What is the therapy for myocarditis?
Therapy is initially based on the severity of the myocarditis. In most cases, the symptoms (symptomatic therapy) and the causes (causal therapy) of the myocarditis are treated in parallel. Symptomatic therapy includes, first and foremost, physical rest and a temporary cessation of physical activity.
Painkillers can also be prescribed for chest pain. Depending on the severity of the myocarditis, this treatment can be performed at home or in a hospital (possibly with monitor monitoring). The causal therapy is directed against the triggering germs and must be adapted according to the pathogen.
Fungal diseases are treated with so-called antimycotics. Antibiotics help in the case of a bacterial infection. These have to be adapted depending on the type of bacteria.
In the case of an illness caused by viruses, antivirals are usually used, but many of the drugs can only be used in the context of studies. The situation is similar with immunosuppressive drugs. These are needed when myocarditis is the result of an autoimmune event (the body directs its immune defence against itself).
Complications such as heart failure are treated with appropriate medication (water tablets). In the most severe cases, a heart transplantation may be necessary. Antibiotics are all types of medication that are specifically effective against bacteria and thus also against bacterial infections.
Depending on the type of bacteria, different groups of antibiotics are used. Antibiotic therapy against myocarditis only makes sense if a bacterial infection is the trigger of the disease. Antibiotics do not help against viruses or autoimmune processes (where the immune system attacks the body). However, if the disease is bacterial, the infection can be treated quickly and specifically with various antibiotics, thus minimizing possible complications and significantly shortening the duration of myocarditis.
Duration of myocarditis
The duration of myocarditis depends on various factors. In particular, the age and general health of the person affected play a major role. Younger people usually recover faster than older people.
Whose heart is already damaged by previous illnesses takes longer to recover than an otherwise healthy person.In addition, the extent of the damage to the heart muscle also plays a role. Myocarditis that progresses without complications usually heals after about five to six weeks. However, if disruptive factors are present, the recovery process can also take two to three months.
A major risk in myocarditis is the chronification of the disease or chronic suffering from the consequences of the infection. Complications such as cardiac arrhythmias can recede within a short period of time, but they can also last a lifetime. If the myocarditis turns into a dilated cardiomyopathy, the ventricles are enlarged, resulting in a reduced ejection capacity of the heart. This condition can also develop into a chronic disease. The same applies to cardiac insufficiency, which often accompanies the affected person until the end of his or her life.
