Myocarditis and pericarditis

The symptoms of myocarditis and pericarditis can be very similar, with chest pain and breathlessness being the most common.

Symptoms of both myocarditis and pericarditis can  include:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath, at rest or during activity
• Fatigue
• Swelling in the hands, legs, ankles or feet
• Heart palpitations
• An irregular heartbeat
• Feeling lightheaded or fainting
• Flu-like symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, fever or sore throat

• Stabbing chest pain that’s worse when breathing in, coughing, swallowing or lying down
• Chest pain that spreads to your arms, shoulders and back
• Shortness of breath
• A dry cough
• Heart palpitations
• Fatigue
• A high temperature and feeling hot and shivery
• A sore through
• Feeling sick
• Feeling light-headed

To diagnose myocarditis or pericarditis, your specialist will evaluate your symptoms, do a physical examination and take a detailed medical history. You may also need to have further tests including an electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, chest x-ray, CT of the chest and a cardiac MRI in some cases,  and blood tests

The treatment options for myocarditis and pericarditis depend on your symptoms and the cause of the condition.

Treatments may include:

• Painkillers or analgesics to relieve chest pain
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection
• In some cases, medicines to suppress the immune system such as steroids and other more specific drugs need to be used.

If you have pericarditis, steroids may be prescribed, and in severe cases, a surgery called a pericardial window may need to be performed to drain the inflamed lining surrounding the heart.