MHVI Owners Manual . Conditions . Infections of the Heart

What Are They?
Just like other parts of the body, your heart can develop infections. The main causes of these infections are viruses, bacteria, and much less commonly, fungi. As with other infections, heart infections cause inflam-mation of the affected area. There are three main types of infection in the heart.

Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining (endocardium) and valves of the heart. It occurs most often in people who already have some type of valve disease, and the valve becomes infected, most commonly by bacteria. This condition is also called infective endocarditis. Infection of valves often causes them to not close properly and therefore they "leak." (See more on valvular regurgitation in the valve disorders section).
Myocarditis is an infection of the heart muscle (myocardium). Relatively uncommon, this type of infection is usually caused by a virus and can lead to significant weakening of the pumping strength of the heart.
Pericarditis is an infection of the sac that surrounds the heart (pericardium). The most common cause of this type of infection is a virus.

Acute rheumatic fever is an infection and inflammation caused by streptococcus ("strept") bacteria and can affect each of these parts of the heart. Fortunately, this illness is now quite rare in this country.

Conditions other than infections can result in inflammation of the heart. They include chest injuries, some cancers, kidney failure, and with certain connective tissue diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Symptoms
Depending on which part of your heart is affected by the infection, symptoms will vary. For example, pericarditis usually causes sharp chest pain that gets worse with a deep breath and worse when you lay down. Like other infections of the heart, it may be preceded by a more minor upper respiratory infection. Your doctor can discuss with you the typical symptoms for each of these conditions.

Treatment
Treatment for these conditions varies depending on the type of infection. For example, endocarditis requires prolonged courses of intravenous antibiotics. Pericarditis, on the other hand, usually requires treatment of the symptoms only. Less commonly, fluid from the pericardial sac might need to be removed. When myocarditis results in congestive heart failure, the main treatment is eliminating excess fluid from the body. Rest is the primary treatment for all types of heart infections. Rest decreases the workload on your heart and allows it to recover.

Prevention
Endocarditis occurs most commonly when a heart valve is already abnormal or if there is a congenital defect of the heart and the heart becomes exposed to bacteria from the blood stream. Certain common procedures can cause bacteria to enter the blood stream, such as dental work. If you have a valve problem, you may be asked to take antibiotics before and immediately after certain procedures in order to prevent infective endocarditis. Your nurse or doctor can tell you more about this process.