Heart muscle inflammation and sports
Especially sports activities or even competitive sports can be very dangerous in the context of a heart muscle inflammation. The heart is clearly affected by the inflammation and therefore cannot react properly to the increased physical activity, so that in the worst case it can lead to sudden failure. As a matter of principle, it is therefore advisable to refrain from sporting activity for some time in the context of a flu-like infection or a general febrile infection in order to prevent the risk of developing heart muscle inflammation.
A possible symptom of an incipient heart muscle inflammation, which may only become apparent at the beginning during increased physical activity or during competitive sports, is a significantly faster fatigue. This can lead to the fact that you may not be able to cover your usual distance when running or that you may need considerably more time for this. It is also possible that increased pain in the limbs may occur after the sport.
Other symptoms of myocarditis that can appear or worsen during sports are newly occurring cardiac arrhythmias, increased heart stumbling or a significantly faster heartbeat. Pain in the area of the chest can also be a sign of incipient heart muscle inflammation. Depending on the severity of the inflammation, it can also lead to increased shortness of breath and shortness of breath. At the beginning of the disease, only heavy physical exertion such as sport usually leads to shortness of breath. In the further course of the disease or if the condition worsens significantly, shortness of breath can also occur during light physical exertion such as climbing stairs.
Summary
Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) is the inflammation of the heart muscle. In most cases it is caused by viruses (50% of all myocarditis cases). A distinction is made between infectious causes, which include The second form is caused by non-infectious causes (rheumatic diseases, inflammation of the vessels (vasculitis), radiation-related myocarditis and drug intolerance).
Inflammation of the heart muscle can also be caused by an overreactivity of the immune system. In this case, antibodies can usually be detected in the blood. Inflammations of the heart muscle usually proceed without major symptoms, but this does not reduce the potential danger.
Frequently, hermuscular inflammations occur after infections in the near past. The so-called beta-hemolytic streptococci are particularly important here. If myocarditis triggers symptoms, patients often complain of fatigue, exhaustion, fever, cardiac arrhythmia and severe heart failure symptoms.
In addition to the patient’s medical history, in which the physician asks about infections the patient has had, he or she needs a blood count that can tell him or her whether an infection is present or whether autoantibodies are detectable. The ultrasound image of the heart can provide information about oedema of the pericardium and movement disorders of the heart. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can also be used to visualize the heart.
The basic infection/cause is treated first. In most cases, antibiotics are used here. Since in most cases a viral infection is present, the use of antiviral therapy (interferon) may be necessary.
Symptomatically, the complications should be treated, the patient should be allowed to rest and, if necessary, be treated with antibiotics.treat the accompanying diseases caused by myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle). In 80% of the cases the inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) is cured. Only harmless cardiac arrhythmias can remain in many cases. Despite the high cure rate, myocarditis should not be underestimated and must be treated consistently as an inpatient.
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Mushrooms
- Protozoa and
- Parasites
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