Can Myocarditis Be Cured?

Myocarditis is a condition which causes inflammation of the myocardium or the heart muscle.

In most of the cases, myocarditis gets better on its own or with some treatment. This often leads to a full recovery. The focus of the treatment is on reducing symptoms and treating the causes.

• In the beginning or in mild cases, all kinds of competitive sports should be avoided for at least six months
• This will provide the much-needed rest to your body and paired with the right medication, this might be what is actually needed by the body to recover
• Antiviral medications do exist, but they are not proven to be much useful in the treatment of myocarditis
• Some types of myocarditis respond well to corticosteroids or other medicines that suppress your immune system

In other cases, where myocarditis is caused due to some other underlying medical condition, the treatment focuses on treating that underlying cause.⁽¹⁾

• If myocarditis is leading to arrythmias or heart failure, you might be hospitalised and started on some medicines and treatment
• In severe cases, doctors may prescribe medicines that will prevent the blood clots from happening
• In case the heart is weak, the doctors may prescribe medicines that reduce the workload on the heart. These medicines may also help in removing extra fluid from the body.⁽¹⁾

The medicines may include-

• ACE inhibitors or the angiotensin-converting enzyme help in relaxing the blood vessels and help in an easy blood flow
• Examples are analapril, ramipril, lisinopril etc.

• ARBs or angiotensin II receptor blockers also relax the blood vessels and help in an easy blood flow
• Examples are losartan, valsartan etc.

• These medicines help in a variety of ways to help controlling arrythmias and treat cardiac failure
• Examples are metoprolol, bisoprolol etc.

• These medicines help in relieving fluid and sodium retention, by removing excess fluid out of the body
• Examples are furosemide or Lasix ⁽¹⁾

Aggressive and elaborate treatment may be needed in some cases of severe myocarditis. This may include-

IV or intravenous medications may help in refining the pumping function of the heart more rapidly

• VADs or ventricular assist devices are machines or pumps that help in pumping the blood from the ventricles to other parts of your body, mechanically
• These are usually used in those who have a cardiac failure or weak heart
• This treatment can help in heart recovery or as a supportive therapy in the waiting window for some other procedure like heart transplant

• In this method, a balloon attached at the end of a thin tube is inserted through a blood vessel in the leg and sent to the heart using x-ray technique
• This balloon is guided to aorta, which is the main artery going out from the heart to the body
• As this balloon expands and contracts, the blood flow increases and the pressure or load on the heart decreases

• ECMO or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is used for providing oxygen to the body
• This is used in cases of severe cardiac failure
• The blood removed from the body is passed through a special membrane in this device and carbon dioxide is removed from the blood
• The oxygenated or pure blood is then sent to the body
• This machine takes over the heart’s work
• This method is also used for helping heart to recover or when there is some waiting to be done before other procedure like a heart transplant ⁽¹⁾
• Heart transplant is done in an emergency in most severe of the cases

With myocarditis, some may face chronic and permanent damage to the heart muscle, while others need medication and treatment for just a small period. However, regular follow-ups will be recommended to evaluate your condition and to sense a need for any other course of treatment.

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Also Read:

• Can Myocarditis Kill You?
• Does Myocarditis Show On ECG?
• Who Is At Risk For Myocarditis?
• Can Myocarditis Cause Sudden Death?
• Can Pneumonia Cause Myocarditis?
• How Long Does It Take To Recover From Myocarditis?
• Is There Any Surgery For Myocarditis?