Myocarditis refers to a viral infection of the heart in which inflammation of the heart muscles is seen. While there is a long list of prevention and cure for myocarditis, the most important one is early diagnosis to prevent long term damage to heart muscles. Once the physical examination for myocarditis is done and it is confirmed the doctor may prescribe you some medicines and drugs which are used to treat the infection, but along with the drugs and medications, it is also important to make some necessary changes in the lifestyle. However, before we get to know about the changes in our lifestyle when myocarditis is diagnosed, we should understand what myocarditis is. Myocarditis is a very rare disease so the information about its treatment and lifestyle changes is also rare.
Lifestyle Changes For Myocarditis
As stated above there are no lifestyle changes or medication which can prevent myocarditis from happening but once it is diagnosed the following lifestyle changes can help in keeping the heart strong.
Eating Healthy
The underlying cause of most of the heart diseases is unhealthy eating habits. Including lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet and avoiding oily and junk food is the best habit. Also, the intake of sodium and potassium in your diet should be reduced. Choosing lean meat and fish is also a good option for improving heart health.
Accumulation of fluid may occur in the limbs due to myocarditis which may cause swelling in the limbs. In such a case, the intake of sodium is prohibited completely or reduced to extremely low quantity.(1)
Active Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle has always been bad for heart’s health. Whether you are diagnosed with myocarditis or not a proper exercise routine should always be followed. Exercising daily whether light or heavy according to one’s capacity is always beneficial for improving the heart’s health. However, it should be noted that strenuous exercise should be avoided when myocarditis is diagnosed because the heart is already under stress and heavy exercise can increase its stress even more.(1)
Monitoring The Blood Pressure
It is very important for the patients of myocarditis to monitor their BP regularly because the increased blood pressure can increase the pressure on heart which could worsen the condition. Whenever any unusual reading in the BP is noted, the physician should be consulted immediately.(1)
Weight Management
Under any circumstances, the weight should not increase in the case of myocarditis. If there is any continuous and unusual increase in the weight it means there is fluid retention in the body. This clearly means that the stress on the heart is continuously increasing and requires immediate attention.(1)
Stress Management
Numerous activities for stress management can be done. Stress should be avoided at any cost. The use of cigarettes and alcohol consumption should be reduced.(1)
Understanding The Anatomy Of Myocarditis
As stated above, myocarditis cause inflammation in the heart muscles and viral infection is the main cause. The inflammation causes weakening of the heart muscles and increases the stress on the heart while it pumps blood to the whole body. It should be importantly noted that any prior medication or any kind of lifestyle change cannot prevent myocarditis because it is a viral infection and virus can attack our bodies anytime, anywhere when we are exposed to the environment.
Myocarditis is a very rare disease so the information about its treatment and lifestyle changes is also rare. It is also not inherited from one generation to other; neither any gene is known to predispose myocarditis in people. Myocarditis is not restricted to any age group. People often think that because it is a heart condition so it will be more common in elderly people but it is not so, it can happen in children or adults who are in their thirties’.
Conclusion
While there is a long list of prevention and cure for myocarditis, the most important one is early diagnosis to prevent long term damage to heart muscles. Although there are no particular lifestyle changes or medication which can prevent myocarditis from happening but once it is diagnosed the following lifestyle changes can help in keeping the heart strong.
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