Is heart muscle inflammation contagious?

The heart muscle inflammation itself is not contagious. However, it is possible to infect other people with the trigger of the disease. Most heart muscle inflammation is caused by infections.

These are particularly common viral diseases, but bacterial infections can also be the cause of myocarditis. Infection with these viruses or bacteria is possible. Especially in the case of a cold, droplet infection is the most common way of infection. However, the pathogens do not necessarily trigger myocarditis in the infected person.

Duration of heart muscle inflammation

The healing of a heart muscle inflammation is a lengthy process. On average, myocarditis takes about 6 weeks to heal. However, the exact duration of the inflammation can vary greatly and can be between 2 and 12 weeks individually.

After this time, however, the heart muscle inflammation is not yet completely healed. In addition, there are several weeks during which the affected person should take it easy. Even when no symptoms of myocarditis are felt, it is important to avoid physical exertion in order to avoid consequential damage to the heart.

In the worst case, premature heavy exertion of the cardiovascular system can lead to heart failure and other consequential damage such as cardiac arrhythmia. Exactly how much time a heart muscle inflammation ultimately takes to heal completely depends greatly on the patient’s general condition. Obesity and lack of physical fitness in particular have a very negative effect on the duration of the disease.

Another important factor for a fast and uncomplicated healing process is how much rest the affected person allows himself and his heart to rest. In general, it is usually stated that 3 months of physical rest are necessary to ensure a complete recovery. Nevertheless, other factors seem to influence the course of the disease, which have not yet been fully clarified.

While the disease heals spontaneously and without permanent symptoms in about one third of patients, acute myocarditis can also become chronic in some. In this case, a process of connective tissue remodelling (fibrosis) takes place in the heart muscle tissue, which severely impairs the function of the organ. If this tissue remodeling has already taken place, it is irreversible.

A chronic condition of a disease is generally referred to from 3 to 6 months of a persistent disease. A normal inflammation of the heart muscle lasts about six weeks. How long someone is incapacitated for work depends on the course of the disease and the type of work.

For physically demanding jobs, the incapacity to work can last up to three months, as no heavy physical activity is permitted for this period. For less physically demanding professions, it is possible to return to work much earlier. If complications occur, the period of incapacity to work can be significantly longer. In the most severe cases (cardiac insufficiency, possibly necessary heart transplantation, cardiac arrest, etc.) it can even lead to a life-long incapacity to work.