Viral Myocarditis: Importance of Handwashing to Protect Your Heart

What is Viral Myocarditis?

As winter approaches, the risk of viral infections increases, and with it comes a range of health concerns, including viral myocarditis. This condition is caused by heart muscle inflammation resulting from viral infections such as the flu, cold, mono, COVID, CMV, and hand-foot-mouth. With December being hand washing awareness month, it’s essential to encourage everyone to wash their hands thoroughly to decrease the risk of viral infection and myocarditis, which can lead to serious health issues.

Symptoms of Myocarditis

The symptoms of myocarditis can be quite vague and hard to identify, including fatigue, malaise, chest pain, congestive heart failure (CHF), cardiogenic shock, arrhythmias, abnormal heart rhythm, and even cardiac arrest. Children are also vulnerable to this condition and may present flu-like symptoms, such as fever, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and respiratory distress.

How to diagnose myocarditis?

Diagnosis is based on symptoms. Most patients present with abnormal electrocardiogram, including sinus tachycardia, low voltage, prolonged QT, atrioventricular (AV) block, wide QRS patterns, and acute myocardial infraction pattern. The echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) shows reduced left ventricular function or regional wall motion abnormalities. CBC, troponin, CRP, and ESR may be elevated.

Treatment

Treatment options for viral myocarditis are dependent on the severity of the symptoms. Patients may need to be admitted to the ICU for monitoring, as they can develop ventricular tachycardia, heart failure requiring medications, pacemakers, or even heart transplants.

Follow-Up

Follow-up appointments are necessary to monitor heart function and rhythm with an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram. Patients are advised to restrict strenuous physical activity.

It’s essential to spread awareness about the importance of handwashing, especially during the winter months. Washing your hands thoroughly is a simple yet effective way to prevent viral infections and reduce the risk of viral myocarditis. You can protect yourself and others from this serious health condition by washing your hands regularly.

If you suspect you or someone you know may have viral myocarditis, it’s crucial to seek medical attention immediately. If you want an evaluation or cardiac screening, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our clinic at (406)272-2376 or schedule an appointment.

Let’s all do our part in spreading awareness and encouraging everyone to wash their hands thoroughly. Protecting your heart starts with something as simple as washing your hands.

References:

Kang M, Chippa V, An J. Viral Myocarditis. [Updated 2022 Sep 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459259/

Schultheiss HP, Baumeier C, Aleshcheva G, Bock CT, Escher F. Viral Myocarditis-From Pathophysiology to Treatment. J Clin Med. 2021 Nov 11;10(22):5240. doi: 10.3390/jcm10225240. PMID: 34830522; PMCID: PMC8623269. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34830522/

Sozzi FB, Gherbesi E, Faggiano A, Gnan E, Maruccio A, Schiavone M, Iacuzio L, Carugo S. Viral Myocarditis: Classification, Diagnosis, and Clinical Implications. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Jun 20;9:908663. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.908663. PMID: 35795363; PMCID: PMC9250986. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35795363/