Non-infectious causes

Myocarditis can also be triggered, although much less frequently, by a number of non-infectious factors. One of these is rheumatic fever. This is a secondary disease that can occur about 10 – 20 days after a throat infection with Streptococcus pyogenes, the pathogen that causes scarlet fever.

In addition to an inflammatory reaction on the skin and joints, an inflammation of all parts of the heart (pancarditis) can occur after the bacteria have provoked the body to produce antibodies against the structures of the heart. This can be accompanied by damage to the heart valves. Autoimmune diseases such as sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma or vascular inflammation (vasculitis), in which the human immune system is directed against the body’s own structures, sometimes attack the heart muscle and cause the destruction of muscle tissue as part of an inflammatory reaction.

In so-called collagenoses, antibodies attack all kinds of endogenous connective tissue cells. In addition to joint problems, this ultimately leads to damage to the heart muscle. A similar mechanism is present with vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), with the difference that here, instead of connective tissue cells, vessels are attacked by the body’s own antibodies, including the vessels of the heart.

Stress is a risk factor for the development of heart muscle inflammation after a flu-like infection. Stress leads to a weakening of the immune system, which makes it easier for an infection to spread to the heart muscles. At the same time, the heart muscles are additionally strained with an increased heart rate.If the musculature is already damaged, there is a risk of serious complications, as the heart muscle reaches its load limit earlier.

Toxic causes

The most common causes of toxic myocarditis are

Increased alcohol consumption
Absorption of heavy metals
Side effects of drugs, such as chemotherapeutic drugs, sleeping pills and anaesthetics (barbiturates) or psychotropic drugs.

Another risk factor for the development of heart muscle inflammation is regular alcohol consumption. Elevated blood alcohol levels also inhibit the immune system, which promotes the spread of a flu-like infection to the heart muscles. At the same time, excessive alcohol consumption over a long period of time can also be the sole cause of heart muscle inflammation.

This is known as toxic heart muscle inflammation. Permanently elevated blood alcohol levels promote inflammation in the body. These can manifest themselves in the area of the heart muscles, among other things.