spread and affected other parts.

Hidden or Occult stage – This stage cannot be identified through imaging tests or bronchoscopy. However, cancer cells can be seen in mucus or a sample taken from the airways of the lungs.

Stage 0 – here the cancer cells are seen in the lining of the airways then it is called Stage 0.

Stage 1 – If a lung tumor is identified and it is under 4cm and not yet spread to other parts then it is called Stage 1.

Stage 2 – If the cancer cells have spread to nearby tissues and lymph nodes and the tumor size is under 7cm, then you are likely to be in Stage 2.

Stage 3 – The cancer cells are spread throughout the lymph nodes and other parts surrounded by.

Stage 4 – This is life-threatening, it means the cancer cells begun to affect bones and brain, i.e. distant body parts.

Treatment Options for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Standard treatment options available to treat non-small cell lung cancer are as follows:

  • Radiation therapy
  • Chemotherapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Targeted therapy
  • Laser therapy
  • Cryosurgery
  • Electrocautery
  • Photodynamic therapy

Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer is a type of lung malignancy in which cancer cells are formed in the tissues of the lungs. There are two types as follows:

  • Small cell carcinoma
  • Combined small cell carcinoma

Who Are At Risk, Symptoms and What Are The Treatment Options?

Like we discussed in brief for the previous type, people who are smokers or non-smokers, those who have long exposure to chemicals or toxins in the workplace, those who have undergone radiation therapy are vulnerable.

Similarly, the treatment options are common for both types of cancers.

Symptoms also remain the same for any type of lung cancer.

Stages of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer has two different stages as follows:

Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer – as the name implies, in limited-stage, the cancer cells are present only inside the lung or spread only to the lymph node.

Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer – as the name implies, the cancer cells are spread beyond the lungs or the lymph nodes.

Small cell lung cancer is recurring in patients who just recovered. It mostly affected the chest, brain, or other parts of the body. 

The treatment options available these days have side effects like hair loss, so talk to your doctor in detail. Similarly, discuss the survival rate before proceeding. 

Final Thoughts

The lung cancer information provided here is based on my studies and researches. It is a must to talk to your doctor, in case you doubt having the symptoms. Early-stage treatments have produced complete recovery from lung cancer. Do not panic; keep your mind calm and positive to come over this fatal disease with your doctor’s help successfully.

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Health

Silent Heart Attack Signs

A study says that the death rate of silent heart attacks is the same as those of non-silent heart attacks. In the case of Silent heart attack (SHA), the symptoms are hard to detect. It can only be detected through a careful study of medical history, testing blood for cardiac enzymes and ECG. Other methods include testing for certain hormones in the blood or a stress test. As there are no heart attack signs, it is difficult to treat the patient on time. People who are susceptible to such attacks are those who suffer from diabetes, strokes, and over the age of 65. Those who are under medication may also experience an SHA.

Treating a silent heart attack

The most important treatment for a silent heart attack is to restore the blood flow to the heart. Although these attacks lack the usual symptoms of a non-silent type, ordinary signs include discomfort in the chest, jaw, arms, or extreme tiredness, sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, etc.

Women are at risk

Women with the highest calcium content in their body are especially at risk when comparing to Men. Women who are after menopause are also more likely to suffer from this type of heart attack signs. Obesity is the major reason for cardiovascular problems in women. Other problems include,

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Diabetes
  • Family history of stroke and heart attack

New studies found that not only the women at age 65 are suffering from cardiovascular problems but also the younger women are developing heart diseases earlier. This is because of the calcium buildup in arteries. Therefore, it is a must to keep the calcium level in control. Consuming less cholesterol can reduce the risk factors of increasing calcium levels in the blood.

Like said earlier, restoring blood flow is the most common treatment for SHA. This will dissolve the clots in the artery. This blood clot is usually called a thrombus. Other methods include pushing the artery opened using a balloon which is commonly called angioplasty. As there are no signs of such blocks in the artery, the person will remain unaware of the risk and continue to have an unhealthy or normal lifestyle. This makes the situation riskier by developing more and more blocks in the artery. There are a few indicators to prevent this.

  • Mild chest pain
  • Shortness of breath

It is good to seek a medical checkup when any of these two or both occur.

Healthy exercises for a healthy heart

Cardiac health can be maintained only if we follow a habitual lifestyle that includes an intelligent exercise plan. Let’s find out useful and easy cardiovascular exercises for a healthy heart.

  • Swimming – one of the most entertaining ways for a healthy heart is swimming. It helps in reducing stress and burn calories effectively.
  • Walking – Walking is undoubtedly the best form of exercise to keep heart diseases away. Begin with a leisurely walk and carry out for about 30 minutes. Although this is not as effective as swimming in burning calories, it can be very entertaining and keep you relaxed for the whole day.
  • Jogging – Jogging for about 30 minutes is good at reducing stress and burning fat content in the body.
  • Biking – Riding a bike to a nearby grocery store or making an outdoor plan is entertaining and healthy for your heart.
  • There are other forms of exercises like aerobic, climbing, team sports like basketball, etc. These help burn out fats very quickly. Sports help pump more blood to the heart and strengthen the cardiac muscles.
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